Reviews

Woman at Point Zero by Nawal El Saadawi

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learnthuman's review against another edition

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dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

bcschaos's review

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challenging dark reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

hadestorm's review

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3.0

“ — if you look into her face, her eyes, you will never believe that so gentle a woman can commit murder.
— who says murder does not require that a person be gentle ?”

“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.”

anonyearner's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

neshasurya's review against another edition

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3.5

one of the most haunting pieces of feminist literature i’ve ever read. this is a story about a woman sentenced to death for killing a pimp. it describes the abuse and difficulties she experienced as a young child in the village. abuse and exploitation that continued throughout her adult life. yet, in the end, she embraces death as the only form of freedom available to her—the price society sets for what she does.

basically, we see her suffering nonstop throughout the book. we see how all humans are evil. especially if they can't get any benefits from us (especially men, ofc). if you look at my annotation, it seems like almost everything is complaining and arguing about why men suck and society supports that.

aku suka karena bukunya bener-bener nyindir semua orang. mulai dari orang yang keliatan baik tapi ternyata cuma memanfaatkan kita, para pejabat korup tukang selingkuh, sampe pemuka agama yg ternyata banyak main perempuan juga.

tapi emang baca buku ini tuh harus pelan-pelan sih. berat. banyak trauma. bahkan adegan rape juga ada yg dideskripsiin secara detail. after finishing the book, it's not that surprising that she chose death over living and interacting with other people.

yup, this is short, raw, and a great way to introduce you to feminism.

kikooo's review

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5.0

wow. woman at point zero tells the story of firdaus, a woman condemned to death for killing a pimp. it tells her story throughout childhood in the village, the poverty and the abuse she had to face. abuse and exploitation that continued throughout her life as an adult as well. and in the end, she welcomes death - the price society demands for her rebellion - as the only freedom possible to her.

“how many were the years of my life that went by before my body, and my self became really mine, to do with them as i wished? how many were the years of my life that were lost before i tore my body and my self away from the people who held me in their grasp since the very first day?”

the book is very atmospherically written, but it is not a pleasant atmosphere. it is a very tragic story with heavy content. at times also very philosophical. i think, firdaus will stay with me for a very long time. her story is the story of many women. highly recommended read.