A Small Place

Rating:
Summary: A powerful story
Review: Small Place is a very simple-written book. With a fascinating setting in Antigua is the story of the extraordinary conditions of the life of the people of Antigua. Jamaica Kincaid's writing portrays not only her bitterness with the legacies of slavery but also her disappointment with the new Antigua, especially the loss of social values and the corruption plaguing the political life and those higher up in society. And she brought it out so succinctly and poignantly that this book clearly articulates the crisis plaguing developing nations, especially Africa that though independent, still have not yet shaken off the negative legacies of colonialism. This is a highly recommendable read.

Also recommended: THE USURPER AND OTHERS, DISCIPLES OF FORTUNE

Rating:
Summary: A Small Place
Review: The book is very simple to read and equally perceptive of the conditions that afflict the people of Antigua. She comes across as very bitter about the impact that colonialism and slavery has had on the natives and the social corruption that prevails in the upper Echelon in Antigua. Her ideas are very well presented through out the book and especially in the last chapter where she emphasizes her intense dislike of the tourist's narrow perspective of the island and how unreal that outlook is.

Rating:
Summary: Be Part of the Solution
Review: This book is full of hate and racism on Kincaid's part. Would she have no tourists? What brings in the money? She should be a part of the solution not continue the problem.

Rating:
Summary: The selling out of the West Indies
Review: Unfortunately, I had to buy A Small Place for my University of Michigan class on Latin America. I'm horrified that students and people will believe the West Indies is such a bad place from this book. Horrified. Believe me, I was born and lived in Barbados, an island close and similar in attitude to Antigua. Many everyday activities in Barbados that occur in Antigua are turned into Dateline "controversy of the week" issues. People, it's not that serious! What's worse, she doesn't even touch the real issues of the Caribbean. Not to mention, Jamaica Kincaid wrote the account as a longtime resident of the US. She doesn't even sound like a West Indian; she sounds like a pampered, naive North American who believes every nation that doesn't have a McDonald's on every block is third world, to exaggerate. White superiority is the myth this book perpetuates, and the West Indies is once again made out as a "Banana Republic." What's worse, half of the book's claims aren't even true, nor do natives consider them major issues. A warning to North Americans and Westerners alike; take this book with a grain of salt, most of this account is cornball, "what people want to hear" bull. Unfortunately, most people will believe this "tragedy." Please don't. I'm never believing anything Western media says about the rest of the world again.

Rating:
Summary: thought provoking
Review: When we all visit from our safe, comfortable, clean northern usa cities, we should take a closer look at the caribbean to see what the government has done with tourism dollars. It is not being spent on their people or their needs. As we enjoy the sun, ocean, food, and, most importantly, the people, ask where the money we are donating to the economy goes and if we have a right to pollute their lovely island. We walk around in scantly clad clothes and take no notice of what the native people think of this. Their morals are much higher than ours. Tourism will continue to ruin all of the West Indies, we must question our own government's motives in supporting the Byrd family.