Princess Sultana's Circle (2010) - Plot & Excerpts
I was already frustrated with the arrogance and conceit of Princess Sultana from the second book, but I was hopeful the 3rd book would be more enlightening and demonstrate some positive changes in Sultana's progress as a champion for women's rights. Instead this book just highlighted how f'ing clueless and IMMATURE Sultana is. She claims to be a champion for women's rights but all she does is complain, wring her hands, and say, "but what can I do, I'm just a woman in Saudi Arabia." How about taking the platinum AMEX with a $500k limit she's so proud of and donating to women's charities or causes that help educate and empower women who are abused in the Middle East instead of blowing it on ball gowns and jewels? She proudly declares that her immediate family's worth is $900 million and she gives plenty by contributing more zakat than is required by her religion as her justification for not being more charitable to causes. Sultana is definitely NOT a humble woman. All this book demonstrated is she is all talk and no action. It is precisely women like her who are to blame for allowing men in the Middle East to treat them as they do. They stand by and make excuses for disgusting and abusive behaviors while claiming they desire an end to it all. She even says, "...most Saudi girls, who spend much of their youth perfecting methods to keep their future husbands content" without a hint of contempt while talking about her niece, Munira. Dafuq?! While this book does provide more stories of the horrors women in the Middle East face, it also shows a pampered Princess who is so concerned with her own comfort she is not willing to truly help those in need at the risk of her personal comfort. She doesn't even start her own baths, she gives commands to her personal maid to draw her baths for her. I'm sorry, but I don't even imagine the wonderful Princess Diana, who Sultana claims to admire, being such a priss. She keeps quiet about the harem of under aged girls her cousin keeps because her husband demands her to?! She claims to have compassion for others, yet doesn't do much to help those in need. I see her claims of fighting for women's rights as an excuse for her spoiled behavior and temper tantrums when she doesn't get what she wants. This book portrays Sultana as manipulative and vindictive, especially where her a-hole brother is concerned. I loved the first book, Princess, but the next two books just make me want to scream in frustration with the women who have money and access to the powerful men of their country but stop short at meaningful change. Stop being so concerned with yours and everyone else's looks, and give more millions to organizations that could potentially bring change, Sultana. I honestly get the impression that the only change for women she is interested in, is change that will benefit her, like being able to drive and not wearing an abaaya. Truly disappointed in this book. I wish I hadn't spent my money on such a vapid work of trash. If Sultana is a real person and not a fictional character created by Jean Sasson, may Allah have mercy on her soul for being such a waste of potential on this planet!
The review I have of this book has been a hard one for me to decide. Sasson has always been in the spotlight of controversy because it is argued whether these stories and characters are fictional. I first read the trilogy in my early teens when my mother passed it on to me and from then I always chose to believe the word of the author as she claimed she retold the stories as they were told to her. Sadly, after re-reading the three books in my early 20’s I am not sure I hold the same opinion, mostly because of the ending of the third book. Several princesses of the royal family in Saudi took a stand against “typical” atrocities and even convinced their husbands to follow them. It painted a nice picture and left the three books on such a high, happy note that offers hope to all, and makes every reader want to take the same stand. It is brilliantly done for that same reason, but the brilliance behind it seems to be that of a well-written author and not necessarily the happily ever after we all want in life. What I would like to see is a follow-up to that stand taken and whether any progress was made. If these highly-ranked people are real and the men were serious in wanting to help their wives then what came of it? Did the men back out just as Kareem seems to have done throughout the books? Did the women get caught up in Sultana’s passion only to sleep on what happened, rethink it all and then change their minds? It likelihood of their success is not very high, and a follow-up would take back the hope the third book left us with. And yet if everything is true and everyone is real, that audience deserves to know it, and they deserve to know what happened. I would like to see more proof.Not only that, but Sultana is a strange name that is very similar to the word “Sultan.” It just does not seem like a likely name for anyone.Now, despite the controversy, I still hold to my review of the first book “Princess: A True Story of Life behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia”. “This book is not light reading, but it is a reminder to appreciate freedoms, including the RIGHT to make our own destiny, and to say ‘no’ to what we do not desire. I understand there is controversy surrounding whether this princess exists, or whether she is a creation of the author and on an ethical scale that fact matters, but the stories, lessons, and truths revealed of others suffering should not be taken lightly. Atrocities happen, and whether these stores and characters are real does not change the high probability that these exact atrocities are not uncommon in other countries, including rape and murder in our own.”
What do You think about Princess Sultana's Circle (2010)?
Another book about the princess was slightly an overdose. Indeed very well written by the author. Although the princess's constant helplessness that she failed to help the women in need and her drinking habit because of that was slightly disturbing. I really liked the part where Kareem(Princess's husband)says 'You were born an Arab princess,Sultana.Why fight your fate?'. While that being very discouraging, its the truth. And the princess never realized that because of which she some unreasonable addictions. I also felt that the some of the incidents narrated were incomplete like an Arab-American child Heidi who was kidnapped to Saudi and the women captives at her cousin's palace.Otherwise I found this book okay.Spoiler alert: About the reliability of the content.A woman named Monika Adsani clams that the Princess is an imaginary character and that the author do not know any princess in person. I am not sure how true this is, but that definitely is a let down.
—Uthraa
أعلم ان الحكم على مجتمع كامل هو نفي للأخلاق !!وأبداانا لا استعمل صيغة الجمع عند الحكم على مجتمع او مجموعه اشخاصاحاول قدر المستطاع ان اكون دقيقة في اختياراتيلكن هنا وللأسفاكاد أن اخطى وأجمع لهيبي واحرق كل من فيهمحلقة الاميرة سلطانه تعود الينا بواقه لعين ومقزز يعيشونه بكل ترف وبذخ ودنائه اعمال تبرر بكل وقاحة !كحولادماناغتصابجنه عدنبذخ وكبرياءجمل اعجبتني ( ملاحظة .. الروايه تجسد الواقع بكلمات سلسة وليس هنالك مجال لابراز الفن اللغوي والتعابير)عسى يغدو كل جمل في قطيعك كسيحا يا عليحينما بدأ موكب الطعام يتقدم, حمل ستة رجال صينية نحاسية هائلهالحجم بطول عشرة اقدام على الاقل, عليها جمل صغير بقي طوال النهار يتقلب فوق النار مع كومه من الارز, حشي هذا الجمل بجمل محشو ايضا بالدجاج والبض المسلوق والخضر
—Samya abdelhadi
My feelings are mixed about these books. Primarily I think westerners benefit from a better understanding of what life for women in the Middle East. For those of is raised with comparative freedomIt is unimaginable to even live as Sultana does, pampered and wealthy, yet with few real rights. It is appalling the ease with which very young girls are used sexually, how women are forced to marry, denied any real choice with regard to their lives, education or futures. But the writing was weak, the author needs a stronger editor. And above all there is this very strange disconnect between Sultana's excessive wealthy prison and her sympathy for the plight of those less fortunate. It is unclear whether the author is merely trying to show this side if that culture in addition to the reality of female subjugation. I don't know, but whatever the intent it was jarring.
—Kathleen
