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Florence of Arabia
The bestselling author who made mincemeat of political correctness in Thank You for Smoking, conspiracy theories in Little Green Men, and Presidential indiscretions No Way to Treat a First Lady now takes on the hottest topic in the entire world–Arab-American relations–in a blistering comic novel sure to offend the few it doesn’t delight.Appalled by the punishment of her rebellious friend Nazrah, youngest and most petulant wife of Prince Bawad of Wasabia, Florence Farfarletti decides to draw a line in the sand. As Deputy to the deputy assistant secretary for Near East Affairs, Florence invents a far-reaching, wide-ranging plan for female emancipation in that part of the world.The U.S. government, of course, tells her to forget it. Publicly, that is. Privately, she’s enlisted in a top-secret mission to impose equal rights for the sexes on the small emirate of Matar (pronounced “Mutter”), the “Switzerland of the Persian Gulf.” Her crack a CIA killer, a snappy PR man, and a brilliant but frustrated gay bureaucrat. Her TV shows.The lineup on TV Matar includes A Thousand and One Mornings, a daytime talk show that features self-defense tips to be used against boyfriends during Ramadan; an addictive soap opera featuring strangely familiar members of the Matar royal family; and a sitcom about an inept but ruthless squad of religious police, pitched as “Friends from Hell.”The the first deadly car bombs in the country since 1936, a fatwa against the station’s entire staff, a struggle for control of the kingdom, and, of course, interference from the French. And that’s only the beginning.A merciless dismantling of both American ineptitude and Arabic intolerance, Florence of Arabia is Christopher Buckley’s funniest and most serious novel yet, a biting satire of how U.S. good intentions can cause the Shiite to hit the fan.
274 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2004
76 people are currently reading
810 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Buckley
102 books953 followersChristopher Buckley graduated cum laude from Yale University in 1976. He shipped out in the Merchant Marine and at age 24 became managing editor of Esquire magazine. At age 29, he became chief speechwriter to the Vice President of the United States, George H.W. Bush. Since 1989 he has been founder and editor-in-chief of Forbes Life magazine.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
He is the author of twelve books, most of them national bestsellers. They include: The White House Mess, Wet Work, Thank You For Smoking, God Is My Broker, Little Green Men, No Way To Treat a First Lady, Florence of Arabia, Boomsday and Supreme Courtship.
Mr. Buckley has contributed over 60 comic essays to The New Yorker magazine. His journalism, satire and criticism has been widely published—in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, New Republic, Washington Monthly, Vanity Fair, Vogue, Esquire, and other publications. He is the recipient of the 2002 Washington Irving Medal for Literary Excellence. In 2004 he was awarded the Thurber Prize for American Humor.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
He is the author of twelve books, most of them national bestsellers. They include: The White House Mess, Wet Work, Thank You For Smoking, God Is My Broker, Little Green Men, No Way To Treat a First Lady, Florence of Arabia, Boomsday and Supreme Courtship.
Mr. Buckley has contributed over 60 comic essays to The New Yorker magazine. His journalism, satire and criticism has been widely published—in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, New Republic, Washington Monthly, Vanity Fair, Vogue, Esquire, and other publications. He is the recipient of the 2002 Washington Irving Medal for Literary Excellence. In 2004 he was awarded the Thurber Prize for American Humor.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 271 reviews
February 5, 2020
In the spirit of Lawrence of Arabia who freed the Arabs, so also Florence of Arabia bravely set out to free the women of the Middle East from gender injustice in an oppressive theocracy. Every sentence in this story is packed with humor, farce, irony, satire, irreverence, mockery, or exaggerated stereotype. An example of this writing style is contained in this example where the author describes a fictional country as the Middle East's preeminent "no-fun zone," unless ...
The following are some example quotations from the book that illustrate Buckley's clever jabs and juicy bits:
About the Israelis:
The reader knows from earlier incidents in the book that execution of uppity women by beheading, stoning or being whipped to death are real possibilities. Florence is guilty of being uppity to the extreme, so her fate is very uncertain as the plot nears its climax. There's even a high speed chase scene. If the humor were stripped out of the book's narrative, the remaining plot would be grim indeed. This is not a children's book.
Since problems caused by investment bankers are currently [2008] in the news, it is interesting to note that readers who make it to the end of the book will learn that money fund managers play a role in the story. Is it possible that Mr. Buckley was providing an early warning, in 2004 when the book was published, that investment bankers can be counted on to make a mess of things in 2008? Thus, the book is prophetic in addition to being humorous.
Christopher Buckley must have inherited his writing skills from his father, William F. Buckley Jr. The younger Buckley is obviously a very intelligent and skilled writer to be able to pack so many, and often subtle, humorous barbs into the text. Mr. Buckley may be intelligent, but I'm not so sure he showed wisdom in mocking the culture and faith of millions of people. Furthermore, a few among those millions of people have a record of reacting in less than desirable ways to such irreverence. There's a general inference that the fictional countries in the book are stand-ins for two of the emirates located on the Arabian Peninsula. I trust that the conditions described are exaggerations of conditions in those countries. So upon reflection I don't think this book contributes much that is helpful to intercultural understanding.
The following review is from the 2006 PageADay's Book Lover's Calendar:
WIT’S END
Christopher Buckley’s novels are junk food for political junkies. They are hilarious send-ups of government ineptitude, political correctness, and America’s obsession with celebrity and publicity. Florence of Arabia is Buckley at his wry best. The Middle East needs to change, and the gal to make it happen is sexy mid-level State Department operative Florence Farfaletti. Her plan: Bring women’s rights to the region to promote stability. Good luck, Florence!
FLORENCE OF ARABIA, by Christopher Buckley (Random House, 2004)
... one's idea of fun includes beheading, amputation, flogging, blinding and having your tongue cut off for offenses that in other religions would earn you a lecture from the rabbi, five Hail Marys from a priest and, for Episcopalians, a plastic pink flamingo on your front lawn.As you can see, Christopher Buckley is an equal opportunity insulter with his politically incorrect view of the world. The whole book is a satire about American-Oil-Arab relations. But since this book is focused on the middle east, the Arab Muslim part of the word takes a big hit. The United States, France and the United Nations receive their licks as well. However, it appears that he let Israel off easy. He probably didn't want to hurt book sales.
The following are some example quotations from the book that illustrate Buckley's clever jabs and juicy bits:
About the Israelis:
A single Israeli fighter pilot could shoot down the entire Royal Wasabi Air Force and still have one hand free to hold his bagelAbout the native population:
Wasabia's population was booming, owing to the fact that every man could take up to four wives. You were hardly considered manly unless you had twenty children. As a result, it was an increasingly young and thirsty nation.About the French:
Did not France have her own proud history of screwing things up? Look at Algeria, Vietnam, Syria, Haiti — Quebec — all still reeling from their days of French rule. Clearly, France was ready and eager to show the world that she, too, could wreak disastrous, unforeseen consequences abroad, far more efficiently and almost certainly with more flair than America.About American officials:
Senators pounded their podia, demanding answers. The president declared that he, too, wanted answers. The CIA said that although it had no official comment, it, too, perhaps even more than the president and the senators, wanted answers. The secretary of state said that there might in fact be no answers, but if there were, he certainly would be interested in hearing them."About the United Nations:
The secretary general of the United Nations said that he was reasonably certain answers existed, but first the right questions must be asked, and then they would have to be translated, and this would take time."Beneath the silly stuff contained in the story there is an underlying political thriller plot that involves matters of life and death. The kind of the justice system to be contended with is illustrated by this quotation from the book where it describes the harsh justice dealt to two women who were apprehended while out to pick up some milk and the dry cleaning. They were picked up by the religious police because they were unveiled and unescorted by a male.
It was quite obvious, declared the mukfellah official who announced their sentences, that they had been on their way to fornicate with loathsome blackamoor cooks. There was no actual evidence of this, but the advantage of a religious judiciary is that you don't need evidence.As the tension builds in this environment toward the end of the book, the humor takes on the ambiance of gallows humor. (Not gallows in this case, but rather a chopping block for beheading. — Chopping Block Humor?)
The reader knows from earlier incidents in the book that execution of uppity women by beheading, stoning or being whipped to death are real possibilities. Florence is guilty of being uppity to the extreme, so her fate is very uncertain as the plot nears its climax. There's even a high speed chase scene. If the humor were stripped out of the book's narrative, the remaining plot would be grim indeed. This is not a children's book.
Since problems caused by investment bankers are currently [2008] in the news, it is interesting to note that readers who make it to the end of the book will learn that money fund managers play a role in the story. Is it possible that Mr. Buckley was providing an early warning, in 2004 when the book was published, that investment bankers can be counted on to make a mess of things in 2008? Thus, the book is prophetic in addition to being humorous.
Christopher Buckley must have inherited his writing skills from his father, William F. Buckley Jr. The younger Buckley is obviously a very intelligent and skilled writer to be able to pack so many, and often subtle, humorous barbs into the text. Mr. Buckley may be intelligent, but I'm not so sure he showed wisdom in mocking the culture and faith of millions of people. Furthermore, a few among those millions of people have a record of reacting in less than desirable ways to such irreverence. There's a general inference that the fictional countries in the book are stand-ins for two of the emirates located on the Arabian Peninsula. I trust that the conditions described are exaggerations of conditions in those countries. So upon reflection I don't think this book contributes much that is helpful to intercultural understanding.
The following review is from the 2006 PageADay's Book Lover's Calendar:
WIT’S END
Christopher Buckley’s novels are junk food for political junkies. They are hilarious send-ups of government ineptitude, political correctness, and America’s obsession with celebrity and publicity. Florence of Arabia is Buckley at his wry best. The Middle East needs to change, and the gal to make it happen is sexy mid-level State Department operative Florence Farfaletti. Her plan: Bring women’s rights to the region to promote stability. Good luck, Florence!
FLORENCE OF ARABIA, by Christopher Buckley (Random House, 2004)
January 13, 2009
An open letter to Christopher Buckley:
Dear Mr. Buckley,
It is not necessary to make all of your female protagonists sexy. It is even less necessary to remind your readers of their sexiness every four pages.
Sincerely,
Someone who usually doesn't roll her eyes while reading your books.
PS- The unconvincing romantic subplot featuring your super sexy heroine was also lame.
PPS- There was some funny stuff in here too. More of the funny, please.
Dear Mr. Buckley,
It is not necessary to make all of your female protagonists sexy. It is even less necessary to remind your readers of their sexiness every four pages.
Sincerely,
Someone who usually doesn't roll her eyes while reading your books.
PS- The unconvincing romantic subplot featuring your super sexy heroine was also lame.
PPS- There was some funny stuff in here too. More of the funny, please.
June 17, 2014
This is one of Buckley’s earlier books and tackles a touchy subject – the clash between the Arab and American cultures – in a somewhat humorous manner. There are more than a few laugh out loud vignettes but on the whole I didn’t find Florence of Arabia as entertaining as this author’s other books. There’s a disconnect in the writing between farce/satire and serious spy thriller which just doesn’t gel.
Our protagonist, Florence Farfaletti, is a Deputy to the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Near East Affairs. Here on familiar ground Buckley is hilarious describing the inner workings of the U.S. State Department – the bureaucracy, paperwork and frenzied activity leading nowhere. Florence soon finds herself involved in an international scandal when one of the wives of an Arab ambassador – from the fictional country of Wasabia - calls her seeking asylum.
When the dust clears Ms. Farfaletti finds herself out of a job – temporarily – until she is hired by a mysterious older gentleman, known to her only as Uncle Sam – who may be CIA or directly from the White House. Florence doesn’t know which. But Uncle Sam has an unlimited budget and an “idea”. He hires Florence to establish a radio station in Matar – an American ally and a neighbor of Wasabia – to stir things up in the Muslim world, specifically with respect to women’s rights. And then the hi-jinx begin – sort of.
Florence’s Middle East adventure is the brunt of the book and this is where the story proceeds in fits and starts. Buckley’s irreverence concerning the Muslim world, the French – who become involved attempting to foil Florence’s scheme – and America’s oil interests are all fair game and the author spares no one. But Buckley then trods on the unfamiliar ground of spy-thriller and at best is mediocre. The seriousness and violence is jarring, particularly when juxtaposed with the satire. This isn’t a bad book but definitely not Buckley’s best.
Our protagonist, Florence Farfaletti, is a Deputy to the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Near East Affairs. Here on familiar ground Buckley is hilarious describing the inner workings of the U.S. State Department – the bureaucracy, paperwork and frenzied activity leading nowhere. Florence soon finds herself involved in an international scandal when one of the wives of an Arab ambassador – from the fictional country of Wasabia - calls her seeking asylum.
When the dust clears Ms. Farfaletti finds herself out of a job – temporarily – until she is hired by a mysterious older gentleman, known to her only as Uncle Sam – who may be CIA or directly from the White House. Florence doesn’t know which. But Uncle Sam has an unlimited budget and an “idea”. He hires Florence to establish a radio station in Matar – an American ally and a neighbor of Wasabia – to stir things up in the Muslim world, specifically with respect to women’s rights. And then the hi-jinx begin – sort of.
Florence’s Middle East adventure is the brunt of the book and this is where the story proceeds in fits and starts. Buckley’s irreverence concerning the Muslim world, the French – who become involved attempting to foil Florence’s scheme – and America’s oil interests are all fair game and the author spares no one. But Buckley then trods on the unfamiliar ground of spy-thriller and at best is mediocre. The seriousness and violence is jarring, particularly when juxtaposed with the satire. This isn’t a bad book but definitely not Buckley’s best.
January 23, 2009
Using the same snarky political farce plot and character structures that he has with his other novels (Thank You For Smoking, No Way to Treat a First Lady) Christopher Buckley tackles feminism and the Middle East. Where his other novels get off to a fast start and speed through until the end, this one takes a bit more to get moving. Once it does get moving, it's entertaining but not quite as cleaver as his other efforts.
Buckley should be praised for tackling such an unfunny set of subjects with his style of humor and managing not to offend. This might probably be the most upbeat political comedy about the Middle East you ever read.
Buckley should be praised for tackling such an unfunny set of subjects with his style of humor and managing not to offend. This might probably be the most upbeat political comedy about the Middle East you ever read.
April 5, 2016
4.5 stars.
I really wanted to give this 5 stars, but it stumbles a bit in the last half - particularly at the end, where things just sort of work out for the main character. Also, the more interesting situations are in the first half, before everything falls to shit for all the characters; the actual establishment and running of MatarTV needed more focus. As it was, interesting material felt skipped over.
That having been said, this is a fantastic analysis of certain Middle Eastern countries under the guise of satire, and as someone who's lived in such countries, I can tell you that most of the characterization here runs very, very true. Frighteningly true, in cases.
A must read for anyone with even a passing interest in the subject matter.
I really wanted to give this 5 stars, but it stumbles a bit in the last half - particularly at the end, where things just sort of work out for the main character. Also, the more interesting situations are in the first half, before everything falls to shit for all the characters; the actual establishment and running of MatarTV needed more focus. As it was, interesting material felt skipped over.
That having been said, this is a fantastic analysis of certain Middle Eastern countries under the guise of satire, and as someone who's lived in such countries, I can tell you that most of the characterization here runs very, very true. Frighteningly true, in cases.
A must read for anyone with even a passing interest in the subject matter.
May 16, 2018
Written by Christopher Buckley (who wrote "Thank You for Smoking", it is hardly a surprise that this book is a bit of a send up of the oil rich Gulf states--and it is replete with intolerant mullahs, incompetent CIA agents, and wickedly clever French "onzieme bureau" agents burning to undo obscure British imposed boundaries established post world wars. What I was surprised about was just how witty some of the dialogue was, how close to the reality I had observed esp some of the Washington DC action was, and at the end, how accurately the book portrays the complexity of any western nation trying to manipulate dictator/emirs. Probably not a book for most university courses on international relations, but for a fun and intelligent farce making fun of all sides of the middle east, I highly recommend this one.
July 30, 2023
There are just a few authors to which one may turn with the assurance that a good laugh is to follow. Christopher Moore, P.G. Wodehouse, and Garrison Keillor do that for me. Christopher Buckley is another. Critics and reviewers have had difficulty classifying the novels of the younger Mister Buckley (his father was William F. Buckley, Jr.). The most common characterisation assigned to him is political satirist. The reach of his imagination considerably exceeds mere politics. There appears to be little in life in which Buckley cannot find humour. "Florence of Arabia" is about the Middle East, and diplomacy, and gender inequality, and Arab culture, and espionage, and electronic journalism, and exploding camels. I enjoyed it thoroughly but my tolerance for irreverence, impropriety, and social reprehensibility is higher than most. Let your own compass be your guide. I have read "The Judge Hunter" (2018), "The Relic Master" (2015), "Thank You for Smoking" (1994), "Supreme Courtship" (2008), "Little Green Men" (1999), "God Is My Broker" (1998), and "Florence of Arabia" (2004). Sitting on my to-be-read shelf (my to-be-read bookcase, actually) "The White House Mess" (1986), "No Way to Treat a First Lady" (2002), "Boomsday" (2007), "They Eat Puppies, Don't They?" (2012), and "Make Russia Great Again" (2020). And I look forward to them all.
February 22, 2022
Enjoyed the protagonist, but the ending felt muddled.
October 12, 2025
I’m too middle eastern to find this book funny! I found it very hateful to middle eastern and a great example of anti-Islam propaganda.
July 10, 2010
Choosing a book to take with you on vacation is a tricky proposition. If you take a classic you've been meaning to read and, hate it, your restful trip turns into a High School English class . If you take an exciting new work and both your eyes and your intellect could be floored by new sites sounds and ideas that change your view of the world, or you could be so confused by what you see and hear and read that you are left with a few souvenirs and a long night of head scratching "what happened?"
But when you get it right. When you find a book that fits your mood and your destination and makes you laugh and think and everything else, you find yourself prolonging the inevitable, reading in short spurts in order to make the book and your trip last as long as possible.
That's how this book found me, taking in a chapter here and a section there, even though I wasn't traveling in the arab world, the story of nation building through progressive means caught me just right as I thought about the India I knew as an ex-pat and as someone with a fresh perspective after two years away.
To be fair, Buckley's analysis is mostly for fun and rarely for sincere criticism, and there are times when you can't help but think: you're trying to hard buddy. But when you can laugh and smile and shake your head and root for both the imperialist swine and the soverign screw-ups, you know you're in the right book and the right place
But when you get it right. When you find a book that fits your mood and your destination and makes you laugh and think and everything else, you find yourself prolonging the inevitable, reading in short spurts in order to make the book and your trip last as long as possible.
That's how this book found me, taking in a chapter here and a section there, even though I wasn't traveling in the arab world, the story of nation building through progressive means caught me just right as I thought about the India I knew as an ex-pat and as someone with a fresh perspective after two years away.
To be fair, Buckley's analysis is mostly for fun and rarely for sincere criticism, and there are times when you can't help but think: you're trying to hard buddy. But when you can laugh and smile and shake your head and root for both the imperialist swine and the soverign screw-ups, you know you're in the right book and the right place
January 8, 2020
I always enjoy Christopher Buckley and had wanted to read Florence of Arabia for a while. I finally did, and it was everything I hoped for. He pokes absolutely everyone in the eye--the British and French for current and past Middle East policy and boundary creation, the US government's frequent mis-steps, radical Islamic regimes. He's an equal opportunity satirist, and he makes some very good points while frequently causing the reader to laugh out loud. The story line is engaging--a secret US operation to bring about gender equality in the Middle East through television, and the plot is quite serious in between spurts of comic relief. I loved it. Reminded me of Mark Twain's The Innocents Abroad, one of my all-time favorite books, in the way it skewers everyone involved in an evenhanded, accurate, and hilarious manner.
March 7, 2010
Maybe it's unfair to compare anything with "Thank You For Smoking", Buckley's best, but one can't help it. Florence of Arabia starts off as a broad burlesque, complete with ridiculous character and place names. I almost quit after 30 or 40 pages, but somewhere in the middle the book abruptly changes into a (more or less) serious thriller, with characters dying, tortured and all manner of evil things happening. There's still plenty of sarcasm, but the book definitely acquires an edge. The bottom line is: If you're looking for something to feed your inner anti-Islamist beast, coupled with a few laughs, this is for you. But if you're going to read only one book by Christopher Buckley, make sure it's "Thank You For Smoking."
February 27, 2015
Of the 4 books from Christopher Buckley that I have read, this is definitely the least inspiring. Part of the brilliance of his satire is how subtle it usually is with caricature painted extremely in the right places - that is not the case with this book. If the plot line is insipid it's usually forgivable if the scene and characters are sufficiently compelling - this parody of Saudi Arabia did not try to hide anything and followed the course of stereotypes altogether predictably with little surprising or a caricature that expresses surprise. A quick read that will have you smiling at times, but largely j have to say that it's not Buckley's best work.
September 24, 2007
He writes Washington-centric books and I liked "Thank You for Smoking" and "No Way to Treat a First Lady". They, like this one, are funny in parts and some of the characters are a little over the top. Though this one was a good read on the beach and had some seriousness mixed in with the satire, I think it dragged a little at the end. It's a short book, so it's not a huge investment to begin with. His PR-Man character Renard has appeared in a few short stories in The Atlantic which were pretty funny.
July 20, 2025
Frankly, I didn't think this book was ever going to end. The last, I don't know, 57 chapters were one endless, repetitive, redundant, unnecessary chase scene. It was insane, and not in a good way. If you're going to read Christopher Buckley, read Supreme Courtship or No Way to Treat a First Lady. This one didn't seem to wrap up as much as it just gave up. I felt uch the same way at the end of it.
October 4, 2012
Perhaps intended as a satire, the violence (and reality of that violence) undermines the tone of this book as does the overall sense at the end of the story that people in positions of power simply desire to continue to make money on the situation and have no intention to fix it. This book seems to fall into that category itself--a method to poke a wound to make money but without shining any kind of useful light on the situation.
August 8, 2013
A SPY-THRILLER LIKE NO OTHER.
"Americans are idealists until they have to move their thermostats two degrees; then they become very practical."—Part 6
The audio book of Christopher Buckley’s FLORENCE OF ARABIA is a hilariously fun listen from start to finish.
Recommendation: Read, listen, indulge in satirical Buckley wit.
"If there are no alternatives, then there are no problems."--Chapter 35
MP3 Audio Book edition on loan from: http://overdrive.colapublib.org/
"Americans are idealists until they have to move their thermostats two degrees; then they become very practical."—Part 6
The audio book of Christopher Buckley’s FLORENCE OF ARABIA is a hilariously fun listen from start to finish.
Recommendation: Read, listen, indulge in satirical Buckley wit.
"If there are no alternatives, then there are no problems."--Chapter 35
MP3 Audio Book edition on loan from: http://overdrive.colapublib.org/
August 24, 2015
Christopher Buckley tackles the plight of women in repressive Middle Eastern societies, in this satire. There were some very funny parts, but because of the subject matter, some really tragic parts as well. But I didn't expect the problem to be solved by Buckley, and I did like reading the book- although some of his others (esp. Boomsday and Thank You for Smoking) leaned more toward the hilarious than the tragic.
June 1, 2012
I enjoyed this more the second time around. It helps to be in the mood when reading satire.
April 3, 2016
Frantic fun
August 13, 2012
A quick and light read, funny (at times, given the satire, sadly so), and a page-turner. Definitely peaked my interest in checking out some of Buckley's other books.
August 14, 2014
This was quite entertaining. It did have several somewhat bawdy moments, probably classifiable as PG13. Its main targets are Muslim fanatics, the CIA, the State Department.
July 6, 2015
Highly entertaining political satire.
August 3, 2016
Quick, witty, erudite take on the American relationship with Middle Eastern oil states. The satire gets pretty broad sometimes but I frequently laughed out loud. Would make a fun movie.
March 2, 2018
I was reluctant to read this after how much I liked They Eat Puppies, Don't They? How could Buckley top himself? But he did, I think. The scenes in Puppies of the infighting among the Chinese politburo were wonderful, but equally wonderful is the working out of the machinations of neighboring Gulf states with different approaches to the truths of the Koran (Wasabia is fanatical about returning to medieval oppression, especially of women; Matar is "the Switzerland of the Gulf," with a free-wheeling anything-goes-in-the-bedroom Skeik in control, the imams bought off with new Mercedes Benzes, and lots of income from oil and Infidel Land, a theme park). And, of course, the French, continue to be steamed about the Brits outmaneuvering them in the Gulf after WWI, ready to stir the pot. But so is Florence, who responds to the death of her friend, the Wasabi ambassador's wife by flogging after she is caught driving in D.C., with an audacious plan to liberate Arab women by giving them access to contemporary American-style TV (in which everything goes). So, it is about American meddling (and muddling) in the Middle East, the continual Big Powers jockeying for relative advantage in places they despise, but with resources they can't live without, the adamantine control of society by repressed Arab clerics, the internal politics of Arab countries with more princes than they can shake a stick at or keep their ambitions under control.
It is a hoot. Read as a recorded book, very well read by Carrington MacDufie, who had a full range of excellent accents (French, Middle Eastern, Southern good ol' boy) that fit the characters perfectly. Often laugh-out-loud funny, but often too convincing about the impossibility of ever dealing easily with the Middle East.
I will remember the harsh portrayal of Wasabia (the Saudis), whose religious police revel in publically beating and beheading uppity women. I will remember how both the U.S. and the French think they can easily manipulate the ragheads who control all the oil. I will remember the secondary players, like the scaredy-cat gay State Department guy who could speak lots of languages, and the PR guy, unabashed in his venality.
It is a hoot. Read as a recorded book, very well read by Carrington MacDufie, who had a full range of excellent accents (French, Middle Eastern, Southern good ol' boy) that fit the characters perfectly. Often laugh-out-loud funny, but often too convincing about the impossibility of ever dealing easily with the Middle East.
I will remember the harsh portrayal of Wasabia (the Saudis), whose religious police revel in publically beating and beheading uppity women. I will remember how both the U.S. and the French think they can easily manipulate the ragheads who control all the oil. I will remember the secondary players, like the scaredy-cat gay State Department guy who could speak lots of languages, and the PR guy, unabashed in his venality.
June 18, 2024
Christopher Buckley’s 2004 novel Florence of Arabia is a satire of the Middle East. I know, perhaps not the most likely subject for a satirical novel published in the immediate wake of 9/11 and the United States’ invasion of Iraq. But Buckley makes it work.
The titular character is Florence Farfaletti, a State Department official who wants to bring women’s rights to the Middle East. Easier said than done. Especially when countries like Wasabia, which has a dismal record on women’s rights, is a close ally of the United States, due to the fact that Wasabia is swimming in oil. Of course, Buckley is a satirist, so there’s no way a country like Wasabia could actually exist. Wink wink, nudge nudge.
Florence’s memo about her plan to bring women’s rights to the Middle East puts her on the radar of a mysterious government official who finances her covert operation. Florence and her team head to Matar, a more liberal emirate. Matar borders Wasabia, and thanks to Wiston Churchill, Matar has ocean access while Wasabia does not.
Florence of Arabia is a satire, but it still exists in the real world. Some awful things happen in the course of the novel, which feels true to what would actually happen if someone tried to bring women’s rights to the Middle East.
One of my favorite lines in the novel was from Bobby Thibodeaux, a CIA operative. Speaking of the Middle East, he says to Florence “Don’t you understand that since the dawn of time, startin’ with the Garden of Eden, nothing has ever gone right here?” (p.113)
Buckley also mocks the haplessness of United States foreign policy. As a crisis unfolds, he writes of the U.S. politicians: “There were those who urged caution, and those who urged that now was a time not for caution but for boldness. Then there were those who urged a middle course of cautious boldness.” (p.158)
In Florence of Arabia, Christopher Buckley gives us an interesting heroine who is easy to root for, more than a dash of action and intrigue, and enough ideas to power this excellent novel, which turns twenty years old in 2024 but still provides much food for thought.
The titular character is Florence Farfaletti, a State Department official who wants to bring women’s rights to the Middle East. Easier said than done. Especially when countries like Wasabia, which has a dismal record on women’s rights, is a close ally of the United States, due to the fact that Wasabia is swimming in oil. Of course, Buckley is a satirist, so there’s no way a country like Wasabia could actually exist. Wink wink, nudge nudge.
Florence’s memo about her plan to bring women’s rights to the Middle East puts her on the radar of a mysterious government official who finances her covert operation. Florence and her team head to Matar, a more liberal emirate. Matar borders Wasabia, and thanks to Wiston Churchill, Matar has ocean access while Wasabia does not.
Florence of Arabia is a satire, but it still exists in the real world. Some awful things happen in the course of the novel, which feels true to what would actually happen if someone tried to bring women’s rights to the Middle East.
One of my favorite lines in the novel was from Bobby Thibodeaux, a CIA operative. Speaking of the Middle East, he says to Florence “Don’t you understand that since the dawn of time, startin’ with the Garden of Eden, nothing has ever gone right here?” (p.113)
Buckley also mocks the haplessness of United States foreign policy. As a crisis unfolds, he writes of the U.S. politicians: “There were those who urged caution, and those who urged that now was a time not for caution but for boldness. Then there were those who urged a middle course of cautious boldness.” (p.158)
In Florence of Arabia, Christopher Buckley gives us an interesting heroine who is easy to root for, more than a dash of action and intrigue, and enough ideas to power this excellent novel, which turns twenty years old in 2024 but still provides much food for thought.
November 9, 2023
“Florence of Arabia” is a surprising read.
Just as you are settling into a spy romp in which Florence Farfarletti, a former U.S. Foreign Service member with a personal knowledge of what it is like to be a Muslim wife, is undermining Middle Eastern attitudes to women by setting up a subversive TV station, it becomes much darker.
She’s funded by a covert American agency, so hidden that even Florence hasn’t a clue who she is working for. But, on the bright side she’s got seemingly unlimited resources.
And, for a wonder, the TV channel proves both wildly popular and a financial goldmine.
But, when women buy into the message and start to challenge the status quo, it is not long before tragedy strikes – women are dying horribly, and it is all down to Florence’s actions.
It’s time to haul ass out of the mythical country of Matar, but Florence doesn’t - she’s a one-woman weapon and she’s determined to make a difference.
The author, Christopher Buckley, knows exactly what he is doing and the book spares no-one – the British, French and Americans all come in for equal scorn.
Each country has an agenda, but it has nothing to do with human rights. It’s all about past wrongs, present plans and future aspirations.
Personally, I have zero time for Muslims (something that also applies to every other religion), but many Muslim states are, to my Western mind, deeply depraved and, not to put too fine a point on it, evil.
The book is a bit heavy-handed some of the time but, overall, it worked.
I liked it.
3 Stars.
Just as you are settling into a spy romp in which Florence Farfarletti, a former U.S. Foreign Service member with a personal knowledge of what it is like to be a Muslim wife, is undermining Middle Eastern attitudes to women by setting up a subversive TV station, it becomes much darker.
She’s funded by a covert American agency, so hidden that even Florence hasn’t a clue who she is working for. But, on the bright side she’s got seemingly unlimited resources.
And, for a wonder, the TV channel proves both wildly popular and a financial goldmine.
But, when women buy into the message and start to challenge the status quo, it is not long before tragedy strikes – women are dying horribly, and it is all down to Florence’s actions.
It’s time to haul ass out of the mythical country of Matar, but Florence doesn’t - she’s a one-woman weapon and she’s determined to make a difference.
The author, Christopher Buckley, knows exactly what he is doing and the book spares no-one – the British, French and Americans all come in for equal scorn.
Each country has an agenda, but it has nothing to do with human rights. It’s all about past wrongs, present plans and future aspirations.
Personally, I have zero time for Muslims (something that also applies to every other religion), but many Muslim states are, to my Western mind, deeply depraved and, not to put too fine a point on it, evil.
The book is a bit heavy-handed some of the time but, overall, it worked.
I liked it.
3 Stars.
August 16, 2017
Delightful. A comedy that may be uncomfortably close to some tragic truths. Florence gets an assignment to help stabilize a mid-east region by promoting women's rights. I can't imagine how anyone would think that trying to shift mid-eastern mores towards western liberalism would create more stability! Nevertheless the book is a charming, occasionally brutal, thoroughly engaging read. It brought home to me just how complex the forces in mid-eastern oil countries can be. Florence puts together a very strange team - yet by the end I was rooting for every one of them.
At the end there is a tribute to the real person Florence was based on, though alas her story didn't end as well. It's worth reading once you finish the book: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/19/mag...
At the end there is a tribute to the real person Florence was based on, though alas her story didn't end as well. It's worth reading once you finish the book: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/19/mag...
July 17, 2024
With this book, I'm sure Buckley managed to PO the CIA, the French, the British, most of the Middle East, and Muslims everywhere. Florence quits her job with the US State Department to pursue a private agenda to liberate the women in a repressive (fictional) Arab nation. Working with the Emir's disgruntled wife, she starts up a television station geared to women that intentionally provokes outrage. The French are secretly assisting the ambitious younger brother of the Emir and the religious police to stage a coup because they want cheaper oil. Florence has to run for her life and nearly loses it. A lot of the book is comedic, but the horrible deaths of rebellious young women who get caught up in the movement is not so funny.
January 5, 2019
What a beautiful novel Florence of Arabia was. Here the masterful thriller meets top comedy to create a really magneficent political satire. I enjoyed every second while I listened to this novel. What a great movie it could be but as political correctness will be involved I don't think anyone willdare to make a movie based on this novel anywhere soon. Still, I even fantasized about the casting: Caitriona Balfe as Florence, Tom Hardy as Bob, Martin Freeman as George, Mark Gattis as Ric, Rachel Weisz as Laila, Andy Garcia as Gazzy, Rami Malik as Malik with Michael Caine as Uncle Sam and Alaine Delon as Delame-Noir.
Man what a fantastic work. I absolutely loved it.
Man what a fantastic work. I absolutely loved it.
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