Beginning Postcolonialism (Beginnings)

Rating:
Summary: A message from the author
Review: 'Beginning Postcolonialism' is designed to help new readers in the field of postcolonial literature and theory make initial progress, although more seasoned readers will also, I hope, find the book of interest. It offers a brief historical account of the emergence of the field, and focuses on some important issues which concern postcolonialism: colonial discourses, nationalism and its critique, re-reading/re-writing the texts of Empire, postcolonialism and feminism, diaspora identities. It concludes with a survey of some of the problematic aspects of theorising postcolonialism, and offers a select but extensive bibliography for further reference. Several of the key thinkers in the field -- Fanon, Senghor, Bhabha, Said, Spivak, Mohanty, Gilroy -- are examined, and each chapter concludes by looking at how we might read literary texts in the light of postcolonial theory (my examples here include Rudyard Kipling, Ngugi wa Thiong'o, Chinua Achebe, Jean Rhys and Sally Morgan). Throughout the book I have inserted 'Stop and Think' sections which invite readers to make up their own minds concerning the issues we raise. If you have read the book, I would be really interested to learn of your comments (please feel free to e-mail me at [e-mail]). Naturally I give it five stars, but you may have a different view! Hopefully, 'Beginning Postcolonialism' will be a great place to start your reading in the area, as well as a good reference tool for future use.

Rating:
Summary: Spot on!
Review: A great book! It gave me everything I needed to know quickly and clearly, and had loads of great suggestions for extra reading. I left this book feeling really informed about the different ways people view postcolonialism, and able to talk about them (at last!).

Rating:
Summary: Don't be scared - John Mc Leod is at hand!
Review: Beginning Postcolonialism provides a basic introduction to the nebulous (and sometimes seemingly-inpenetrable) world of post-colonial theory. If you're encountering post-colonial theory for the first time, or you've already been baffled by Bhabha and scared by Spivak, then this is the book for you! Unlike many post-colonialism readers on the market, Beginning Postcolonialism assumes no prior knowledge of the subject. It provides the reader with a basic understanding of the major themes of post-colonial theory and explains in simple terms the main ideas of pre-eminent post-colonial critics. It's well-written, coherently laid-out and is by far the most encouraging and reader-friendly book on the subject I've come across. The extensive bibliography will be of interest to graduate students, but they may otherwise find that this book is not meaty enough to suit their advanced level of study. For the beginner or the confused, however, it's a great resource!

Rating:
Summary: Don't be scared - John Mc Leod is at hand!
Review: Beginning Postcolonialism provides a basic introduction to the nebulous (and sometimes seemingly-inpenetrable) world of post-colonial theory. If you're encountering post-colonial theory for the first time, or you've already been baffled by Bhabha and scared by Spivak, then this is the book for you! Unlike many post-colonialism readers on the market, Beginning Postcolonialism assumes no prior knowledge of the subject. It provides the reader with a basic understanding of the major themes of post-colonial theory and explains in simple terms the main ideas of pre-eminent post-colonial critics. It's well-written, coherently laid-out and is by far the most encouraging and reader-friendly book on the subject I've come across. The extensive bibliography will be of interest to graduate students, but they may otherwise find that this book is not meaty enough to suit their advanced level of study. For the beginner or the confused, however, it's a great resource!

Rating:
Summary: Little more information required.
Review: It is missing information about who were the actual thinkers on whose views the theory Postcolonialism is based.