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gbaty's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
danib11's review against another edition
4.0
The opening caught me immediately and I sped through the book. As I reflect I enjoyed reading the book but throughout felt like the character of Gin wasn't fully developed. I kept waiting to learn more about her, understand her thinking, where she was headed. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters of Yash and Abdullah and the insight they brought from their cultures into Gin's life. Overall, a quick, fun read.
tegmo's review against another edition
4.0
The story here is just fascinating. I loved the idea of Ginnie finding herself as a woman in a life which was perpetually controlled (intentionally or not) by the men around her.
wishbone21's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
slow-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
3.75
thea_no_evil's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
katielutz's review
2.0
This book is very well written but I couldn't connect with the story or characters. The first few chapters are interesting, then there is a long lull until a little bit of action at the end.
readhikerepeat's review
3.0
From The Book Wheel:
In the Kingdom of Men was both fantastic and disappointing all at the same time. It was fantastic because the story was great, the characters (mostly) real, and the premise wonderful. It was disappointing because the advertised portion of the book was such a minute detail that I felt a little bit shafted.
I have no doubt that Kim Barnes is a talented writer and I was very much caught up in this story about a poor girl who is dragged from the drudgery of her everyday life and into the arms of a star athlete at the local high school. Together, Gin and Mason flee their hometown in Oklahoma in search of bigger and greater things until they arrive in Saudi Arabia, where Mason gains employment with an oil company. Unfortunately, the job requires more time away than at home, and their marriage naturally suffers.
Set in the late 1960′s, Gin battles what many housewives at the time fought against: boredom. Only for Gin, the boredom was worse because she was confined to a compound in a country that required women to take the veil and remain indoors. Rebelling against the rules and finally coming into her own, Gin ignores general decorum and befriends the house boy, leaves the compound, and even wears a bathing suit! Meanwhile, Mason defies the norm by advocating for workers rights and trying to uncover the mystery behind his predecessor’s abrupt departure.
For the full review, click here.
In the Kingdom of Men was both fantastic and disappointing all at the same time. It was fantastic because the story was great, the characters (mostly) real, and the premise wonderful. It was disappointing because the advertised portion of the book was such a minute detail that I felt a little bit shafted.
I have no doubt that Kim Barnes is a talented writer and I was very much caught up in this story about a poor girl who is dragged from the drudgery of her everyday life and into the arms of a star athlete at the local high school. Together, Gin and Mason flee their hometown in Oklahoma in search of bigger and greater things until they arrive in Saudi Arabia, where Mason gains employment with an oil company. Unfortunately, the job requires more time away than at home, and their marriage naturally suffers.
Set in the late 1960′s, Gin battles what many housewives at the time fought against: boredom. Only for Gin, the boredom was worse because she was confined to a compound in a country that required women to take the veil and remain indoors. Rebelling against the rules and finally coming into her own, Gin ignores general decorum and befriends the house boy, leaves the compound, and even wears a bathing suit! Meanwhile, Mason defies the norm by advocating for workers rights and trying to uncover the mystery behind his predecessor’s abrupt departure.
For the full review, click here.
monicamjw's review
3.0
Glimpse into the lives of Americans living and working in Saudi Arabia in the 1960's, including culture clashes and male/female dynamics.
ana3333's review against another edition
3.0
It was enjoyable to read, but it feels incredibly unfinished. Not because it doesn't end with a grand romance starting or the mystery being solved or the bad guys getting in trouble. Instead, it feel unfinished because there is almost no character growth. Gin starts out as a shy, timid, sheltered girl, and she ends up a shy, timid, sheltered girl who now lives in Rome and takes pictures. It started out extremely promising, but ended rather poorly.
alcyon_alcyon's review against another edition
4.0
SPOILERS- I really liked this book because there were a few unpredictable elements to the plot: the protagonist did not have an affair although it seemed inevitable, she did not end up with a man at the end, and she did not know exactly what had happened to everyone. I also liked the fact that it was well enough written that the predictable and romanticized plot elements were still very enjoyable. It is not The English Patient, but it is a good escapist read about at time and place that I knew nothing about. My mother and sisters lived on enough compounds when my stepfather was in the foreign service that it was not hard for me to visualize that life, good and bad. This will make a fantastic movie, I think, with the right actresses.