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A review by nathan_niehaus
Culture and Imperialism by Edward W. Said
Didn’t particularly enjoy it. I dislike Said’s writing style in which he so frequently employs two or three semantically adjacent words instead of settling on one. Admittedly, the complexity of the writing (especially in the more abstract sections) outstripped my understanding and probably diminished my appreciation of the book.
Another reason for my dissatisfaction with the book is that I wanted it to be something it isn’t. I wanted an extended argument, a central key providing the organizing principle of the book, through which to interpret the work as a whole. Actually, this is a collection of essays written in an exploratory style (although the book’s thematic organization gives one the impression that it will be more argumentative than it really is).
On a more positive note, I found Said’s theorization, proposal, and exemplification of a contrapuntal method of analysis interesting.
Another reason for my dissatisfaction with the book is that I wanted it to be something it isn’t. I wanted an extended argument, a central key providing the organizing principle of the book, through which to interpret the work as a whole. Actually, this is a collection of essays written in an exploratory style (although the book’s thematic organization gives one the impression that it will be more argumentative than it really is).
On a more positive note, I found Said’s theorization, proposal, and exemplification of a contrapuntal method of analysis interesting.