women who, deprived of access to the world outside, recreated it from sheer imagination. Dreams of Trespass is the provocative story of a girl conf...
read full description
reviews
Aug 22, 2008
Rebecca
rated it: 
Despite its appearance on every reading list related to Morocco, I’d resisted reading Mernissi’s recent recounting of growing up in Fez in the 1940s and ’50s. “A harem girlhood?” Exotic and titillating, I thought, but not likely a typical upbringing. Now that I’ve read this fascinating memoir, I realize that the western stereotype of “harem” – dancing girls who take turns pleasing a wealthy sultan – hardly matches the reality. In fact, Mernissi notes, the everyday domestic harem involves housing
More...
0 comments
like
(6 people liked it)
Nov 21, 2008
BunWat
rated it:
I liked this very much. It was light without being shallow. Its primarily the memories of a girl growing up to about the age of ten in the 40's in a Moroccan family compound where purdah was kept. Sometimes it shades over into the fantastic, but that's part of the story she is telling, that women living physically restricted lives blossomed and flew in their imaginations - sometimes into silliness but still, they found a way to be joyous despite real restrictions and frustrations that she doe
More...
4 comments
like
(4 people liked it)
Feb 10, 2010
DoctorM
rated it: 
A lovely book on multiple levels. Mernissi's account of a girlhood in an upper-middle class family in Fez in the 1940s is both a luminous and gently affectionate memoir and a penetrating look at the idea of the harem, of a separate women's world within the household. Mernissi is very clear: the harems of her youth were not the lascivious fantasy-lands of the Arabian Nights or Orientalist painting, but communal spaces where the women of the household lived behind a "sacred boundary", wh
More...
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Feb 29, 2008
Pera
rated it: 
Dah lama baca buku ini. yang kuingat,
Buku ini tentang kehidupan perempuan yang tinggal di dalam Harem di Maroko. Pengalaman masa kecil Fatimah Mernissi yang di buat dalam bentuk novel. Banyak kegelisahan fatimah di sini. Masa berubahnya dari seorang anak kecil yang bebas bergaul dengan anak laki-laki, menjadi seorang gadis dengan banyak tabu.
Yang paling menarik adalah, ketika Fatimah membandingkan harem tempat tinggalnya di kota yang di lindungi oleh tembok, dan harem neneknya More...
Buku ini tentang kehidupan perempuan yang tinggal di dalam Harem di Maroko. Pengalaman masa kecil Fatimah Mernissi yang di buat dalam bentuk novel. Banyak kegelisahan fatimah di sini. Masa berubahnya dari seorang anak kecil yang bebas bergaul dengan anak laki-laki, menjadi seorang gadis dengan banyak tabu.
Yang paling menarik adalah, ketika Fatimah membandingkan harem tempat tinggalnya di kota yang di lindungi oleh tembok, dan harem neneknya More...
Jul 12, 2007
Namrirru
rated it:
Considering the subject, this was a surprisingly light read. It's a recollection of mostly positive memories from a girl's life in a domestic Moroccan harem. It can be a little preachy. The author tries to disguise this preachiness with humor or other scenarios... I'd give her an A for effort. However, if she didn't make her point across clearly, it might seem that she condones something she does not.
The last few sentences cap the book on a negative note that starkly contrasts with More...
The last few sentences cap the book on a negative note that starkly contrasts with More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Feb 05, 2012
Linda
rated it:
Even though this book is only 242 pages long it took me ages to read it. I can't reliably say why I didn't read the book faster or with more compulsion because it really is a wonderful read. The sub-title was the "draw" for me, since years ago, after reading Richard Burton (the writer, not the actor) I became enamoured of harems. This account is unforgettable. Mernissi writes about living in a harem, which was not the sexual caldron that one knows from the movies, but a place where
More...
Sep 19, 2010
Ghd0
rated it:
كتاب ممتع جدا بلغة غاية في الجمال متوسطة مابين السهولة والتغلغل في العمق خيل لي اثناء قرائته أني اشاهد القفاطين المغربية والبيوت المزينة .. طبعا يحكي عن فترة ماقبل التحرير في المغرب وأستطاعت الكاتبة ان تنتقل من الوصف الحالم للوصف الساخر بكل سلاسة ... من خلال قصص قصيرة ذات مواضيع مختلفة لكنها تميزت بالغوص داخل نساء كتابها ومحاولة التعبير البسيط عن اقصى أحلامهن
اكثر ماجذبني في الكتاب هو التشابه في التشكيل المجتمعي بيننا وبين الحاصل في المغرب آنذاك ... وشعرت كثيرا ان النساء حول ال More...
اكثر ماجذبني في الكتاب هو التشابه في التشكيل المجتمعي بيننا وبين الحاصل في المغرب آنذاك ... وشعرت كثيرا ان النساء حول ال More...
Dec 30, 2009
Salma
rated it: 
يدور حول الحريم المغربي الذي نشأت فيه في الأربعينيات من القرن الماضي من وجهة نظر طفلة في السابعة من عمرها و عن العزل و الكبت الذي كان يمارس على النساء فيه، مما جعل أمها ذات مرة تضربها حين رأتها وضعت حجابا و هي صغيرة، محذرة إياها أن تقترف الحجاب مرة ثانية و أن عليها ألا تكون محبوسة مثلها و أن تتحرر من الحريم!!!
و هذا الكتاب من شأنه أن يجعل المرء يفهم سبب كتابات فاطمة المعادية للحجاب... فالسبب يكمن في نشأتها...
لكنها للأسف قد وقعت في كتابها هذا بالتكرار حد الملل و بدا أسلوبه More...
و هذا الكتاب من شأنه أن يجعل المرء يفهم سبب كتابات فاطمة المعادية للحجاب... فالسبب يكمن في نشأتها...
لكنها للأسف قد وقعت في كتابها هذا بالتكرار حد الملل و بدا أسلوبه More...
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Apr 14, 2010
Helynne
rated it:
This is the true story of of the author's girlhood during the 1940s and 1950s in Marrakech, Morocco. The prolific Fatima Mernissi, who has written several other books about Muslim women and the modern world, assures readers first of all that the world "harem" is not exactly what we Westerners imagine it to mean; i.e., a rich sultan surrounded by wives and concubines who serve him constantly and respond to his every whim. Rather, the word "harem" refers to a family--perhaps
More...
May 30, 2011
Nan
rated it:
We were traveling to Fez so I thought I should read a bit about the life of woman in Fez. The book was an easy read and had many historic facts that helped me understand what a "modern" day harem is all about--this is not easily answered you find out. It weaves old Moroccan tails with current changes which was so entertaining. After I finished it, I suggested my husband read it even though it is somewhat a woman's story. To my surprise he finished it quickly and enjoyed it also. In Fez
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Jan 05, 2009
Christina
rated it:
This is a true story of a girl that grew up in a harem in Morocco. Not a Harem like we think of in the west, but a muslim family group all living together. I really liked this book. It was sweet and entertaning and you really felt this little girl's confusion about harems, frontiers and the rules of her society. I also loved the parts about women's solidarity and what it took to get those little girls educated. I laughed out loud in places and was inspired by the mothers and grandmothers in the
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Mar 30, 2010
Leanne
rated it:
Not the usual novel I would pick up--well, it's not really a novel since it is actually the youthful recollections of Fatima Mernissi who grew up in a harem in Morrocco. Her story put the definition of "harem" for me in a whole new light since her father is monogamous. The theme of the book revolves around the close friendship between Fatima and her male cousin which mirrors the larger theme of the female/male relationships in their country. The book gave me a much deeper appreciati
More...
Jul 04, 2010
Faith
rated it:
A true story about a young girl's life in a harem. First the book cleared up some of the myth about harem living. There is a clear message throughout the book about the roles assigned to men and women in Morocco, in traditional Muslim society. The book can be intimate and funnny in parts, and annoying and stifling in others. One strong thread that comes out of it is that the women learn to cope, despite yearning for glimpses and experiences of the outside world.
Evocative and thought provok More...
Evocative and thought provok More...
Jan 16, 2009
Alisonmcg
rated it:
This book entertains and educates on a lot of levels. I feel like her message about women's worlds is really important. Gender segregation offered her safety and imaginative freedom- including the freedom to be angry. And I've found that true for my hundreds of women students from societies with similarly elaborate ideas of the feminine. It's not always about restriction, but as Mernissi's life shows, it's about having a deep inner sense of home and self that one can aspire to "trespa
More...
Sep 04, 2011
Nawal
rated it:
Un livre intéressant, bien loin de ce que nous pouvons nous imaginer d'un vrai harem, sans fioriture ni drame. Dans ce beau récit enchanteur de mille et une nuits à la marocaine, Fatima Mernissi nous fait voyager dans un vrai harem de Fès, au cours des années 40, tout en essayant d'attribuer une définition au mot harem.
La petite Fatima de 9 ans nous raconte "tout en posant des questions assez simples mais vraiment cocasse" la vie quotidienne de femmes étouffées dans un car More...
La petite Fatima de 9 ans nous raconte "tout en posant des questions assez simples mais vraiment cocasse" la vie quotidienne de femmes étouffées dans un car More...
Aug 19, 2011
Elizabeth
rated it:
A Moroccan Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Well, not quite. But there is something of the wistfulness of Francie in Fatima Mernissi, a young girl growing up within the confines of a harem in Fez. The idea of a harem in the 1940s is somewhat different than the stereotype, and the definition of the word is something that Mernissi goes into in great detail. Let's just say that there are no eunuchs waving palm fronds or scenes from The History of the World, Part I, or Scheherazade. Although, the tales of Sc
More...
Jul 15, 2011
Ameera H.
rated it:
ولدت فاطمة في حريم فاس المدينة المغربية التي تقع على بعد خمسة آلاف كلم غرب مكة وألف كلم جنوب مدريد ,إحدى عواصم النصارى القساة ,مشاكلتهم مع النصارى كما يقول والدها وكما هو الشأن مع النساء حين لا تحترم الحدود ,وقد ولدت في فترة فوضى عارضة إذ أن النساء والنصارى كانو يحتجون على الحدود ويخرقونها باستمرار
على باب حريمها ذاته ,كانت النساء يُهاجمن " أحمد" البواب ويضايقنه باستمرار وكانت الجيوش الأجنبية تتوافق مجتازة حدود الشمال
يقول والدها بأن الله خلق الأرض وما عليها ف More...
على باب حريمها ذاته ,كانت النساء يُهاجمن " أحمد" البواب ويضايقنه باستمرار وكانت الجيوش الأجنبية تتوافق مجتازة حدود الشمال
يقول والدها بأن الله خلق الأرض وما عليها ف More...
Jul 28, 2010
Najibah
rated it:
Kehidupan saya sebagai seorang kanak-kanak dan remaja Melayu Islam, menjurus sebuah kehidupan yang bebas merdeka. Saya boleh bermain badminton di halaman rumah tanpa pagar tinggi, bebas menanam labu di kebun belakang, menangkap belalang di celah-celah belukar, menjolok kelapa muda antara tandan-tandan kelapa. Mungkin kerana itu, saya sempat menganggap 'harem' sebuah tempat yang manis. Saya menyamakannya dengan taman larangan seorang puteri, dipenuhi bunga-bunga indah, dengan kolam, rumput lembut
More...
Feb 02, 2009
Endah
rated it:
Yang pertama kali terlintas di benak saya tentang harem adalah sebuah bangunan besar di Tanah Arab (Timur Tengah) dengan empat dinding tinggi dan tebal di mana di dalamnya tinggal para perempuan berkerudung berstatus selir dari seorang raja atau pangeran yang berkuasa dan kaya raya. Terbayang pula belasan anak kecil berlari-lari, bermain, menangis. Para perempuan itu masing-masing menempati satu "pintu" yang terdiri dari satu kamar tidur, ruang tamu, dapur dan kamar mandi. Setiap hari
More...
Sep 28, 2008
Lani
rated it:
This is the book that sparked my fascination with women in Islam. I actually read this when I was younger - middle school probably? - and then was just surprised at how different her world was as a child. I had no idea who the author was, or really any context at all. Then we read the book in a comparative sociology class, and I was reminded of how much I loved the book.
The book is about Mernissi's childhood in a harem, and first you have to understand that a harem is not the stereot More...
The book is about Mernissi's childhood in a harem, and first you have to understand that a harem is not the stereot More...
May 24, 2008
nanto
rated it:
Agak lupa, tetapi melihat review lain di GR, saya yakin buku ini yang pernah saya baca. Buku edisi awalnya memang bersampul tidak seperti ini. Jauh lebih sederhana dengan latar warna hijau yang jelas tidak banyak mengundang minat, karena lebih mirip buku teks barangkali.
Isinya memang semacam memoar Fatima atas masa kecilnya. Tetapi pengalaman masa kecilnya yang menjadikan dasar bagi pembagunan konseptual bagi pemikiran feminisnya. Alurnya, bila ditilik, akan jelas menguatkan struktur More...
Isinya memang semacam memoar Fatima atas masa kecilnya. Tetapi pengalaman masa kecilnya yang menjadikan dasar bagi pembagunan konseptual bagi pemikiran feminisnya. Alurnya, bila ditilik, akan jelas menguatkan struktur More...
Sep 01, 2007
why did you like this? writing about harems could be rather exploitative- just think of all the books out there on teh subject which were probably fabricated (for example, _princess_, supposedly the actual accounts of a saudi princess) and which serve to fule america's hatred of the middle east. how do think this fared as a representation of the middle east to a western audience?
post a comment >> edit | flag abuse
message 2: by Kenda 14 minutes ago
More...
post a comment >> edit | flag abuse
message 2: by Kenda 14 minutes ago
More...
Jul 04, 2011
Erin
rated it:
This book had some really interesting stories, characters, and descriptions of harem life. However, the author almost never gives any indication of her age, which makes placing her stories in context a bit difficult. It really bothered me that she wrote of World War II as if they were her own memories, when she also writes that she was born in 1940, and was 5 when the war ended. It throws suspicion on the integrity of her other stories. She also includes lengthy quotes supposedly spoken by t
More...
Nov 12, 2009
Bruce
rated it:
Dreams of trespass is a memoir of a Moroccan woman's childhood. It describes what it was like growing up in a Muslim household with a harem, a special woman's quarter. She presents some delightful vignettes of growing up, especially her playing with a male cousin. The book also presents the mind views of the different women, both in the city of Fez and on a rural farm in Morocco. Some wanted to be free, others accepted the traditional fate of women.
Jan 21, 2009
Kyote4me
rated it:
A fascinating autobiography by a Moroccan who is now a professor at a university in Rabat, Morocco. She presents a balanced view of the positives and negatives of growing up as a girl in a harem with many other children and their mothers. While there were some restrictions that Westerners might find annoying, there were many happy times and a feeling of love and community unique to the harem. Well worth reading.
Feb 23, 2011
Catherine
rated it:
A quick and mostly interesting read about growing up in a Moroccan harem in the 1940s and dreaming of freedom from restrictions. I liked the connections with storytelling, but got bogged down in the last few chapters <spoiler>dealing with beauty treatments, bathing, etc., </spoiler> but mostly found it to be a quick read.
The lack of privacy and power struggles as well as the feeling of being "caged" would make a harem a difficult life style. Interesting cont More...
The lack of privacy and power struggles as well as the feeling of being "caged" would make a harem a difficult life style. Interesting cont More...
Oct 11, 2008
Natalia
rated it:
I found this book fascinating. I was already familiar with the distinction between the orientalist fantasies of "harem life" (Dancing girls in chiffon pants and pillbox hats) and the truth of harem life with segregation of the sexes and communal family life - but this book gave a rich picture of what that like was really like (at least in the Magreb at that point in time)
I took off a star because of the writing style. The author heavily peppers the book with her feelings ab More...
I took off a star because of the writing style. The author heavily peppers the book with her feelings ab More...
Mar 09, 2011
Title in portuguese: Fatima Mernissi – Sonhos Proibidos (Memórias de um Hárem de Fez),
(trad_Tomás Vaz da Silva)
ASA ed., 1998,
Lisboa
- A book by a feminist sociologist.
- Memoirs of a feminist in the Muslim world.
- A book about the harem as a profound metaphor of society.
notes.
Dreams of Trespass by Fatima Mernissi (1994)
(trad_Tomás Vaz da Silva)
ASA ed., 1998,
Lisboa
- A book by a feminist sociologist.
- Memoirs of a feminist in the Muslim world.
- A book about the harem as a profound metaphor of society.
notes.
Dreams of Trespass by Fatima Mernissi (1994)
Feb 20, 2011
Aspasia
rated it:
Fatima Mernissi grew up in a domestic harem- not the type of harem that most Westerners are familiar with. Basically, a domestic harem is an extended family group all living together under one roof. This books shows how the changing cultural landscape in Morocco set Fatima on a path to become a well-known Moroccan feminist and sociologist.
Jan 23, 2010
Terry
rated it:
Not only is the subject fascinating (probably more so having recently visited Marrakech during Ramadan)but Mernissi's voice is incredible. She is at once a guileless child in the telling of the story and an erudite, funny, engaging feminist in the remembering of it. I can't stop rereading sections.
Thank you, Farzaneh, for suggesting it.
Thank you, Farzaneh, for suggesting it.
