Imagining the Middle East.

• Author: Priess, David

As long as acknowledgement of inherent stereotypical views of the Middle East continues to elude both Western scholars and policy makers, our perceptions of the area and its peoples will hinder improved relations between the West and the Orient. Edward Said's prominent works in this field (including Orientalism and Culture and Imperialism) not only analyze the issue in and of itself but also stress the need for continued examination of the historical foundations of our collective biases.

Imagining the Middle East, written by Thierry Hentsch of the Universite du Quebec (Montreal), serves this purpose through detailed investigation of Western imagination as reflected back to us by our view of the Orient. Fred A. Reed's English translation of the book received the Canada Council's 1992 Governor Generals' Award -- acclaim the patient reader will deem well-deserved. Hentsch indeed has contributed a thought-provoking and exhaustively researched work to the corpus of Orientalism-related studies. Despite the cumbersome language, which may be the result of the translation and which often deters the reader from the intricacies of Hentsch's reasoning, the book quite impressively chronicles the evolution of Western perceptions of the Middle East and its peoples, from ancient days to the 1991 defeat of Iraq.

Hentsch begins with a discussion of the "mythical frontier" between East and West. This well-written section handles many factions including the fictitious existence of a united, anti-Islamic European front anytime in the several hundred years following Muhammad's death. The lack of solidarity between Byzantine and Western Christians leads Hentsch to conclude on page 18 that, contrary to widespread belief (even in some academic circles), "the Arab expansion of the 7th century does not seem to have been the Christian West's main concern." The only fault with these early pages lies in their brevity; Hentsch's expert handling of the topic leaves one yearning for more.

On occasion throughout the rest of the book, the reader may unfortunately come away with the opposite feeling. Often delving too deeply into analysis of what seem to be rather obscure works, Hentsch makes it clear that his own interest in specific authors takes precedence over concern for his readers. However, his valuable interpretation of Western "imagination" proves...