Welcome to Litsy!

A remarkable novella based on the true story of a woman facing the death sentence in an Egyptian prison. Firdaus‘s story is tragic, as are the stories of so many women throughout history: neglected as a child, infantilized as an adult; objectified and ignored; physically and sexually abused… until the day she couldn‘t take it anymore. Simply told, slightly surreal, in the voice of Firdaus herself. Translation is by Sherif Hetata.

In one of my booktube videos, I went through a stack of library books, deciding whether or not to keep them out or return them. You can see it here: https://youtu.be/kpvLeVDSviQ

I have a feeling this is going to be one of those forgettable books for me. It had its moments but for the most part I wasn‘t invested. Maybe it was one too many books at the same time where women are treat like second class citizens and have little say in their own life. I liked the questions it provoked at the end - who was really the criminal, Firdaus that killed a man or all the men in her life that lead her to that point? ⭐️⭐️

I could have chosen so many quotes....
RIP Nawal El Saadawi 🖤 #1001books

Not all men are evil and in continuous need of forcing themselves on women, I‘m sure of that. So I was at first a bit annoyed by Firdaus‘s story, in which literally all men she meets take advantage of her body. She is raped and assaulted again and again until prostitution seems the only way to be in control of her life and body. Yet her story, set in Egypt in the 70s, is a true one. ⬇️⬇️ #1001books

I found this interesting but dated. Difficult at times. Took me longer than I would have expected a 140 page book to take me.
This is a story about pain and how women navigate the world. It hurts.

some might not like this quote but i sure do

14 muslim author/character #booked2019 @4thhouseontheleft @BarbaraTheBibliophage @Cinfhen
It never ceases to amaze me how brave some writers are as they create prose that exposes the inequity of patriarchal and religiously dominated societies.this bk is the story of a woman on the eve of her execution telling the story,to a psychiatrist, of a lifetime of abuse by men. Based on the writer's own research it is a brutal story but very important.

Short but a powerful read. This brilliant girl is resourceful, and tries to outmaneuver the men who want to control her. But her gender seals her fate. Definitely a pick

I have triumphed over both life and death because I no longer desire to live, nor do I any longer fear to die. I want nothing. I hope for nothing. I fear nothing. Therefore I am free. For during life it is our wants, our hopes, our fears that enslave us. The freedom I enjoy fills them with anger. They would like to discover that there is after all something which I desire, or fear, or hope for.

Currently reading!!
Heard a lot about this book.
Finally getting to read this.

Last day before my surgery reading! Hopefully I finish it tonight, I'm not sure I'll be able to concentrate for a while after the gum graft surgery. So enamored of this book so far, thanks @Emilymdxn for getting it on my radar! #newyearwhodis @monalyisha

5/5🌟
Absolutely brilliant. High up among the best books I've ever read. We meet the MC, Firdaus, in an Egyptian prison, hours before she is to be hanged for murder. She then begins telling the story of her life, her journey to the prison cell. It's not an easy story, there's too much pain, too many betrayals, but she manages to remain compassionate and dignified in everything she does – even murder. This one will stay with me for a long time.

" I was not destined to achieve what I had hoped for. For no matter how hard I tried, or what sacrifices I made like some dreamer sold to a cause, I still remained a poor insignificant employee. My virtue, like the virtue of all those who are poor, could never be considered a quality, or an asset, but rather was looked upon as a kind of stupidity, or simple-mindedness, to be despised even more than depravity or vice. "

This is a short book, but it has a lot to say. Firdaus lives through many horrible situations in which every man she meets tries to take advantage of her or is just plain cruel, and several of the women are almost as bad. Yet, she slowly gains an inner strength and the determination to live as much as she can on her own terms, to the point of committing murder.

#1001books #Reading1001 #TBRTakedown March 2019

This was breathtaking. Difficult to read definitely, not a light read, but it was so truthful, so open and so unlike anything I‘d ever read before. There weren‘t any frills, and the darkness hit me very hard, but it had this amazing clarity and this amazing simple voice that I know will remain with me for a very long time. I‘m astonished this isn‘t a key novel every feminist reads.

The last time I chose a book I‘d never heard of at random from the #1001books list it went well so I‘ve picked another. This looks like a fascinating, deep and sad book, translated from original Arabic (I‘m trying to read more books in translation) about a sex worker‘s life in Egypt.

What a beautifully raw story encapsulating truth bomb this short story is. On its surface it‘s the life story of a prostitute in Egypt about to be executed for murdering her pimp, but as the story unfolds you realize her crime was much more about peeling back the layers of supposed society and civility that allowed her to be abused and disenfranchised, while men benefited, and being punished as she attempts to take more power for herself.

After her uncle has married her off to that nice old guy who needs a new wife. She‘s not quite 19 yet, he‘s over 60. 😑

Oh, this is going to be a good one!

#Reading1001
#WeNeedDiverseBooks

This novel is based on an interview Saadawi did with a woman convicted of murdering her pimp. As a psychologist and author she was both fortunate and pleased to get the interview. The book focuses on how “Firdaus” became a prostitute despite having more schooling than many Egyptian women. The book looks at her repeated run-ins with the ingrained misogyny in Egyptian culture. Rather depressing. #1001books #reading1001

Hangin‘ with the Cookster, we have two fans and it‘s still too hot. Starting my next #1001books read. #reading1001

For all you uk littens iplayer has a program about this writer on. #shepersisted

#DiverseAThon Day 4: evaluate a favourite book.

This is a brilliant look at feminism in Cairo. Intensely moving and disturbing, this book is one that will stay with me for a long time.

#ownvoices #diversebooks #feminism