I Killed Scheherazade: Confessions of an Angry Arab Woman

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I Killed Scheherazade: Confessions of an Angry Arab Woman

by Joumana Haddad, جمانة حداد

3.5 of 5 stars 3.50 · rating details · 153 ratings · 24 reviews

Fiery and candid; a provocative and courageous exploration of what it means to be an Arab woman today.

Paperback, 150 pages

Published September 9th 2010 by Saqi Books (first published January 1st 2010)

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Jan 05, 2013 Laala Alghata added it · review of another edition

"To be a woman writer in an Arab country means to impose strict self-censorship, a thousand times harsher than any official censorship imposed from the outside" - Joumana Haddad, I Killed Scheherazade.

Joumana Haddad is an award-winning Lebanese poet, translator, journalist and women's rights activist.

I Killed Scheherazade is a collection of essays, each leading off the previous one and touching on topics such as sexuality, exploration, erotic poetry, feelings of alienation, atheism and saying no...more

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Nov 23, 2012 Isham Cook rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Joumana Haddad is a writer, poet and intellectual who celebrates the liberation of the body in her native Arabic and as well in remarkably fluent English, French, German, Italian, Armenian and Spanish. In terms of her linguistic capacity's reach, sexual freedom has never had a more effective and articulate spokeswoman (or should we say spokesman?) than this amazing polyglot. "I Killed Scheherazade: Confessions of an Angry Arab Woman" is a quick-read in the tradition of political pamphlets such a...more Joumana Haddad is a writer, poet and intellectual who celebrates the liberation of the body in her native Arabic and as well in remarkably fluent English, French, German, Italian, Armenian and Spanish. In terms of her linguistic capacity's reach, sexual freedom has never had a more effective and articulate spokeswoman (or should we say spokesman?) than this amazing polyglot. "I Killed Scheherazade: Confessions of an Angry Arab Woman" is a quick-read in the tradition of political pamphlets such as the "Communist Manifesto." If this work doesn't hold its own on the polemical bookshelf, I'm sure Haddad has yet more incisive works up their sleeve. The timing couldn't be better, with the unfolding Arab Spring. Her writing is also of universal relevance. I live in China, and I plan to lend this book out to my English-speaking female friends (a Chinese translation is certainly called for), who need merely substitute the word "China" for "Arab" to see how much it speaks to them, in a country where the virginity cult is alive and well amidst futuristic skyscrapers, luxury consumerism, and even strikingly revealing clothing on the streets in the summertime.

Reacting to this as a white male growing up in the US and Canada in the 1970s and tail-end of the 60s (I can already hear women clamoring in condemnation of my having the nerve to arrogate the right to speak about or on behalf of women, let alone Arab women, though this only underscores the freedom of speech Western women have secured), I have to say, I don't know, I have just never been able to fathom this virginity thing. It simply never occurred to much less bothered me or anyone else around me when we became sexually active in our teens and thereafter whether girls were virgins or not. I assumed no men considered it important anymore until years later I chanced upon those incomprehensible news stories about Middle-Eastern women being punished or killed for real or imagined sexual transgressions, including pre or extra-marital sex. So I have a different angle on this. No, I am not threatened by sexual women, more power to you, the world needs a lot more of you. On the other hand, as Haddad points out, Western Judeo-Christian culture is not as sexually free as we assume. As an atheist I have no Christian guilt or hang-ups, but in no society anywhere is sexual discourse and action very free. Sexual abuse and harassment remain a big problem in all societies. We can't talk frankly about sex except in terms of its dangers and the proper (moralistic) channeling of it. Americans are notoriously uptight about their bodies; American women can't breastfeed in public without being arrested or accused of lewd activity. And so on. Perhaps everyone should give Haddad's paean to the sexualized body a read.

I do have a sticking point. Haddad cites the Marquis de Sade as one of her prime inspirations and literary influences, as he was mine. You have to actually sit down and read Sade to understand this. His novel "Justine" (Justine, Philosophy in the Bedroom, and Other Writings) blew up in my face like a bomb as a freshman in college, and I had to set aside all my homework to finish it. Sade is not simply about sadomasochism; he is about the working out of mental freedom. He pushed obscenity to the point where it took on philosophical depth and profundity, to the point he inhabited this realm exclusively and mined it for its knowledge. The obscene becomes perfectly logical in any bourgeois or patriarchal society disturbed by it, which relegates it to the private and the unspeakable. The whole Sadeian point is that privacy and domesticity themselves are obscene. Sadeian freedom is also a metaphor for the freedom of language. I wish I could hone my own language to a sharp enough point that with a single sentence I could slay the virginity dragon, convince so many young Chinese females to cast off the brainwashing and fear that presses them into the virginity cult, which is nothing other than the modern version of the brutal foot-binding their foremothers experienced.

Haddad's assured style slackens in the rather generic incantatory formulations that conclude the book, when what I'd like to see more of is a celebration of the obscene, starting with her own sexuality. It's nice to know, as she tells us, that she masturbates, prefers red bras (but wait - you didn't get that idea from Chinese women did you, who are traditionally indoctrinated into believing they must wear red bras and underwear when their Chinese horoscope year comes up?) and shaves her armpits (damn! nothing is more erotic than a woman's hairy underarms), but that's about it. There is scant concrete information about the men (and women?) in her life, her sexual experiences. To paraphrase Nabakov, I want the divine SEXUAL detail. What is her actual erotic life like in the particular and close-up? Could she really be worried about her privacy after reading Sade? Here she might take a page from the scandalous Chinese blogger Mu Zimei, who has written up her scores (or is it hundreds?) of sexual experiences with men in loving detail and posted them online (and has been translated into French ("Journal sexuel d'une jeune Chinoise sur le net") and German (Mein intimes Tagebuch). I haven't yet had the pleasure of reading her and hope it's an invigorating and not a tawdry read, but along with Joumana she's another woman I'd like to get to know.(less)

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Oct 24, 2012 Maria rated it 4 of 5 stars

Onko tämä kirja poikkeuksellisen rohkea, jopa vallankumouksellinen, kuten takakannen kommenttilainoissa sanotaan? En tiedä, ehkä arabimaailmassa. Kirja ei sinänsä kerro länsimaiselle naiselle naisen paikasta ja asemasta mitään kovin poikkeuksellista, mutta se on vapauden manifesti. Se on kirja, joka kertoo Haddadin omasta tiestä ja joka maalaa kuvan arabinaisista, sellaisina kuin hän heidät näkee ja sellaisina kuin hän heidät toivoisi näkevänsä.

Haddad ei ole hellä kenellekään. Ei naisille eikä m...more

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Apr 18, 2011 Lila rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: north-africa-and-middle-east, non-fiction, recently-read

Though I think this is an incredibly important and necessary book, I did find it to be a tad disappointing. This is partly because of the incredibly high expectations that I had for it. This can be summed up by the fact that when my friends saw me reading it, they said that it "sounded like [me] in book form" and that instead of reading it, they would just listen to me go on my usual rants. So yeah, there were expectations.

If I could re-write the title, I'd call it "the convoluted rant of a self...more Though I think this is an incredibly important and necessary book, I did find it to be a tad disappointing. This is partly because of the incredibly high expectations that I had for it. This can be summed up by the fact that when my friends saw me reading it, they said that it "sounded like [me] in book form" and that instead of reading it, they would just listen to me go on my usual rants. So yeah, there were expectations.

If I could re-write the title, I'd call it "the convoluted rant of a self-indulgent woman." There is something incredibly self-absorbed about this book. Yes, I realise it's a 'confession' but regardless, the book made promises to be, and I quote the blurb, "a provocative exploration of what it means to be an arab woman today."

Don't get me wrong, Haddad makes some excellent points. She addresses the two-faceted hypocrisy which has become an integral element of arab culture, the strife and stifling of expression and double standards that don't just colour or make up a part of our culture but in fact define it. I thought the following quote was a wonderful way to sum it up:

"The Arab human being suffers from the schizophrenia disease: a collective schizophrenia which we all live, divided between what we are told to believe and what we do believe, between what we say and what we do."

Indeed there were many bang-on moments like this throughout, she made many good points and the general message was pertinent, but unfortunately a lot of it was lost amidst the cloud of warbled and convoluted self-absorbed rambling. A good (and not very eloquent word) for this book would be 'shouty.' It's a bit of a temper tantrum, not actually getting to the root of the problem or grasping the point.

I think a reason for her language and manner coming across in this way is a lot to do with the fact that she is a poet, which rendered her incapable of plainly outlining the issue. Except in this instance, her dressing up and fancying of the writing just came across as self-absorbed and really detracted from the point of the text. Furthermore, the fact that she is a poet also meant the book came at it from a predominantly writer/poet angle. Obviously this is to be predicted considering that is what she is, but upon initial contact (and from the blurb/description) the book serves to alludes to be focusing more on being an arab woman rather than an arab woman poet. This focus meant that the book failed to fully indulge and expand on the points that I thought were most important.

To veer off the negative wagon a bit, I really did empathise with all the points that she was (attempting) to make and completely agree with them, 100%. Unfortunately, the manner in which they were conveyed was not to my liking. I still really admire Joumana and the bold daring freedom by which she, as an arab female poet who writes so explicitly on sexual matters in a way scarcely few dare to, expresses herself so rawly and with no restraint. She deserves nothing but acknowledgement and praise for this.

The reason I am giving this book three stars (and so an overall positive review) is because of who Joumana is, and also because any book that acknowledges and attempts to address and bring these incredibly important issues to wider attention and public discourse deserves some positive acknowledgement in its own right. (less)

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Sep 26, 2011 oriana marked it as to-read

Shelves: to-read-soon

via Publishers Weekly: "The 'Carrie Bradshaw of Beirut' (Sunday Telegraph) challenges notions of identity and womanhood in the Middle East and calls for Arab women to tell their own story. Nobel laureate Mario Vargas Llosa says Haddad has written 'a very courageous and illuminating book about women in the Arab world. It opens our eyes, destroys our prejudices, and is very entertaining.'"

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Jun 21, 2012 Taghrid rated it 3 of 5 stars

Joumana Haddad is perceived as a rebel in the Arab society be it because of her erotic magazine Jasad or how blunt she is when it comes to expressing her ideas that do not conform with your "average" Arab woman. Haddad makes several good points in this book, the most interesting one being about the Arab practicing or even mastering the art of Schizophrenia. This is so true, being an Arab makes you a hypocrite because you can't really be the way you want to be. Another interesting point is the wh...more

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Jan 04, 2011 Farah Aridi added it

I seem unable to describe this book. I am speechless, overwhelmed, proud!!! No one could have said it better. Haddad turns her anger into a masterpiece, and speaks (though never claims to) for every woman who feels like her and believes in similar choices and dogmas. I salute her efforts and I have to humbly admit that I have not read a good book by an Arab woman, a Lebanese woman, nonetheless in quite a long time. Joumana Haddad is one such woman.

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Nov 21, 2011 Lauren rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Not as angry as I expected, this quasi-memoir reflects on what it means to be an Arab woman in this day and age. The entire book centers on Ms. Haddad’s life and experiences, and while she’s a pretty fascinating person, there were places in the book where I felt that her life and, by extension, her opinions and beliefs, drastically differ from those of most “average” Arab women. That’s not a knock on the book, as it is thought-provoking and worth a read. It’s merely to point out that this book i...more

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Dec 17, 2011 Vincent rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: essais

Présentation claire et efficace des positions d'une "femme arabe". Elle tord littéralement le cou aux préjugés et clichés tant de l'Occident et de l'Orient dans cet essai à recommander à tous ceux qui souhaitent un regard neuf sur ce monde.

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Apr 12, 2012 Rania rated it 4 of 5 stars

I mainly rated it with 4 stars as I think she really has got the balls to say whatever she said. However, it is true. It should have been more angry and less self-centered. She discussed her life too much and could have analyzed many "schizophrenic" aspects of the Arab societies instead.

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Sep 27, 2012 Muna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Very interesting and powerful book and writer.
I very much liked the part where she killed Scheherazade, the part where I understood where the naming came from. Very non-conventional !

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Jul 02, 2012 Angela rated it 1 of 5 stars

Oh my God, I couldn't wait for this book to end. So disappointing: I was hoping to find something to get my femrage on. Instead, it was near-unreadable self-indulgent pap.

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Sep 18, 2011 Da277 rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I pre-ordered this book because the reviews made it out to be a page turner. It was a huge, huge disappointment for me. First of all, I expected a thick hard cover and it turned out to be a 160 page, cliff notes size book. Secondly, I knew as soon as I read the note to reader this would be a disappointment. I should have hopped in the car and taken it right back to B&N and requested a refund. It's too vague and ethereal, seems to go on and on about poetry and really does not delve deep enoug...more

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Feb 22, 2011 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a stunning, startling, offputting (in a good way) read leaving me angry and inspired all at once.

I read this all in one sitting, which perhaps wasn't the best idea as I felt Haddad's voice started to drag a little towards the end and the essays ran together. I think this is the kind of book where it's best to read one chapter in one sitting, let it sink in, and come back for more, as each essay packs a powerful punch in itself.

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Aug 12, 2012 Randa rated it 2 of 5 stars

At times amusing, most other times pamphlet-y and cheesy. I would rather read a book called I Killed Shahrayar. I do heart Joumana, though!

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Nov 08, 2012 Sus rated it 2 of 5 stars

I have to admit I was a bit disappointed by this book.. Both the content as well as the flow did not succeed in capturing me. Joumana has a lot of good and interesting ideas that I relate to very well, however the flow was a bit haphazard with no clear transition from one topic to the other. Also, she should have been less self centered and focused a bit more on the issues that the majority of Arab women are struggling with today. Overall, a light and easy read.

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Aug 07, 2012 Tom_blok rated it 3 of 5 stars

I had the privilege to dine with this woman who is always on the search for love. Great personality!

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Jan 25, 2012 Boriana rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012

Disappointing. I was expecting a lot more. The author is a little too much in love with herself. She seems to be speaking down to the average Westerner, who would see Arab women only as silent, veiled and oppressed. I know that is not the case, so am probably not the intended target audience.

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Oct 24, 2010 Loli rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wow. Snappy, powerful, a woman with style and "cojones" who has a lot to say and does that beautifully...

1 like · like · see review

Feb 09, 2012 Genevieve rated it 2 of 5 stars

Disappointing overall, with disjoi8nted writing, but with some interesting gems, including the poem at the end.

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Jun 13, 2011 Susan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Angry, thoughtful and lyrical -- a great read.

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Jan 25, 2012 Melanie rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: never-finished

Brutal!!! The author is mediocre at best...self centered, arrogant, and pointless. She writes like a wannabe philosopher but just embarrasses herself. I was hoping for something insightful and ended up just wanting to stick a sock in her mouth. Don't waste your time or money...

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Mar 14, 2012 Flavia Penido rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Livro superficial. Achei que a proposta é boa, mas a autora escreve como uma adolescente revoltada. Mas tem umas passagens bonitas, tenho que admitir.

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Oct 02, 2011 Sara rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Have you ever heard the quote, "Invite someone dangerous to tea."? This is who you want to invite, I absolutely love her writings!!!!

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May 21, 2013 Neyla Safira is currently reading it · review of another edition

May 19, 2013 Filzah marked it as to-read

May 18, 2013 Sarah Ameen marked it as to-read

May 15, 2013 Aaron marked it as to-read

May 12, 2013 Janan Kardoush rated it 4 of 5 stars

May 12, 2013 Shahd Salaam marked it as to-read

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“Surviving war is an excellent training process. If it weren't so brutal, I 'd recommend it as an excellent start-up course in life. I feel that over years of endurance, hard work and perseverance of determination and conviction, of claiming our rights to stay alive, to be free and to be ourselves, of fighting the biggest wars as much as the smaller ones, our will can indeed move mountains for us.” — 2 people liked it

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