thesmithian:interesting piece on Saudi Arabian literature since 9/11. Of course the one book menti
thesmithian: interesting piece on Saudi Arabian literature since 9/11. Of course the one book mentioned that I’ve read gets dissed. Girls of Riyadh lifts the veil on an obscure world, but cannot be considered a masterpiece in Arabic narrative; it is a bestseller, but too simple in style and worldview. Of course it’s also one of the few mentioned written by a woman (i think two others are noted in the piece). For the record I found Girls of Riyadh captivating, and conversational. Learned a bunch from it, mostly about the “upper” classes. It dropped me deep in world I know little about. more, here. via The Literary Saloon. Love this book! -- source link