Book Review: A powerful fictional take on Edward Said’s ‘Orientalism’

Hédi Kaddour’s book conveys the dangers of xenophobia, close-mindedness and isolation.
Updated 25 November 2017
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Book Review: A powerful fictional take on Edward Said’s ‘Orientalism’

The English-language translation of “The Influence Peddlers” by poet and novelist Hédi Kaddour has been eagerly anticipated since 2015 when he first published the book in French under the title “Les Prépondérants.” Translated into English by Teresa Lavender Fagan, Kaddour’s book received multiple awards for its clever plot that plays out in a small Maghrebi city that had been occupied by French colonial forces. It is a stunning book set in 1920s North Africa where natives, French colonialists, young reformers and Hollywood filmmakers descend, meet and ultimately impact each other’s lives.
Kaddour’s work is nothing short of genius. He navigates through the Maghreb, moving past the picturesque landscapes and diverse populations, highlighting colonial prejudice and mindsets, the bold ideas of young reformers and the ideas of educated youths who perceive colonization as oppression as well as the blasé attitude of those who find colonialism backwards, but do not regard it as slavery.
The book opens with 23-year-old Rania, the daughter of Si Mabrouk Belmejdoub, an important figure and former minister of the sovereign. Widowed at 19 after her husband dies in a shell attack in Champagne, her father pressures her to remarry. However, Rania finds that marriage will not fix her heartbreak, she needs something more, something she has been craving — control of her own life.
She is a woman who “read more books in Arabic than in French” and not only that, she is taller than most average men, something her father sees as a “handicap.” Sent to her uncle’s farm on the outskirts of Nahbés, a city in the south, Rania helps around the fields when her aunt takes ill. It is there that she begins to find herself among the farm, the fig trees and fields. She begins to read all of her uncle’s books, which makes him unhappy. “His niece wanted to know more than men, which wasn’t good for her or the family.”
The first sign of prejudice that Kaddour tackles in the book is that of gender, which he captures brilliantly and continues to reference throughout the book. For Rania, in the Maghreb, a woman who desires education and seeks to explore the world she lives in, is a danger to not only men, but to society. Such a woman is even perceived as a danger to French society, as educated natives are more dangerous than uneducated ones. If she is not content with living in the small box that she has been put into, she is a menace to herself and others. She reads newspapers and speaks of reform and people’s rights and her uncle is furious. For a woman to have thoughts such as these in a city occupied by colonizers is troublesome because, as her uncle knows, those kinds of ideas amount to nothing when an occupier stands over you.
The French, the colonials in particular, are “much more civilized than all these natives” and are the decision-makers in Nahbés. They have kept a fine balance in the city, “a dual city resting on a plateau on the shores of the sea and cut in two by a deep valley perpendicular to the shore; a city that for centuries occupied only the right side of the valley, the left side having been exclusively (occupied) by the French colonists,” who allow themselves to live freely and keep the natives under tight wraps by Senegalese soldiers who keep order by standing on the bridge that connects the cities. On the native side are walls, mosques and souks and on the European side, a post office, train station and Jules-Ferry Avenue.
The French are content with their way of life until the Americans arrive to film “Warrior of the Sands.” They are noisy and indiscreet, men and women sit together and women show too much skin and drive cars — it is enough to rattle the natives and the French. They look like the French, but are not like the French and may even be against colonialism.
What ensues after their arrival is a mix of ideas, cultures, prejudices, social upheaval and much more. There is a culture clash as the Americans invite the natives and the French to their parties and disrupt the existing social order. There you meet brilliant characters such as young Raouf, the caïd’s son and an activist, the American actress Kathryn Bishop and her director husband Neil Diantree, the French colonizer Ganthier and French journalist Gabrielle Conti.
Kaddour’s characters are brilliant in their perfection and simultaneous flaws. The situations they find themselves in, and the wit that ensues during these controversial events, is unadulterated. Kaddour’s book touches upon the many contradictions in society in the form of gender prejudice, racial discrimination, ageism and social prejudice.
Kaddour’s work is a take on Edward Said’s seminal book “Orientalism” in fiction form. The prevailing attitude is that of the oppressor who views natives as exquisite or rare because the idea that a native could be like a European is too unfathomable to believe.
The story is told through a beautiful mix of poetry, verse and literature from England, North Africa, Persia, the Middle East and France. Kaddour explores the complicated relationships that are to be had under colonization, the misinterpretations of cultures and the clarity that comes when you live without prejudice. His every character is allowed to observe and judge for themselves.
The power in the first few pages of Kaddour’s book is profound and continues to grow as the book moves forward and as readers encounter loved and much-hated characters. Politics drive the characters, their lives intertwined with their oppressors and their futures blocked by them.
Kaddour conveys the dangers of xenophobia and orientalism, of close-mindedness, isolation and the mindset of exclusivity. When the aim is to oppress, the outcome is never good. It is relevant because, even today, we can see that the consequences of colonialism are never-ending, nor is the entitlement of being from a particular race, culture, religion or family.
Kaddour’s book lays out the contradictions and misfortunes of powers that find strength in oppression. In the end, it amounts to heartbreak and delusion — the idea that the oppressed will turn around and love their oppressors and obey without question. Kaddour makes it clear in his book, as he writes, “you needed life in the illusion. Others were wrong in wanting to produce the illusion of life.”


What We Are Reading Today: The Aesthetic Cold War by Peter J. Kalliney

Updated 17 May 2025
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What We Are Reading Today: The Aesthetic Cold War by Peter J. Kalliney

How did superpower competition and the cold war affect writers in the decolonizing world? In “The Aesthetic Cold War,” Peter Kalliney explores the various ways that rival states used cultural diplomacy and the political police to influence writers.

In response, many writers from Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean — such as Chinua Achebe, Mulk Raj Anand, Eileen Chang, C.L.R. James, Alex La Guma, Doris Lessing, Ngugi wa Thiong’o, and Wole Soyinka — carved out a vibrant conceptual space of aesthetic nonalignment, imagining a different and freer future for their work.


What We Are Reading Today: American Mirror by Roberto Saba

Updated 17 May 2025
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What We Are Reading Today: Ocean

Updated 15 May 2025
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What We Are Reading Today: Ocean

Authors: David Attenborough, Colin Butfield

Drawing a course across David Attenborough’s own lifetime, Ocean takes readers through eight unique ocean habitats, through countless intriguing species, and through the most astounding discoveries of the last 100 years, to a future vision of a fully restored marine world, even richer and more spectacular than we could possibly hope.
Ocean reveals the past, present and potential future of our blue planet.


What We Are Reading Today: ‘How to Change a Memory’ by Steve Ramirez

Updated 14 May 2025
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What We Are Reading Today: ‘How to Change a Memory’ by Steve Ramirez

As a graduate student at MIT, Steve Ramirez successfully created false memories in the lab. Now, as a neuroscientist working at the frontiers of brain science, he foresees a future where we can replace our negative memories with positive ones.

“In How to Change a Memory,” Ramirez draws on his own memories—of friendship, family, loss, and recovery—to reveal how memory can be turned on and off like a switch, edited, and even constructed from nothing.

A future in which we can change our memories of the past may seem improbable, but in fact, the everyday act of remembering is one of transformation.


Book Review: ‘The Brain’ by Alison George

Updated 13 May 2025
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Book Review: ‘The Brain’ by Alison George

Imagine having a manual for the brain, the remarkable, mysterious machine that powers thoughts, dreams, and creativity, and stands as the force behind human civilization, setting our species apart from all others on Earth.

“The Brain: Everything You Need to Know” by Alison George, published by New Scientist, breaks down consciousness, memory, intelligence, and even why we dream, in a way that is light and easy to follow. It avoids scientific jargon, making it a good choice for readers who are curious about the brain but don’t want to get lost in technical details. 

Along the way, the book asks a fundamental question: How can we understand, and even improve, the way our minds function? 

The book argues that the brain is far more complex than we tend to assume. Many of its processes happen outside of conscious awareness, and even the ways we make decisions, form memories, or dream are shaped by forces we barely notice.

Understanding the brain, the book suggests, requires accepting that much of what drives us happens invisibly. 

One chapter that stands out takes a closer look at the unconscious mind, described as the brain’s “unsung hero.” It’s where habits live and decisions form long before they reach awareness. Everyday actions like walking, typing, or even choosing what to eat are often driven by this autopilot system. The book explores how deeply the unconscious shapes behavior, challenging the idea that we are always fully in control of our actions. 

Some of the chapters are short and punchy, which keeps the pace moving, but this also means the book doesn’t spend enough time exploring some of the topics. It can feel more like an introduction to neuroscience than a true exploration of it. For readers seeking a light, engaging overview of the mind’s mysteries, this approach may work well. Those hoping for deeper engagement, however, might be left wanting more.