Review by Choice Review
Matar (English, Minnesota) takes existing narratives of the so-called East/West encounter in a fascinating, unexpected, rewarding direction. In many ways, he explodes these narratives. By focusing on the years 1587-1727 rather than on the medieval or modern periods, and on the western rather than the eastern Muslim world, Matar tells a story not of binaries, essentialized others, or stereotypes, but of complicated relationships among people who derived their knowledge as much from personal experience as from politics. The result is a book that by no means shrinks from describing fear, anger, or hatred, but that balances such descriptions with equally vivid accounts of curiosity and friendship. What is perhaps most valuable about Matar's analysis, however, is its accessibility. It would be an ideal text for upper-level undergraduate courses, not only because of the careful way in which the author destabilizes conventional wisdom, but also because the book is an excellent example of the creative use of source material. The collection of translated letters and first-person accounts that forms the second part of the book would also be invaluable to student researchers. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above. R. A. Miller University of Massachusetts Boston
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
