An intimate account of Saïd's thought

In this personal portrait of Edward Said written by a close friend, Dominique Eddé offers a fascinating and fresh presentation of his oeuvre from his earliest writings on Joseph Conrad to his most famous texts, Orientalism and Culture and Imperialism. Eddé weaves together accounts of the genesis and content of Said's work, his intellectual development, and her own reflections and personal recollections of their friendship, which began in 1979 and lasted until Said's death in 2003. Throughout, she traces the connection between personal history and theoretical options, illuminating the evolution of Said's thought. Both specialists of Said's work and newcomers will find much to learn in this rich portrait of one of the twentieth century's most important intellectuals.

"Praise for Kamal Jann:

A beautiful book, beautifully written with a pen dipped in line accuracy, the accuracy of the look, the talent of the sketch, without sacrificing the complexity of thought that underlies. This powerful fresco exposes the relationship between power and family, corruption and repression, sheds new light on what was believed to [be known of] Syria and the Middle East." - Huffington Post

"Praise for Kamal Jann:


This novel is masterfully impressive." - Marie-Claire

"Praise for Kamal Jann:


Beautifully written." - Times Literary Supplement

"Praise for The Crime of Jean Genet:


Eddé's book is an intelligent but not reverential account of the way in which Jean Genet fascinated and intimidated her." - Times Literary Supplement