Orientalism Versus Occidentalism

Representing the Other or Imagology is both a difficult and fascinating terrain of study which has gained much in-depth and rootage since the publication of Edward Said’s seminal work Orientalism (1978). Nanquette’s present study stands out for its objectivity, its breadth of coverage of the relevant material and its critical rigour. That it is a balanced and wide-ranging study is borne out by the following diverse genres of writings analysed by her: Orientalists’ historical novels, Travel writings on Iran, Persian novels in French, the Persian literature of exile, New Orientalist narratives, Autobiographies, and Occidentalist narratives. It is interesting to note that the new Orientalist narratives in French condemning the Islamic Republic of Iran have their mirror image of Francebashing in the Occidentalist narratives in Persian. This point and counter-point appears at its sharpest in Chapter 1, “How can anybody be Persian? French texts on Iran” (pp. 25-55), and Chapter 3, “The Little Satan: Iranian Texts on France” (pp. 95-117). Refreshingly enough, Nanquette identifies and examines at length some of the hybrid French and Persian texts in Chapter 5 (pp. 141-163) which tend to offset the mutual hostility. The author’s sobering comments add much to the value of this study. Take this as illustrative: