Page "Olivia Manning" Paragraph 68

Manning has been classified as an Orientalist writer, whose depictions of cultures frequently emphasise exoticism and alien landscape.

This feature has been most closely examined in her novels set in Romania.

In these, scholars note Manning's positioning of Romania as an exotic " Other ", a legacy of the Ottoman Empire located at the limits of civilised Europe and on the frontier with the uncivilised Orient.

Her negative perceptions of Romanian " Otherness " include a childlike population living decadent lives, passive and immoral women, corruption, and a wild, untamed environment.

These are contrasted with more positive reactions to Greece and Western Europe as the centre of civilising and orderly life in other books.

In keeping with colonial construction of exoticism in Western literature, however, " otherness " is increasingly domesticated as characters recognise, with greater exposure to the country, links to Western culture.

Her depiction of Romania led to Fortunes of War being restricted as seditious writing under Romania's Communist government.