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jakekilroy's review
4.0
This book was so enjoyable. A solid satire, somehow simultaneously subtle and aggressive, it called attention the poisons of men gone unchecked. When it was soft, it was what made it so accessible. America's bureaucracy is an old joke, but a good one. This didn't come down hard enough on Islamic Fundamentalists, but that's what Buckley gets. To get the point across, or bring in the audience, you have to charm them sometimes. It can't just be brutal, given your crowd. Satire is a weird thing. You may be outraged and livid, but you have to sell it as a joke.
abookishtype's review
Christopher Buckley has some guts. Florence of Arabia seems tailor made to piss off all sorts of people: Arabs, politically correct people, women’s rights advocates, etc. etc. Let me back up. Florence of Arabia is a political comedy about one woman’s attempt to “become the godmother of the Arab women’s movement.” And, of course, things go to hell from there...
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type.
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type.
lanikei's review
5.0
I loved this book. I tore through it in a single day without stopping.
Buckley has a certain amount of insider knowledge to so accurately catch the lingo of DC and agencies and embassy folk and the embarrassing to-close-to-the-truth situations.
The book has a few missteps that I may be writing off as intentional send-ups of tired cliches. But generally speaking Buckley wrote a well-informed book about the social conflicts in the Middle East and the world's reaction to them. It kept me giggling through the rough spots while still granting some dignity to the women being destroyed by their own culture.
Buckley has a certain amount of insider knowledge to so accurately catch the lingo of DC and agencies and embassy folk and the embarrassing to-close-to-the-truth situations.
The book has a few missteps that I may be writing off as intentional send-ups of tired cliches. But generally speaking Buckley wrote a well-informed book about the social conflicts in the Middle East and the world's reaction to them. It kept me giggling through the rough spots while still granting some dignity to the women being destroyed by their own culture.
sarahjsnider's review
3.0
Entertaining satire of current events, more amusing than outright funny. A bit by the numbers, but the numbers exist for a reason--because they work.
gripyfish's review
dark
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
aundie27's review
2.0
This was okay--I wanted to like it, and almost did but just couldn't get into the characters or style. I wasn't a fan of Thank You for Smoking or this novel because they both seemed as though they were trying too hard to be funny and quirky.
gossamerchild's review
adventurous
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
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