Edward W. Said

Orientalism

More than three decades after its first publication, Edward Said's groundbreaking critique of the West's historical, cultural, and political perceptions of the East has become a modern classic. In this wide-ranging, intellectually vigorous study, Said traces the origins of "orientalism" to the centuries-long period during which Europe dominated the Middle and Near East and, from its position of power, defined "the orient" simply as "other than" the occident. This entrenched view continues to dominate western ideas and, because it does not allow the East to represent itself, prevents true understanding. Essential, and still eye-opening, Orientalism remains one of the most important books written about our divided world. From the Trade Paperback edition.

Lucy Newlinds

 Whatever is done by the "human," according to Vatikiotis, is rational, right, subtle, discrete, concrete; whatever the revolutionary proclaims is brutal, irrational, mesmeric, cancerous. Procreation, change, and continuity are identified not only with sexuality and with madness but, a little paradoxically, with abstraction. 

There are good Arabs (those ones who do as they are told) and bad Arabs (who do not, and are therefore terrorists).

Tomás Marulanda-Mesa

Think of the line that starts with Napoleon, continues with the rise of Oriental studies and the takeover of North Africa, and goes on in similar undertakings in Vietnam, in Egypt, in Palestine and, during the entire twentieth century, in the struggle over oil and strategic control in the Gulf, in Iraq, Syria, Palestine and Afghanistan. Then think contrapuntally of the rise of anti-colonial nationalism, through the short period of liberal independence, the era of military coups, of insurgency, civil war, religious fanaticism, irrational struggle and uncompromising brutality against the latest bunch of "natives."

Namera Nous

Winona 

The way I can quote this fucking book - Edward you're my bestie!!! Holding my dissertation together!!!

Orientalism (Penguin Modern Classics)

Arianna M

Incredibly nuanced, beautifully written, most other academics wish they were on this level,

Hatem Abdelmowgoud 

"Orientalism failed to identify with human experience, failed also to see it as human experience."

This is one of the most interesting books I've read recently. An absolutely eye opening book for me especially that now I live in the bliss and heart of France :D

I like how Said started explaining the "orientalism framework" by showcasing specific speeches of Belford and Cromer and demonstrating that although the two had different experiences their discourse towards the Orient was the same: "us" vs "them".

It's absolutely hilarious how some of the early orientalist literature was based on "imaginative geographies". It was just some fiction that meant to make the East look "exotic". Needless to mention how fucked up this is. 🤯

I got excited when he mentioned La description de l'Égypte series موسوعة وصف مصر because I used to have this whole series while growing up for some reason. I remember reading random parts of it from it to learn about Egypt when I was 10-14. Although I don't remember any specific information I read, I'm wondering how I would feel if I started reading it now again...and how many biases towards Egypt and fascinations with the west I may have subconsciously acquired by reading it during my childhood.

One of the most revealing parts of this book was the explanation of how the orientalist argument shifted from a religious to a secular one throughout the 18th century while still dehumanizing the "oriental" with no deep or accurate study whatsoever of the vastly different communities and cultures within the East. Said explains how this shift was purely political to keep justifying the image of the East as a place which "requires Western intervention".

The final part of the book shifting to the US as the new colonial force was interesting as well but was very short and didn't give me much insight; that's mainly because the book was written in 1978 I guess.

elif sinem

This is such a dense, complex book that details so much - to think that this only scratches the surface of the century-long scholarly and artistic tradition to explore what is nothing but a mirage, so to speak, is insane to think about. The arguments may seem like they repeat themselves but I think this is what makes the ending section detailing the present (fifty years ago, but so much of it is applicable to this day still) so potent. It's incredibly academic and if you do approach this book I definitely suggest you don't do it late at night like I did lmao, it definitely demands your full mental attention.

Maria-Stefania Popa

“We entertain a mythology of creation, in which it is believed that artistic genius, an original talent, or a powerful intellect can leap beyond the confines of its own time and place in order to put before the world a new work. It would be pointless to deny that such ideas as these carry some truth. Nevertheless the possibilities for work present in the culture to a great and original mind are never unlimited, just as it is also true that a great talent has a very healthy respect for what others have done before it and for what the field already contains. The work of predecessors, the institutional life of a scholarly field, the collective nature of any learned enterprise: these, to say nothing, of economic and social circumstances, tend to diminish the effects of the individual scholar’s production.”

Karim Nas

A book that dared to challenge two centuries of established "science". What an undertaking.

Orientalism

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