Could have been so much more

The writing ranges from indifferent to awkward, but that is not the only reason I rate this books as merely "ok". It had the potential to be so much more than it is.

Dr. Qanta A. Ahmed is capable of close observation--no critical care physician can lack this ability--and some of her descriptions are very closely observed, indeed. It is a shame that these are mostly limited to the physical appearance of the people she meets and of their clothing, homes and cars.

Yet we cannot call Ahmed shallow because the religious experience she underwent in the Kingdom was clearly deeply felt. I am disappointed that she did not spend more time exploring it and less time looking for well-worn metaphors to describe it.

The main problem with In the Land of Invisible Women, in my opinion, is that it never quite seems to decide what kind of book it is. Is it the description of the author's religious itinerary? Then why leave that almost exclusively to the section on her Haj (pilgrimage to Mecca)? Is it the story of a Western-trained double-boarded physician who happens to be a woman practicing in the very different and restrictive conditions experienced by female physicians in the Kingdom? Then tell us more about that.

Is this a book about Saudi culture? Then spend less time on describing cars, jewelry and clothing and more time on behavior, attitudes, laws and social expectations. Is it a book about the history of Wahabi extremism in Saudia? Then write it as a history and don't try to squeeze it in as background in artificial-sounding conversations.

The main problem I found with this book is its lack of focus. There is so much potential here for a riveting memoir or a fascinating analysis. Ahmed sold herself short by taking the easy way out.

This book will be particularly interesting to people with little or no knowledge of Islam, people who don't know many Muslims. Think of it as a long, chatty letter from the friend of a friend and you won't be as disappointed as I was.

Not a bad book, just not as good as it might have been.

13 people found this helpful

Women under war

As our newspapers and news inform us there is a war on women in America. While they gloss over the fact the countries such a Saudi Arabia & Pakistan kill their women for being whores.

Enjoyed the book, enjoyed the voice of the narrarator. The thing of it is....

Where are all of the books written by women or for women who were not so lucky?

We can all grab bios on Tina Fey or Suzanne Sommers.

What about Wafta Sultan, Souad and Rana Husseini? What about some audiobooks from women in Saudi Arabia, Jordan or Pakistan?

Just Saying.

10 people found this helpful

Important work, somewhat too ambitious

Where does In the Land of Invisible Women rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I enjoyed this book for the most part. Nicola Barber's performance was spectacular, and Qanta Ahmed's observational skills - crucial for a physician - are on full display. I could feel the oppressive heat, sense the culture shock, and awed by her description of her Haj experience. It is, however, somewhat lost in brand-name-dropping (particularly in the first half). Once you get past that, it is a very important enlightening book, giving faces and names to "invisible" women in an uncomfortable reality of Saudi Arabia.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The description of the Haj. I was blown away by such a mass amount of people, beautiful buildings, stones, waters, prayers... it was incredibly moving.

Any additional comments?

I did enjoy this book. The first half has a lot of brand name dropping - Mercedes, Rolex, etc. - and it gets a little bit grating. However, that aside, I will never forget this book, and will likely read it again.
Qanta is a moderate Muslim who is thrown into a kingdom where women are veiled, and the veiling of Muslims is definitely described as a prison. Through two years, she learns what women - and by extension men - endure in the Saudi kingdom. She is blunt, to the point, observant, giving a realism seldom viewed. Unlike Ayaan Hirsi Ali (Infidel, Nomad), Qanta's Muslim faith remains intact, even though extremism as witnessed in Saudi Arabia does not persuade her to think as many do there, or to become resigned to her fate.

Worth buying on sale, or even for its own cash value; I wouldn't spend a credit on it, but that's just me.

4 people found this helpful

Could not finish... Boring.

She goes to the Saudi Kingdom to work as a doctor. You'd think this would turn into a fascinating look into a closed society but not so. She seems to love all the quirks of "covering" and "being invisible" and gender segregation, discovers her 'Muslim-ness', goes on a Hajj and is orgasmic about being called by Allah. (Allah calls those to Hajj so if you want to go, ipso facto you've been called.)

Think 'Lifetime for Women', Saudi style

Boring ain't in it. I would have happily returned this to audible but as of now you can only return 2 books per 6 months regardless of how many books you buy.

2 people found this helpful

MORE THAN I EXPECTED

Not know anything about this book, I was pleasantly surprised. I just had to know what this was about. I leant a lot about the women of The Kingdom and the menfolk.
I found the discussion with the writer, at the conclusion, to be a surprise and a well received time of listening. Will definitely look for more of Qanta A. Ahmed's book. She writes excelently.

2 people found this helpful

Eye opening account

What did you love best about In the Land of Invisible Women?

It is amazing to discover how women, including enlightened and modern women, live under religious and male oppression in Saudi Arabia. Riveting account!

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

A MUST READ for anyone living in the Western world.

1 person found this helpful

This is a fantastic read!

This book covers pretty much everything I ever wanted to know about life in Saudi Arabia. And the fact that it was told by an American muslim made all the difference because although it was critical of some things it also gave credit where credit was due - to a society cloaked (no pun intended) to outsiders.
I learned a lot about the differences between Islam and Wahabism. I cannot say enough about how great this book was! And the question and answer at the end was very eye opening. Thank you, thank you for this terrific read!

Excellent look at life in Saudi Arabia

I was fascinated by this inside look at life in Saudi Arabia. The narrator of the audio book was terrific. I was particularly surprised by how it effects the men. You will learn a lot.

What an infuriating nook

I love books about people’s experiences in other countries. I was especially optimistic to read that the author was a Muslim doctor. Unfortunately she is totally unable to write. It is as though each word has three adjectives.

Then she marvels over the differences in Saudi Arabia. Some of her comments would suggest that this woman has never travelled outside the west, yet she makes reference to holidays in Pakistan.

She exclaims over everything, can’t she give it a break and simply observe? An example her agitation when she saw a hookah brought in at a party and immediately felt “unsafe”. Her hosts were a well established Riyadh family, was there really need for this flurry of emotion?

I vouldn’t Finish it. When she wasn’t amazed she was condescending and her whole experience began to leave a bad taste. I’m sure there are better books.

Amazing!

It was a beautufully written book and an intensely interesting window into another world.