michaela_la_schneider's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
nqcliteracy's review against another edition
2.0
Interesting slim read that elucidates repressed sexuality in Morocco and the Arab world, and highlights the ways sex perpetrates the patriarchy amid an unjust, impossibly tense societal set up that exalts virgins and considers the West corrupt—> forces people to sneak, and allows the facade of chasteness to persist. Glad there’s been more dialogue; glad to learn more. Somehow didn’t love- possibly the tone or repetition.
avsharp's review against another edition
4.0
A series of essays exploring the different perspectives of Moroccan women - and some men, too - on the subject of sexual repression in a country with two faces: one that views sex and the liberation of women with suspicion, disgust, and outrage, in keeping with conservative Arab culture, and one that views sex as a commodity, and laws repressing any sensual expression as hurdles to be jumped and barriers to be circumvented, as long as this is done discreetly.
Slimani portrays Moroccan society as endlessly obsessed with sex as a result of its constant failure to reconcile these conflicting attitudes. Women are caught in the crossfire, their bodies raised as paragons of virginal virtue and family honour, or vilified as broken, soiled, whorish temptations and disposable vessels for pleasure. Men expect to be allowed to indulge in as much sex as they wish, but expect their future wives to be virgins, without realising the paradoxical irony of these demands. The law forbids sex, homosexuality and prostitution, but avoids confronting these practices, however rife, enforcing them inconsistently in a pattern of personal and politically-motivated denouncements where policemen might be paid to look the other way, but an angry mob might beat you to death even if they themselves are guilty of the same 'crimes'.
Over the course of these sensitive yet open and honest essays, she exposes these hypocrisies and sheds light on the dangers faced by the women of Morocco forced to navigate this twisted cultural landscape in a way that leaves the reader filled with sympathy, weariness and outrage.
An excellent insight to help readers understand the modern challenges and crisis of identity currently experienced by Moroccan society.
Slimani portrays Moroccan society as endlessly obsessed with sex as a result of its constant failure to reconcile these conflicting attitudes. Women are caught in the crossfire, their bodies raised as paragons of virginal virtue and family honour, or vilified as broken, soiled, whorish temptations and disposable vessels for pleasure. Men expect to be allowed to indulge in as much sex as they wish, but expect their future wives to be virgins, without realising the paradoxical irony of these demands. The law forbids sex, homosexuality and prostitution, but avoids confronting these practices, however rife, enforcing them inconsistently in a pattern of personal and politically-motivated denouncements where policemen might be paid to look the other way, but an angry mob might beat you to death even if they themselves are guilty of the same 'crimes'.
Over the course of these sensitive yet open and honest essays, she exposes these hypocrisies and sheds light on the dangers faced by the women of Morocco forced to navigate this twisted cultural landscape in a way that leaves the reader filled with sympathy, weariness and outrage.
An excellent insight to help readers understand the modern challenges and crisis of identity currently experienced by Moroccan society.
paulvanbuuren's review against another edition
4.0
Een eerlijk boek dat veel facetten beschrijft van vrouwelijke seksualiteit in de Marokkaanse, islamitische cultuur. Seks is politiek, want het gaat over vrijheid. Dit is nogal een heikel punt voor een samenleving waarin je groep boven jou als individu staat. Interessant is de herinnering dat de bekrompen omgang met seks niet iets is van alle tijden, maar een bijeffect is de opkomst van conservatieve dictatoriale staatsvormen in de Arabische wereld.
Wat ik als man mis: de welwillende mannen. In dit boek komen vrouwen aan het woord, amper mannen. Daardoor blijft een zwart-wit beeld bestaan: de veelkleurige seksualiteit van vrouwen versus de platte dominantie van de hypocriete sukkels die willen neuken met alle vrouwen maar alleen met een ongerepte maagd willen trouwen.
Praten we eigenlijk wel genoeg over seks?
Wat ik als man mis: de welwillende mannen. In dit boek komen vrouwen aan het woord, amper mannen. Daardoor blijft een zwart-wit beeld bestaan: de veelkleurige seksualiteit van vrouwen versus de platte dominantie van de hypocriete sukkels die willen neuken met alle vrouwen maar alleen met een ongerepte maagd willen trouwen.
Praten we eigenlijk wel genoeg over seks?
rebecavleal's review against another edition
Spoiler
- Coleção de short stories e reflexões sobre as mulheres marroquinas e sua sexualidade em 2020
- A sexualidade feminina e homosexual é completamente reprimida na lei (a mulher não poder ter sexo fora nem antes do matrimónio, os pais as vezes apresentam certificado de virgindade a família do noivo, as mulheres não podem abortar sem ser por violação ou deformidade do feto (e fazendo-o fora do matrimónio, são presas pois significa que tiveram relações sexuais), as mulheres não podem mostrar grandes partes do seu corpo (são atacadas por usarem saias demasiado curtas) e não há qualquer educação sobre sexualidade - levando as pessoas a verem imensa pornografia e a terem sexo às escondidas em carros e florestas) mas não na prática, sendo só encoberta através de sobornos à polícia por quem tem posses ou prisão para aqueles com menos capacidades financeiras