7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Heartbreaking and beautifully written, May 26, 1999
I picked up this book because the author wrote to my sf/f book group to introduce herself. I wanted to see what her books were like, and now I intend to seek out more. I expected the book to be like "The Handmaid's Tale," but, though the themes were similar, I thought Marley's writing was more full-blooded than Atwood's (perhaps because she is more familiar with the science fiction genre). The book is beautifully written--Marley has a distinctive writing voice--and ultimately heartbreaking. I did cry at the end. The characters are subtly and fully drawn. Although not without a few small faults (I didn't quite buy Qadir's conversion), I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading thoughtful, thought-provoking science fiction.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Shades of the Taliban ...., March 14, 2000
By A Customer
Marley's beautiful, compelling science fiction novel is at once heartbreaking and uplifting, as it follows the frustrated lives of women living in a repressive religious society. The world of Irustan is detailed, subtle in its range of customs, and wholly believeable. The empowerment of a small group of women through acts of biological terrorism is exciting in its inexorable unfolding.
I absolutely could not put this book down!
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A world of insights and troubling questions, July 11, 2005
It is impossible to read this book without the perspective of 9/11 and the subsequent "war on terror". "Terrorists of Irustan" raises a slew of uncomfortable questions that have gained startling relevance in the last several years, many of which, unfortunately, have been stifled and deflected to the point we're encouraged not to think about them. For this reason, I think "Irustan" - which deals with Islam, women's rights, terrorism, and self-defense vs. pre-emptive action, among other things - has gained in depth and meaning since its original writing.
On the planet of Irustan, Muslim fundamentalists who follow the "Second Prophet" have created a society that's just to the right of the Taliban. One of the peculiarities of Irustani society is the focus on the mind and soul to the exclusion of the body, which means that medicine - with its fixation of disease and imperfection - is seen as a practice fit only for women. Zahra ibSada is a medicant who has had it up to here with patching up abused women and children and sending them back to the husbands and fathers who own them, so when a friend comes to her in desperation because her young daughter is about to be given to a man who has already killed two wives, Zahra steels herself to do the unthinkable.
At first, Zahra tries to limit her actions to self-defense, acting only to save the lives of her friends and their children. Soon, however, she realizes that simply reacting will not be enough. She must seek to outright change her society if the abuse is to stop, and that's when she moves into the tricky realm of terrorism. She starts choosing victims carefully, hoping to send a message, knowing all the while that each step could be her last.
Putting such a human face on terrorism is a bold move, and forces us to question the one-dimensional portrayal we usually accept. When you're absolutely powerless, when you live your life in virtual slavery, the "property" of another human being, what other choice do you have? Is it terrorism for a slave to harm her owner? To harm another slave's owner? How does a slave change the institution of slavery? What happens when terrorism is not only the only answer, but the right one?
As always, I am supremely impressed by Marley's abilities to craft complex, nuanced characters and to make us genuinely care for them. Her vision of Irustan makes it easy to understand the mixed feelings of so many characters; an alien world that is beautiful and harsh, traditional and unforgiving. This book is highly recommended reading for anyone who refuses to accept sound-bite explanations of the current situation in the Middle East or simplistic answers to the most difficult dilemmas facing us today.
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