This book is tragic. Partly because it deals so much with the question of Palestine, the Nakba, and Said’s feelings about his people’s dispossession. Partly because it is a retrospective of all his work after his death, which robbed the world of a uniquely subversive voice. I mostly skipped the essays that only discussed music and literature, and dug into the ones about politics and Said’s own life. ( )

The Selected Works of Edward Said, 1966-2006 is an expanded and updated version of The Edward Said Reader.

If you are either unfamiliar with Said or only know him from either his literary or his political writings then this is an excellent introduction to his writings. The introductory essay gives a wonderful overview of his life and career. All of his major works are represented as well as most of his important essays.

My introduction to his work was Orientalism shortly after its publication and I found his writing to be both clear and incisive. His subsequent writing was always very accessible and, whether you agree or disagree with his stance, he expressed his ideas very well.

If you want some Said in your library but don't want to buy a bunch of books this is a superb option. If you have read a lot of his work but want a single volume from which you can jump to his other works, this serves as a wonderful first or second step in your research.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley. ( )