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idrees2022's review against another edition
4.0
Like all of Edward Said's writings this book is endlessly repetitive, but if you can wade through the thickets of verbiage you'll find gems of extraordinary insight. The subject of the book is obvious from the title, but the book also offers a trenchant critique of nativist nationalism. Drawing on Fanon, Said argues that nationalism might serve as a mobilizing force during the war of liberation but unless it develops a social and political vision in its evolution toward liberation, it will ossify into mere nativism. Said's analysis of empire's cultural appendages, and the responses of the colonized are original, but unfortunately there is little that is original in his chapter on America. His commentary on Conrad, whom he oldly lumps with Kipling over and over, is equally problematic. For a superior analysis of Conrad's prophetic "Heart of Darkness", I'd recommend Sven Lindqvist's "Exterminate All the Brutes".
spacestationtrustfund's review against another edition
4.0
No one today is purely one thing. Labels like Indian, or woman, or Muslim, or American are not more than starting-points, which if followed into actual experience for only a moment are quickly left behind. Imperialism consolidated the mixture of cultures and identities on a global scale. But its worst and most paradoxical gift was to allow people to believe that they were only, mainly, exclusively, white, or Black, or Western, or Oriental. Yet just as human beings make their own history, they also make their cultures and ethnic identities. No one can deny the persisting continuities of long traditions, sustained habitations, national languages, and cultural geographies, but there seems no reason except fear and prejudice to keep insisting on their separation and distinctiveness, as if that was all human life was about. Survival in fact is about the connections between things; in Eliot’s phrase, reality cannot be deprived of the “other echoes [that] inhabit the garden.” It is more rewarding—and more difficult—to think concretely and sympathetically, contrapuntally, about others than only about “us.” But this also means not trying to rule others, not trying to classify them or put them in hierarchies, above all, not constantly reiterating how “our” culture or country is number one (or not number one, for that matter).
doruga's review against another edition
5.0
Solid follow-up to orientalism. The first two chapters are clearly academic in nature - looking at how famous pieces of literature were influenced by and influenced imperialism in their culture. Chapters 3 and 4 are pure fire. It truly feels like Professor Said read Fanon and was like "holy shit I better write on this!". High recommend, if dense and unnecessarily verbose.
breemeup's review
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
An essential text! Said, you've done it again you absolute mad lad
franzis_buecher's review against another edition
4.0
Read for uni.
This was a very interesting read which covers an incredible range of authors, novels, disciplines and regions in its quest to analyse how Western culture and the system of imperialism have influenced and are still influencing each other.
I must admit that I often found myself researching these authors and their works or specific events that Said mentioned since I did not know enough about them, so this made understanding his writing a bit more challenging for me personally. However, I found Said's writing style quite good to understand. As many other reviewers have pointed out, though, he does get a bit repetitive and I think his chapters could have been edited a bit more tightly to avoid this.
However, I disagree with one review I've seen that claimed the last chapter could be disregarded or wasn't related to the rest of the book - I would argue this chapter is one of the most important as Said focuses on US-American imperialism and analyses the Gulf War from 90-91. While infuriating to read, his analysis was very interesting and even though it was published in 1993, it unfortunately still holds true for the last few years of American interventions in the world.
All in all, Said makes interesting connections and if I ever have the time I will definitely finally read "Orientalism" as well.
This was a very interesting read which covers an incredible range of authors, novels, disciplines and regions in its quest to analyse how Western culture and the system of imperialism have influenced and are still influencing each other.
I must admit that I often found myself researching these authors and their works or specific events that Said mentioned since I did not know enough about them, so this made understanding his writing a bit more challenging for me personally. However, I found Said's writing style quite good to understand. As many other reviewers have pointed out, though, he does get a bit repetitive and I think his chapters could have been edited a bit more tightly to avoid this.
However, I disagree with one review I've seen that claimed the last chapter could be disregarded or wasn't related to the rest of the book - I would argue this chapter is one of the most important as Said focuses on US-American imperialism and analyses the Gulf War from 90-91. While infuriating to read, his analysis was very interesting and even though it was published in 1993, it unfortunately still holds true for the last few years of American interventions in the world.
All in all, Said makes interesting connections and if I ever have the time I will definitely finally read "Orientalism" as well.
montagves's review against another edition
5.0
Edward Said es todo lo que está bien en este mundo (y en la crítica literaria, tbh).