Girls of Riyadh
Ratings6
Average rating3.1
15
Ratings6
Average rating3.1
A bold new voice from Saudi Arabia spins a fascinating tale of four young women attempting to navigate the narrow straits between love, desire, fulfillment, and Islamic traditionIn her debut novel Rajaa Alsanea reveals the social, romantic, and sexual tribulations of four young women from the elite classes of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Originally released in Arabic in 2005, it was immediately banned in Saudi Arabia because of the controversial and inflammatory content, while black-market copies of the novel were widely circulated. The daring originality of Girls of Riyadh continues to create a firestorm all over the Arab world, and the excitement has spread far beyond the Middle East-to date, rights to this novel have already been sold in eleven countries.The novel unfolds as every week after Friday prayers, the anonymous narrator sends an e-mail to the female subscribers of her online chat group. In fifty such e-mails over the course of a year, we witness the tragicomic reality of four university students-Qamra, Michelle, Sadim, and Lamis-negotiating their love lives, their professional success, and their rebellions, large and small, against their cultural traditions. The world these women inhabit is a modern one that contains "Sex and the City," dating, and sneaking out of their parents' houses, and this affluent, contemporary existence causes the girls to collide endlessly with the ancient customs of their society. The never-ending cultural conflicts underscore the tumult of being an educated modern woman growing up in the twenty-first century amid a culture firmly rooted in an ancient way of life.While this novel offers a distinctly Arab voice, it also represents the mongrel culture and language of a globalized world, reflecting the way in which the Arab world is being changed by new economic and political realities. Riyadh is the larger setting of the novel, but the characters travel all over the world shedding traditional garb as they literally and figuratively cross over into Western society. These women understand the Western worldview and experiment with reconciling pieces of it with their own. But this groundbreaking novel might be the very first that opens up their world to us-their culture, their struggles, their frustrations, their hopes, and their beliefs. With Girls of Riyadh, Rajaa Alsanea gives us a rare and unforgettable insight into the complicated lives of these young Saudi women whose amazing stories are unfolding in a culture so very different from our own.
Reviews with the most likes.
This was okay. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it. Personally, I felt the pseudo e-mail intros at the beginning of each chapter were unnecessary at best, but overall, I thought GIRLS OF RIYADH was interesting enough. Lukewarm read, for me.
I've had a hard time reading this book without being judgemental. The writer does shed light on some idiocracies that exist in the society but of course, like every controversial book, it doesn't portray the entire picture. I liked the many poetical lines she's used and the writing style, with the narrator taking a sort've gossip girl's position and spilling all the beans through emails. However, these emails do present a certain perspective and certain realities that are often overlooked so it isn't entirely superficial and that's what led me to actually complete the book.
The love adventures of 4 young upper-class Saudi women in a very strict and traditional culture that favors men in every aspect. The four girls still honor their religion, they are not rebels, they feel like good representations on the scale of traditional to more open-minded. The story follows their various flirtations and relationships over the course of a few years.
Any book that gets banned in its home country, it's worth a look. Even if the writing isn't especially good, the plot is engaging, and the novel is very insightful into a world and culture so far from mine. It was definitely interesting to learn about all customs that feel so antiquated in how they separate the genders and suppress the women, while also embracing the allure of Western movies, shopping addictions and Burger King whopper meals. Women are meant to marry young, the more naive and less educated they are the better their chances. Young guys “number” girls by basically stalking them and forcing their phone numbers on them. And should you fall in love, love is no guarantee that tradition won't break.
