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Chicas de Riad by Rajaa Alsanea
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Chicas de Riad (original 2005; edition 2008)

by Rajaa Alsanea (Author)

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
1,1957216,320 (3.35)75
This debut novel, banned in the author's own country, reveals the social, romantic, and sexual tribulations of four young women from the elite classes of Saudi Arabia. Every week after Friday prayers, the anonymous narrator sends an email to the female subscribers of her online chat group. In fifty such emails over the course of a year, we witness the tragicomic reality of four university students 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 all this causes the girls to collide endlessly with ancient customs. The never-ending cultural conflicts underscore the tumult of being an educated modern woman growing up in the 21st century amid a culture firmly rooted in an ancient way of life.--From publisher description.… (more)
Member:LilianaL
Title:Chicas de Riad
Authors:Rajaa Alsanea (Author)
Info:Rayo (2008), Edition: PRIMERA EDCION RAYO, 314 pages
Collections:Your library, To read
Rating:
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Girls of Riyadh by Rajaa Alsanea (2005)

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» See also 75 mentions

English (59)  German (3)  Spanish (2)  Dutch (2)  French (2)  Italian (1)  Arabic (1)  Norwegian (1)  Swedish (1)  All languages (72)
Showing 1-5 of 59 (next | show all)
Interesting read. Felt a bit like a Riyadh-based Sex and the City, but still managed to delve deeper into a few key issues relating to women, culture and society in general. The main characters were fairly likable, with a couple being actually delightful, but still felt very under-developed and one dimensional. Overall good, but could have been much better. ( )
  bookforthought | Nov 7, 2023 |
The story of four Saudi women. They are members of the upper-class, their families are well off. They struggle to find some independence and love. However they face restrictions from the traditions they live under. We also have a narrator who is telling the story through emails. I really enjoyed their stories. ( )
  nx74defiant | Apr 4, 2023 |
Ridiculous. ( )
  womanwoanswers | Dec 23, 2022 |
This is my first read for 2019, even though I am in the middle of two other books. Well, today I was in the mood for a chick lit book, went to my TBR book looking through the books and The Girls of Riyadh was the one that I thought will be that will fulfill my mood.
I borrowed this book from a co-worker that liked this book. It is a book about what is going behind closed doors of the Saudi houses. It is a book that takes out the dirty laundry that not everyone is happy to expose it. This is an interesting concept about a culture that I didn’t know anything about. You hear different things, but you don’t know if it is true or false.
I liked the idea of the way the story is told as a new-age epistolary with the mail before blogging was a thing. The author had to have a lot of courage to write a book like that.
In this book, you learn about the truth about friendship, how the tribal costumes are part of Saudi-Arabia even though there are a lot of people going abroad to study, but is very hard to change the way of life and costumes once return back.
Love is a hard thing among young Saudis. You see during the story of the different plot lines of the four friends.
If you want a different kind of chick-lit, and finding out about a different culture this book for, read it open-mindedly and not with western worlds state of mind. ( )
1 vote AvigailRGRIL | Nov 5, 2020 |
Even though the gossipy format of the book wasn't exactly my cup of tea, the plight of young women of Saudi Arabia (before and right after their arranged marriages) came through rather poignantly. The humiliation they undergo during the process of arranging the marriage, having not much say in the process but hoping sincerely with all their heart for a decent husband, is overwhelming. Of course, we know in general terms about the treatment of women in Saudi Arabia, but even then it was a shock to read this explosive account of what's going on - "religious police" was one stark example...

Yet the author just touches the surface: she describes the most elite, upper-crust society of Riyadh, with all its privileges. So if those girls suffer that much, what to speak of the general population, who are not as fortunate economically... Unthinkable... (I am familiar with arranged marriages in India, but it's nothing like this, not even close...).

The author calls it "a society that raises children on contradictions and double standards", and it seems she is right about that. She calls the men of Saudi Arabia "passive and weak", "slaves to the reactionary customs and ancient traditions" and "just pawns their families move around on the chessboard" - with the result that crushes the very essence of life for young women. No wonder this book caused such a stir in the Arab world. ( )
1 vote Clara53 | Aug 20, 2020 |
Showing 1-5 of 59 (next | show all)
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» Add other authors (7 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Rajaa Alsaneaprimary authorall editionscalculated
Aabakken, AnneTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Booth, MarilynTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Colombo, ValentinaTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Corthay, SimonTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Mossaad, AntonTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Rooke, TetzTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Smiths-Jacob, BertaTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Woillez, CharlotteTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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Epigraph
"Verily, Allah does not change a people's condition until they change what is in themselves." -- Qur'an, Surat Al-Ra'd (The Chapter of Thunder), Verse 11
Dedication
To my most beloved; Mom and sister Rasha and to all my friends, the Girls of Riyadh
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Ladies and Gentlemen: You are invited to join me in one of the most explosive scandals and noisiest, wildest all-night parties around.
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This debut novel, banned in the author's own country, reveals the social, romantic, and sexual tribulations of four young women from the elite classes of Saudi Arabia. Every week after Friday prayers, the anonymous narrator sends an email to the female subscribers of her online chat group. In fifty such emails over the course of a year, we witness the tragicomic reality of four university students 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 all this causes the girls to collide endlessly with ancient customs. The never-ending cultural conflicts underscore the tumult of being an educated modern woman growing up in the 21st century amid a culture firmly rooted in an ancient way of life.--From publisher description.

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Penguin Australia

An edition of this book was published by Penguin Australia.

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