Edward W. Said (1935–2003)

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read and review this!

As another reviewer on here said it; there is a reason Said is not known for his poetry. This was never really meant to be published (some really truly feel unfinished) and that it is collected will be off an interest to people studying him and his work; he is not a poet and there is no reason to make him one (his merits are known).

That being said, I do think there are beautiful moments within these poems, the first part of Desert Flowers for instance, "I fled with my hearts roof torn open, blown apart" from Wistful Music, and of course

"heard no, but hurt most certainly"… (mehr)

The book will change the way you read the old classics - if you are Asian or have been colonized. When I read, for instance, "Heart of Darkness," I did not think of it as a book with imperialist overtones. However, authors are products of their times. Edward Said has done many of us a favour by writing this excellent book, which provides us with a different view of the old books.
He has included the recent imperialistic attitude of the American which, for instance, resulted in the Iraq War.
The book is excellent. Read it with care. Read it after you finish "Orientalism." Both books demand patience.… (mehr)

This book by Edward Said will open your eyes. I am unfamiliar with many of the authors he quotes. Yet, I could follow the argument. Most of us grew up accustomed to treating Western texts as gospel. These texts influenced generations of people from the Middle East to the Far East.
Reading this book, I realized the need to rethink my concepts and understanding of Western texts. It is difficult for a Westerner to write about 'The Orient.' It is difficult for us to write about 'The Occident.' We bring our prejudices to the table, something I did not fully realize until halfway through the book.
Read the book slowly: it demands patienc… (mehr)