This review essay collates and synthesises scholarly work to date on E. M. Hull’s The Sheik, its film adaptation, and their legacy for popular romance fiction. Starting with contemporary contexts, the popular and critical reception of The Sheik is introduced, along with its literary antecedents and film adaptation. The essay then outlines scholarly work in three key areas: gender, race and the postcolonial, and the text’s relationship to modernism. Each section highlights key arguments and critical voices. The final section of the essay considers the modern sheikh romance and its development from Hull’s novel. The review essay aims to provide a clear, accessible introduction to scholarly work on The Sheik for students and researchers.
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