No other book of Edward Saïd’s has enjoyed the attention of

. Since its publication in 1978, it has been translated into over twenty-four languages. It has been the subject of numerous conferences and the occasion of impassioned debates. Perhaps more than any work of late 20th century cultural criticism, it has transformed the study of literature and culture. Yet for all of its success,

initially had difficulty finding a major publisher. Some publishing houses did not consider the book ground-breaking; still others were unwilling to back a book whose politics were at odds with the mainstream’s view of Palestinians, Arabs, and Israel. Of the few publishers that expressed an early interest in it, the University of California Press offered Saïd a paltry $200…

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Citation: Rubin, Andrew N.. "Orientalism". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 21 April 2005 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=14559, accessed 26 November 2024.]