writing a review about the book titled Princess by Jean Sasson gave me second, third and so on thoughts for i'm not so sure how safe it is to post something so controversial and sensitive. i've got two important reasons for this.
firstly, a lot of controversies were raised upon the publication of this book. mainly because it was written in the perspective of a Saudi royal princess. as written on its book cover: "The True Story of Life Inside Saudi Arabia's Royal Family", it sure is very catchy especially on people who wants a glimpse of how a Saudi royalty lives her life. being a member of the royalty surely makes your life a glamorous one, as we commonly perceive with England's queen, princes and princesses. but hey, this is Saudi and that makes it a different story.
secondly, the book reveals sensitive issues on human rights, most especially, women in Saudi. it was difficult for me reading the book and absorbing its content at the same time. there are times that i doubt what were written in the book and that exaggerations were put into it. it was emotionally bothering for me that on that part of the world, women were treated like they are are just for "procreation" purposes. i know this is quite exaggerating but below are some facts i found. this text was provided for by Jean Sasson on her book as part of
Appendix A: The Laws of Saudi Arabia. the same text i found at
wikipedia regarding Saudi women's human rights.
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i am not a feminist or a member of such group but since i have grown up in a democratic country and on a different religion orientation, i sure want to defend women's rights. this is truly a sensitive issue in a very strict Muslim country but it somehow concerns the whole world. i cannot say that all women in this country or all Muslim women are living like this but they are surely defenseless.
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Princess mostly depicted the hunger for a fatherly love of a young girl, her great envy for her brother Ali, and her most sought-after freedom of women from the bondage of their old traditions. she had devoted most of her time fighting against the will of the men in her household. but nevertheless, loves them.
there are times that i would laugh out loud from her mischievous antics with her brother Ali. and at the same time, i feel sad that such things happen in a family, like her father being indifferent to her, who is supposed to promote a union of harmony and love in their home.
i am glad that she still found a man whom she thinks can be instrumental in realizing her dream: that their society would find the worth of their women. still, her struggles has not brought much change in their society.
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i am currently reading Daughters of Arabia which is the sequel of Princess. i have yet to see if there were changes on women's status after Princess got published.
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Useful Links:
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia Human Rights
Women of Saudi Arabia
8 comments:
If you have the means, try to read the specific chapter for Women in Quoran. That would be a big help in knowing where they are coming from.
There's another book I saw from Magrudy's, something almost similar to this theme. I still wish to finish Persepolis before buying another one which tackles this subject.
Btw, I liked your blog's new look. =)
thanks wits. :)
i saw some new entries about women being equals of men in wikipedia. dati wala yon tsaka may mga dinelete din na ibang entries. na-censor siguro. hehe..
People, dont be duped. Jean Sasson's PRINCESS-books are one big hoax. No such Princess ever existed. Sasson wrote the Princess-books from Friederike Monika Adsani's autobiography 'Cinderella in Arabia' without permission. Serve the net, or
Google: "PRINCESS" PLAGIARISM SUIT PROVIDES RARE LOOK INTO LITERARY ARAB-BASHING.
I am a fan of Jean Sasson's books and did some research and found that Monika Adsani is the ONLY person who viciously attacks Jean Sasson's books and her heroines..the only person!!
Readers, please do your own research and read the FACTs and NOT the emotional and very angry raving of a woman who routinely accuses more than one author of allegedly stealing her materials. I suggest readers start by going to www.jeansasson.com and see what the author has provided about the lawsuit Adsani filed against her and Adsani's FALSE accusations.
A new expose (none fiction) book about hoax author JEAN SASSON puts the record of this lying thief straight once and for all. The book is called" THE PHONEY PRINCESS"
Look it up on Amazon or Barns&Noble
The last comment (dated June 1, 2013) was by a longtime stalker and slanderer of Jean Sasson's.
Please visit the author's Web site for all of the details:
http://www.jeansasson.com/lawsuit/
The person that wrote "The Phoney Princess" has accused multiple authors of stealing her work. She has accused Deborah Moggach as well as another author named Sylvia. She's done this repeatedly. And I wonder why?
Monika, I read your two books (Cinderella in Arabia and The Phoney Princess). Never in the history of the publishing world has one woman had so many terrible things happen to her. To have three bestselling authors to steal your books and then write bestselling books from them? That is just unimaginable. Then, to have all those cheating attorneys in New York trying to cheat you too! I got so involved in your story. I was most offended though, by the lawyers. Then a judge! Then the president of the United States. OMG! Just unbelievable that all these people conspired against you! No wonder you are angry!
To those who are interested in hiring an attorney, ever, take heed from this poor Monika Adsani who had so many attorneys trying to harm her!
I quote: “I was not prepared to listen to any further proposals she might have had in mind and said, A proposed monies, Mrs Zwir, I aim to have everything which is rightfully my property reimbursed. I want my work and the money they have made with my work fully returned to me….I felt very strongly that Mrs Szirn was not rooting out for me at all but was looking out, dare I say it, for my opponents.”
Then she has another terrible incident with yet another attorney, but she sets him straight! Go Monika! And, I quote, “So Mr. Vanucci, please tell us, is your law firm in bed with the enemy, sir?”
And yet then another firm tries to steal her material but yet do not want to represent her: “He listened, not denying that such a document had been left in his firm’s possession, and told us to leave and call in the morning; however, he forbade me from coming back or ever entering his law firm again. Don’t you come back! He warned. He turned to walk away without so much as a goodbye.”
But Monika was not going to let him get away with it, instead, she plotted her revenge on the law firm.” …I called Mr. Rudder, my son’s attorney in WDC, who knew of my case. After explaining my situation I laid my plan open to him, which was as follows. I was going to send Ashley to a hardware store to buy a chain and lock. What if I would chain myself to the law firm’s glass swing door handles..”
Monika was advised not to do so or she might end up in jail with dirty drug users or prostitutes. So instead she pursued a complaint against the law firm but all her letters she sent to the Disciplinary Division for attorneys was returned.
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