paulap's review against another edition
medium-paced
2.25
I appreciate that this was written a while ago and it was revolutionary at the time. But the ideas have not aged well, there are some concepts about gender and the superiority of one or the other that do not fit within the current sensibilities. It was interesting as a piece in the history of feminist literature, but I am not sure that it would be considered feminist in the current time.
kingofspain93's review against another edition
4.5
turn-of-the-century utopian short stories often have the same beats as Sultana's Dream: author/narrator falls asleep, meets a guide who shows them through a futuristic world that operates partially on balloons, and the biggest differences are always (appropriately) rooted in social shifts co-occuring with technological shifts (Fourier was right, obviously, that these two things require each other). for example, Poe was an expert in writing this exact story over and over again, and the end result was tedious every time. Hossain's story, however, is angry and funny. it feels utopian because it is driven by feminist activism which could be manifested, and not born out of an idle impulse towards grandeur.
the utopian short story has many limitations, and it is a form I don't enjoy. however, between Hossain's positionality, the selections from The Secluded Ones that are included in this volume, and the excellent job the editors do to contextualize Hossain's body of work and especially her writings on purdah, this book was a great starting point in reading about South Asian feminism and feminist subjects in the Hindu and Islamic worlds. as Hanna Papanek points out in her must-read afterword, many western authors who wrote scathingly about purdah - and who were/are lauded by western feminists - notably did from a position of overt racism. Hossain's hatred for purdah co-exists alongside her intense regard for her fellow South Asian women and her insider position, so it is infinitely valuable.
reasie's review
4.0
I found the commentary sections dry and I wanted more depth and detail, but I loved the chance to read Rokeya's words, and I will contradict my first statement by saying one of the most moving passages was in the afterward, where another researcher details stories told to her by women who experienced Purdah in India. An anonymous Aunt details how her husband forced her to give up purdah for his career advancement and the trauma of that, how she felt violated to be seen by men unveiled and had to re-build her sense of herself as a good Muslim.
The short story "Sultana's Dream" is conventional by modern standards (ends with 'it was all a dream' the dear!) But remember this is 1909 when she wrote it, and it's astonishingly modern! Would gladly read an entire novel series set in her Ladyland.
The short story "Sultana's Dream" is conventional by modern standards (ends with 'it was all a dream' the dear!) But remember this is 1909 when she wrote it, and it's astonishingly modern! Would gladly read an entire novel series set in her Ladyland.
krammedshelf's review
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
fast-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
ovidusnaso's review against another edition
3.0
Godt innblikk i ukjent kulturell praksis
"Sultana's Dream" er en novelle på snaue tyve sider, men man får også ca 60 sider ekstramateriale i form av biografier og akademiske essay om forfatteren og saken hun skriver om, nemlig "parda", den fysiske segregeringen av kvinner i hjemmet. Jeg hadde bare vage fornemmelser om hva det var før jeg leste boka, og det var interessant å lese om de forskjellige kreftene som støtta og opprettholdt denne uproduktive skikken.
"Sultana's Dream" er en novelle på snaue tyve sider, men man får også ca 60 sider ekstramateriale i form av biografier og akademiske essay om forfatteren og saken hun skriver om, nemlig "parda", den fysiske segregeringen av kvinner i hjemmet. Jeg hadde bare vage fornemmelser om hva det var før jeg leste boka, og det var interessant å lese om de forskjellige kreftene som støtta og opprettholdt denne uproduktive skikken.
cerebellum's review against another edition
challenging
informative
slow-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexism, and Violence
kaitlin_hansen's review
4.0
Rokeya Hossain is so badass - I wish I was introduced to her work earlier.
michael_taylor's review against another edition
3.0
A quick, breezy sci fi story.
The context of this story matters a fair bit. Consider that it was published in 1905 by an Indian Woman author and it is rather impressive. I admit I'm rather ignorant of the history of the early 20th century in India, but I have to imagine that this would not have been met too warmly by her peers. It's creative, predicts the future, and overall a fun and easy read.
The context of this story matters a fair bit. Consider that it was published in 1905 by an Indian Woman author and it is rather impressive. I admit I'm rather ignorant of the history of the early 20th century in India, but I have to imagine that this would not have been met too warmly by her peers. It's creative, predicts the future, and overall a fun and easy read.