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Title: Imagining the Balkans by Mariia Nikolaeva Todorova, Maria N. Todorova ISBN: 0-19-508751-8 Publisher: Oxford University Press Pub. Date: April, 1997 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $21.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.67 (6 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Short, rather advanced, thought-provoking
Comment: This short study examines perceptions of the Balkans-both within the region and by outsiders-and how the region's image has changed over time. She analyzes the effects that those perceptions have had in shaping the underlying reality. This is rather an advanced work and will sometimes prove difficult reading for the nonspecialist. The author points to a certain hypocrisy in how Western Europe-just five decades after its own ethnic cleansing-views ethnic homogenization processes in the Balkans. At the same time, Todorova would not allow Balkan political leaders and intellectuals to shift blame and responsibility for their own actions to history, to foreign intervention or to five centuries of Ottoman occupation.
Rating: 4
Summary: Much-needed examination of Balkanism
Comment: "Imagining the Balkans" is an examination and critical analysis of perceptions of the Balkans, both by outsiders and Balkan residents. In this, Todorova emphasizes the concept of Balkanism, similar to Edward Said's Orientalism, but with some crucial differences - the main ones being that the Balkans are a more concrete concept than the rather vague "Orient," and the lack of a clear 'us vs. them' dichotomy between the Balkans and the 'West' (Balkan peoples are white, and largely Christian). The first chapter provides an extremely useful and informative exploration of the origins of the very word Balkan and the geographic area it was/is meant to designate over the years. The following chapters provide a historical survey and critical analysis of how the Balkans were defined and perceived, mainly by outsiders, but also by the peoples of the Balkans. There is also a much-needed critique of the concept of Central Europe which first emerged during the early 1980s. Perhaps the only shortcoming involves Todorova's frequent emphasis on her native Bulgaria and her apparent lack of expertise in relation to Yugoslavia; thus, discussion of the entire Balkans vs. Europe debate in places like Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Slovenia is completely ignored. Even more surprising is the complete lack of critical treatment of Rebecca West's "Black Lamb and Grey Falcon," perhaps one of the central texts of 20th century 'Balkanism.' Nevertheless, "Imagining the Balkans" is a valuable, thought-provoking and fascinating book - one of the most important, although implicit points Todorova seems to make is that it is generally pointless, illogical and often ludicrous to imbue geographic/regional locations with a number of value-ridden stereotypes and cultural, 'civilizational' designations, even as people constantly need to create such categories.
Rating: 5
Summary: Unlearning the Balkans
Comment: As a longtime student of Ms Todorova's (I was under her tutelage for about four years and still correspond with her today), I found this book to be an excellent synopsis of her personal and professional opinions and anecdotes concerning the Balkans. It was like taking my class notes and one-on-one discussions, sifting out the dates, places and events and putting a binding on them. All of her cultural theory regarding this singular region of the world is evident in the pages of Imagining the Balkans. I would suggest a thorough knowledge of Edward Said's Orientalism and at least a cursory reading of Foucault's works before jumping into this work. Maria shows little mercy for the uninitiated and this tendency become all too evident in her most recent work. For students of Balkan history, ethnocentrism, culture clashes and human nature, this work is both compelling and fascinating. This book should not be your introduction to the politics of the Balkans because it teaches us more about how those of us in the West (especially historians, political scientists and travelers) view ourselves using the mirror of the "Other."
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Title: Inventing Eastern Europe: The Map of Civilization on the Mind of the Enlightenment by Larry Wolff ISBN: 0804727023 Publisher: Stanford Univ Pr Pub. Date: January, 1996 List Price(USD): $27.95 |
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Title: Balkan as Metaphor: Between Globalization and Fragmentation by Du?an I. Bjelic, Obrad Savic ISBN: 0262025248 Publisher: MIT Press Pub. Date: 07 September, 2002 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
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Title: The Balkans : A Short History by MARK MAZOWER ISBN: 081296621X Publisher: Modern Library Pub. Date: 06 August, 2002 List Price(USD): $11.95 |
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Title: The Establishment of the Balkan National States, 1804-1920 (History of East Central Europe, Vol 8) by Charles Jelavich, Barbara Jelavich ISBN: 0295964138 Publisher: University of Washington Press Pub. Date: October, 1987 List Price(USD): $27.50 |
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Title: History of the Balkans: Volume 1 by Barbara Jelavich ISBN: 0521274583 Publisher: Cambridge University Press Pub. Date: 29 July, 1983 List Price(USD): $45.00 |
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