Saturday, February 6, 2010

Book Reference: The Girls of Riyadh



Book Reference: The Girls of Riyadh
By: Rajaa Al-Sanea
This controversional book has been restricted for Saudi Arabia because of the content and the fact that going on in this country, which exposed in this book. The characters in this book was based on real stories, each with their own conflict in life and love.
The book was telling us about the life of four young ladies in Saudi Arabia. Just like the other girl in this country, they always dream about perfect romantic love story for their lives. Too bad to tell, their dreams weren’t happened as they've wished for. Each of their marriage left them in tears. They always trying to solve the problems and share to each other, yet the culture and the rigid religion values had them left aside over and over again.
The story was a little cliché just like another book about Arabian girl which always trapped by their rigid cultural values and hurt by their own lovers. But then again, Al Sanea had done a great work by writing the novel in a different way. 
What you can get by read it are knowledge and information about what is life in Saudi Arabia; how the culture grabs individual freedom, how the rigid value drops women spirits and even how the government emphasizes those values in everyday life. Also in this book, you can find that the teenagers are not allowed to hanging around outside their house for later than 07.30 p.m., especially with sexually opposite person.
The book could really make us see how teenager’s life in Arabic culture (yeah!!! U’ll be surprised by their way of living) and also love life in Saudi Arabia from different angle. The book is much recommended for you who like to observe another country’s culture and values that came along with that. As for you who really into romance novel, I guess this isn’t for you because the story isn’t just about the cheesy romance afterall. The last words from me are for you the reader and book consumer, this book is totally must have!!!