Guests of the Sheik : An Ethnography of an Iraqi Village

Rating:
Summary: An American in Iraq
Review: Although this book is around fifty years old, it is especially compelling today. Who are the Iraqis? This is a classic description of Iraqi village society, as I suspect it remains today. Fernea spent 2 years in an Iraqi village while her husband was gathering material for his doctoral dissertation there. Elizabeth, or Beeja (BJ) as the Iraqi women call her, is part of the society of women in the village, and her immensely readable account explains much about the gulf that separates Americans from the Muslim world. The account of her pilgrimage with the other village women gives an amazing, hypnotic view into the nature of Islam and its adherents. A well-written, thoughtful, absolutely stunning book.

Rating:
Summary: Unbiased, educational, excellent
Review: Given the attention on the Middle East, and Iraq in particular, this book should be considered a 'must read.' I still find myself wondering what ended up becoming of the village that showed Elizabeth and Robert such hospitality and acceptance before Iraq became a dirty word to Americans. This book inspired me to locate more books written by Elizabeth Warnock Fernea and I anticipate equally enthusiastic reviews of her other open and honest accounts of life in Arab countries. She has had the opportunity to experience Middle Eastern society in a way so few of us could ever hope. I especially appreciate her objectivity and her ability to respect the way of life that so many people in the West automatically view as inferior. This book is truly a treasure for those open-minded enough to want to learn more about life in the Middle East.

Rating:
Summary: Essential for the understanding of Muslim women by Westerner
Review: I cannot give this review without some personal background - I was a student of Robert Fernea's Middle EasternAnthropology class in 1972 at the University of Texas - "Guests of the Shiek" (duh) was the textbook for the course. I failed this class - didn't even read the book. Some years later,I picked it up again, and could not put it down. I was 18 when I took the course and about 22 when I read the book - I had always been interested inEgyptology and Middle Eastern life, and for that reason I guess, I just devoured this book, set free from university pressure. Mrs. Fernea delivered one of the mostunbiased and factually accurate renditions of the muslim culture I have ever read, and this is in the aftereffect of having been to the Middle East myself, several times.As she points out, we only see the menwho come on Western shores from Islam and we (western people) cannot understand these men's seeming lack of all decorum, especially in terms of dating and sex. But from this book, we can see that these sheltered men have been taught since birth that women who showed themselves are immoral women,and are reacting to a situation in the only way they know how to - i.e. in assuming that any woman who dresses scantily is inviting male attention and is not anything but a promiscuous woman. What is not so obvious is that women in Muslim society wield alot of power behind the scenes - who can their sons marry, what family do the daughters marry into, how much and what kind of education to the children, male or female get, etc.Americans of today don't think alot about these issues, but they should since they shape the next generation. Lastly, I will just say that this is an enchanting book and a very easy slide into another world for anyone with an open mind. It changed my life, truly. CM

Rating:
Summary: Author is an Air Head & anti-feminist!
Review: i HATE this author because her book only described women in their physical tersm. primarily, whether they were a 'dusky beauty' or otherwise, all women are 'plain' in her mind. She is not enlightened at all about the various challenges women face. she is only concerned with how well they cook, clean & please their husbands. she offered hardly any insight into shiite muslim woman's world. i'm disgusted to find out she is has received so much acclaim as a 'feminist', author & professor (her obsession with superficial design elements may allow her to make so-so films but she should not be a well-received author!). She's an air head. Read this book & you'll see exactly.

Rating:
Summary: How different, yet how similar we all are
Review: I highly enjoyed this book, both as a modern American woman, and as a convert to Islam. I learned many things that I didn't know about Shia Islam, and also a bit about the history of Iraq. This book really points out how differently the American culture vs. the Iraqi/Arab Islamic culture views the same things. I plan on reading it again, and mailing it to a girlfriend who also is a convert to Islam.

Rating:
Summary: How different, yet how similar we all are
Review: I highly enjoyed this book, both as a modern American woman, and as a convert to Islam. I learned many things that I didn't know about Shia Islam, and also a bit about the history of Iraq. This book really points out how differently the American culture vs. the Iraqi/Arab Islamic culture views the same things. I plan on reading it again, and mailing it to a girlfriend who also is a convert to Islam.

Rating:
Summary: Oustanding Book
Review: I read this book as a requirement for an undergraduate cultural anthropology course. Of all the required texts that I have read while in college, this book is a joy to read. Through her experiences and friendship with the women of El Nahra, Elizabeth Fernea has done a magnificent job in educating and communicating the reader about the culture and many of the traditions of Shiite Muslim men and women. Thank you for writing this book.

Rating:
Summary: Great book
Review: I really loved this book. She travelled as a new bride with her anthropologist husband to Iraq in the 1950's or '60's, I believe. She had so much to learn and go through adapting to a new culture. It's great that she's there because her husband would never have been allowed to talk to the women. They were very segregated, so Ms. Fernea learned all about the half of the society that male anthropologists usually can't even learn about due to lack of access. She made friends, had to relearn how to cook rice (different water amount), and you really get a personal look at the culture. She kept in touch with many of her friends from that time. I can't wait to read her other books.

Rating:
Summary: Falling in love in a foriegn land
Review: Reading "Guests of the Sheik" left me in tears. My father was born and raised in southern Iraq right around the time that Elizabeth Warnock Fernea moves there. I grew up on stories from that period and I appreciated getting the women's story from this book, it felt like a complement of the stories I heard in childhood. As I read "Guests of the Sheik" I frequently wondered how I would react if I was in Elizabeth Warnock Fernea shoes. Would I feel at home in that environment? Would I feel as a tourist? I don't know, but I do hope that one day when I do visit Iraq that I will feel as much love for the land and its people as Elizabeth Warnock Fernea did.

Rating:
Summary: Falling in love in a foriegn land
Review: Reading "Guests of the Sheik" left me in tears. My father was born and raised in southern Iraq right around the time that Elizabeth Warnock Fernea moves there. I grew up on stories from that period and I appreciated getting the women's story from this book, it felt like a complement of the stories I heard in childhood. As I read "Guests of the Sheik" I frequently wondered how I would react if I was in Elizabeth Warnock Fernea shoes. Would I feel at home in that environment? Would I feel as a tourist? I don't know, but I do hope that one day when I do visit Iraq that I will feel as much love for the land and its people as Elizabeth Warnock Fernea did.