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lukescalone's review
4.0
I agree with some of the reviewers below that, in some respects, this book is irresponsible. Some of the photographs are borderline (if not outright) pornographic, and Alloula makes no attempt to censor the faces of the girls involved, making it a direct attack on privacy. On the other hand, it is a powerful criticism of the colonial, male gaze towards Algerian women. Do the benefits of this intellectual argument outweigh the negatives of such a violation of privacy? I'm inclined to say no, but had Alloula taken the time to make these changes, this would have been a five-star book.
crm02121's review
4.0
Very well-written book with devastating impact, especially the last few chapters. The Western eye will not feel too much about these images without their proper context, but what is witnessed is pure sexual violence in the colonial arena.
As Alloula says (in footnotes),
"Exoticism is always established by the gaze of the other."
"Colonialism is exoticism plus violence… the perfect expression of the violence of the gaze."
In reading this book, you become complicit in this violence, this indescribable psychosexual assault on the Algerian woman. Very difficult to finish, but damning in its consequences.
As Alloula says (in footnotes),
"Exoticism is always established by the gaze of the other."
"Colonialism is exoticism plus violence… the perfect expression of the violence of the gaze."
In reading this book, you become complicit in this violence, this indescribable psychosexual assault on the Algerian woman. Very difficult to finish, but damning in its consequences.
woodlandbooklover's review
5.0
Makes me want to investigate images of women used to represent various cultures... who makes the image and for whom etc. Very interesting discussion of colonialism, xenophobia, sexism, and the commodification of culture via postcards.
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