Girls of Riyadh: A Novel

Reviews (See all 586) Write a reviewfor this

It's a hit!

Whenever I hear of a book that's caused any kind of controversy, I'm immediately intrigued. I randomly picked this one off the shelf and, after r... (show more)

Whenever I hear of a book that's caused any kind of controversy, I'm immediately intrigued. I randomly picked this one off the shelf and, after reading the description, was instantly curious to see what all the hullabaloo was about. I had learned a little about Saudi Arabian culture in some of my courses at university and I found that this novel helped to expand upon my previous knowledge with interesting tidbtis and anecdotes woven into the stories of the four girls. While I understand that this is a work of fiction and obviously presented from only one particular point of view, I think this book provides a unique window into a culture that many Westerners know little about. I was surprised to find that Saudi culture's expectations for women were less restrictive in some ways and, at the same time, even more restrictive in others than I had previously thought. This proved to be an enjoyable read and was certainly something different, which is always nice to throw into the mix. (show less)

 

 

by Alessandra Capossela

No, it's a flop!

This is a light read which does give a glimpse into Saudi society; however, I was disappointed that it portrays the characters to be very shallow. ... (show more)

This is a light read which does give a glimpse into Saudi society; however, I was disappointed that it portrays the characters to be very shallow. I know there is more to life in Saudi beyond what designer one is wearing and who is dating who. I agree with another reviewer that this is merely the girl meets boy story set in Saudi Arabia. I imagine there is a lot more to Saudi culture (positive and negative) than what is portrayed in this book.
I am surprised that at least 3 of the author's friends remained so even though she used their life stories as a way to become famous, apparently without permission beforehand. I was further surprised the author iis considered one of the intellectual elites and nominated for an award considering this is definitely along the lines of beach reading.
I believe this book continues to support beliefs many westerners have about Saudi Arabia rather than informing them about what life is truly like. If the author meant to defend the cause of Saudi women, I was hard-pressed to feel sorry for characters who were portrayed to be so shallow. (show less)

 

 

by Facebook User

More Reviews

• 
  

  Girls of Riyadh, or (Banat Al-Riyadh) as it is better known in the Arab world is quite frankly, one of most intriguing books I have ever read so far. I was utterly amazed when I knew the book was translated to English so soon, considering it was released in the mid of 2005. Without any hesitation, I grabbed the book, bought it, and went home to read and to discover why it has caused such a stare in Saudi Arabia, and probably some parts of the Arab world. Surprisngly, I got so hooked that I fi... (show more)

  Girls of Riyadh, or (Banat Al-Riyadh) as it is better known in the Arab world is quite frankly, one of most intriguing books I have ever read so far. I was utterly amazed when I knew the book was translated to English so soon, considering it was released in the mid of 2005. Without any hesitation, I grabbed the book, bought it, and went home to read and to discover why it has caused such a stare in Saudi Arabia, and probably some parts of the Arab world. Surprisngly, I got so hooked that I finished in less than a week.

  The story is told through an anonymous, female narrator that presents her stories in a form of e-mail letters, and sends them in a weekly fashion to any Saudi e-mail address she can find. The tale is centered on four different Saudi girls that belong to the “Velvet Society” of the kingdom, in which all of them are very close friends and share their stories and events to each other, especially their romantic relationships. The narrator takes an interesting role of both describing the life in Saudi and conveying the story of those girls. Marriage, love, friendship, and feminism are the primary themes of this novel, and the script presents an accurate vision of the Saudi society, and what makes it so “unique”. The novel also does an excellent job in educating the reader about Saudi Arabia, whether it was about geography, authenticities, name of famous poets and singers, food, and (believe or not) underwear. The script has a nice blend of comedy and romance, but tragedy usually dominates the middle chapters as the reader gets hooked up with those girls and their fates. The writing style however, gets a little clunky and rough in some moments, where the format becomes a little bit stale. For example, sometimes, the narrative fixates on certain aspects for more than 4 pages long without advancing in the story whatsoever, and you wonder if it going anywhere or performing any purpose. Also, “Gulf Soap opera” fanatics might find the dialogue a little bit predictable and cliché.

  Girls of Riyadh is not a great book per se, but it is definitely a brave book, and deserves to be read for that reason. Offering an insider’s view of a closed society might be provocative enough, but to do so from the point of view of a woman, and a young, unmarried woman at that, is revolutionary indeed. It’s not Sex & The City but it is quite irresistible and thought provoking. (show less)

   

   

  by Mohammad Al-Shatti on Aug 06, 2008 at 10:06PM

  Already read

  Is this review helpful? yes no
   
• 
  

  This book was not what I was expecting at all, but it was a great surprise. It is essentially a chick-lit book set in a culture far different from our own, and so the situtations and problems the characters faced were not ones we would necessarily face. For example, if we fall in love with someone, we have the freedom of our own choice to do what we want, no one can stop us. However, if it happens in Saudia Arabia, it has to be in secret unless the male asks for the female's hand in marriage,... (show more)

  This book was not what I was expecting at all, but it was a great surprise. It is essentially a chick-lit book set in a culture far different from our own, and so the situtations and problems the characters faced were not ones we would necessarily face. For example, if we fall in love with someone, we have the freedom of our own choice to do what we want, no one can stop us. However, if it happens in Saudia Arabia, it has to be in secret unless the male asks for the female's hand in marriage, and even then it's usually only with his family's permission. It was really interesting to read about the culture, although it was hard to imagine such a strict life because the way we live is so completely different. It was a great read though, and something I'd recommend to people interested in other religions or cultures. (show less)

   

  by Facebook User on Dec 14, 2009 at 02:19AM

  Already read

  Is this review helpful? yes no
   
• See all reviews
  Write a review