'Before and after book' is a phrase I believe has entered the common lexis - the idea of a book that changes the reader's perspective to the extent that their thinking may be demarcated into 'before' and 'after reading'.

This may well be a suitable descriptor of Orientalism for me. For the unaware, Orientalism is often considered an initiator of post-colonial criticism, with a focus on what (in Western circles) is termed the 'near', rather than 'far' East.

I was warned by informed sources that this text was rather dry and technical - which was a little daunting for me. I'm not always one for non-fiction. This warning appears valid (in my opinion), as Said (wonderfully) references Gramsci, Althusser, and the likes of Spengler before even the end of the introduction. I do not think I would have finished this book had I attempted it a year ago.

However, I am very glad that I have read it! It's a genuinely incredible piece of scholarship that spans centuries. Said refuses to take any shit from the scholars he discusses - he is particularly merciless at pointing out the psychosexual aspects of so many Western commentaries on the 'Orient'. I found this delightful.