Woman at Point Zero Paperback – August 15, 2007

"How many were the years of my life that went by before my body, and I 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?"•"I knew that my profession had been invented by men, and that men were in control of both our worlds, the one on earth, and the one in heaven. That men force women to sell their bodies at a price, and that the lowest paid body is that of a wife. All women are prostitutes of one kind or another."•A woman's voice rises from her prison cell. It is that of Firdaus. This semi-biographical tale that El Saadawi has woven gives you a close look into the life of Firdaus, a former prostitute about to be executed for murder. Amid the many lives, she has lead, she was first and foremost a woman grappling with the challenges and limitations of her condition in a conservative Egyptian society.•Firdaus is unapologetically herself. She bares it all for us, and you can not help but be moved beyond words. We are invited into the deep recess of her mind. We witness her joys, her pains, her struggles, her moments of clarity, and realization. This intimate foray into her life makes the story inevitably compelling.•I could not help but be haunted by Firdaus just as El Saadawi was. I felt as if Firdaus became the vehicle of every woman that like her suffered the realities of gender inequality in a conservative Muslim society where men are at the top. It felt like El Saadawi elevated her to the ranks of symbol with this story.•It was a short read, and I blazed through it in a few hours. El Saadawi's prose was quite simple and to the point, but I had some issues with the translation at times. Nonetheless, I adored the parallels and imagery that El Saadawi used which reminded me of poetry, thus it was a near-perfect read for me.•4,5/5 ~#fridayinaprilbookreviews•

Very interesting book. I bought it just for my college English class, but I can't put it down. The main character is so complex. She went through so much. It's hard not to connect with her.

This book was first published in Arabic in 1975 and translated into English in 1983. So this is a backlist read for me, something that I have wanted to do more this year but have ended up reading many 2022 releases. This slim book is a work described as creative nonfiction, based on a conversation that the author had with a real person.This slim book tells the story of Firdaus, a woman in jail awaiting execution in Egypt. This story tells of key events in her life from childhood through her life as an adult. While the writing style is easy to read, the actual content is not, as Firdaus experiences repeated abuses of various types by many men in her life. She spends part of the book as a prostitute and actually sometimes feel more empowered there than during other jobs, as she is able to set her value. As you can probably tell from the first sentence in this paragraph, there is no happy ending to be found in this story. I think it is a worthwhile read and can be read fairly quickly.I definitely recommend this, with awareness that it deals with difficult topics. If you plan on reading work by women in translation in August (or any other months), this is a good pick to add to your list. Let me know in the comments if you’ve read this! And if you have any recommendations for other translations from Arabic, drop them in the comments as well, since this is my first and I want to read more!

I bought this book for school and fell in love with it so much that I made all of my sisters read it too, and now my sister took it so I might need to get another one to have for myself. Nawal El Saadawi is a fantastic writer and I highly recommend reading her other novel The Hidden Face of Eve, which helps understand this book a little further.

This is one of the most powerful books I have ever read. It encapsulates life for all women. There are almost no words to convey the importance of this short work. Read it and weep. Perhaps in that there will be some release from the prison we are all ensnared within.

I understand nearly all middle Eastern women are familiar with the book. As an American who wants to understand other cultures, I feel this is an important book to read. But the main character's narrative is a bit tiresome. This may be due to the translation to English. It's a quick read, and I learned some interesting things about Arabic culture.

Everyone should read this book. I'm not even remotely exaggerating.

As I read this short story of Firdaus a woman on Death Roll in Egypt, I was struck by the number of books that this brought to mind.The format a single reporter interview that tells a transformation story was in part like Interview with a Vampire orStory of Little Big Man .The tone of book reminds me of Camus the stranger , and also Celine’s Death on the Installment plan. Her philosophy on freedom about speaking truth in the face of your own execution no longer being fearful strongly reminded me of Anna Quangel and Otto Quangel story in Alone in Berlin by Hans Fallada all excellent books so is this one rather short only a little over a hundred pages but I think it earned 5 stars for unique insight and message.

Good book

Best book I have ever read. Wonderful story and a great writer combined together.

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I can't remember the last time that I was so focused on a book. This is an amazing book and one that every man should definitely read.

I cannot understand why women are not angrier!!!