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Fiction Unbound: Bernardine Evaristo
Author: Şebnem Toplu
Date Of Publication: Aug 2011
Isbn13: 978-1-4438-3153-6
Isbn: 1-4438-3153-0
This book covers all Bernardine Evaristo’s major works: Lara (1997) and Lara (2009), The Emperor’s Babe, Soul Tourists, Blonde Roots and Hello Mum. Each chapter focuses on a particular novel, combining a close analysis of the author’s technique with a penetrating understanding of the basic themes which underlie all of Evaristo’s work. This monograph exposes that Evaristo is not simply interested in “multicultural” issues; to label them as such is to overlook her achievement as a novelist. It shows instead how Evaristo combines apparently disparate elements – for example, historical research with late-twentieth century allusions in a narrative such as The Emperor’s Babe – to show how African-Caribbeans have been coming to Britain for thousands of years. Yet Evaristo is not just interested in the African-Caribbean experience; this book shows how she tries to question those basic concepts – for example “Englishness” or “patriotism” – which lie at the heart of mainstream white culture in contemporary Britain. It argues that Evaristo is interested in alternative constructions – not only of nationalism, but of other basic issues such as race, gender and class. Her books give the chance for hitherto marginalized characters – slaves, women, or victims of a patriarchal world – to tell their stories and postulate alternative views of the world they live in. Above all, this monograph shows how Evaristo refuses to be pigeon-holed; she is not simply “a black British writer,” but someone who focuses on the interconnectedness of society. This book calls for readers to adopt a more enlightened approach, not only to issues of culture and identity, but to the work of Evaristo as a whole.
Şebnem Toplu is an Associate Professor in the Department of English and the Department Head of English Translation Studies at Ege University, Izmir, Turkey. Her other books include Cultural Materialism: Text and Context Relation in Jane Austen’s Works (2001) and Diverse Aspects of Italy and Italians in Contemporary British Literature (2001), both published by Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Italy, where she lectured as Visiting Professor for three years. She has published articles on eighteenth-century British literature, contemporary British fiction, postcolonialism, autobiography, multiculturalism, transnationalism and ecocriticism. She has been the editor of the journal Interactions since 2002.
Price Uk Gbp: 29.99
Price Us Usd: 44.99
Sample pdf (including Table of Contents)
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From Writing Out of Limbo: International Childhoods, Global Nomads and Third Culture Kids
“This terrific and substantial volume is a vital step in clarifying the experiences, gifts, and struggles of those who grew up around the world, or with those who grew up elsewhere. I can’t wait to teach with it.”
– Wendy Laura Belcher, PhD, Professor of Literature, Princeton University
“Well-grounded in classical perspectives and new visions of what it means to live in an intercultural world, the book offers a wonderful array of memoir, research, interviews, theory and even poetry. There’s something for everyone here!”
– Anne P. Copeland, PhD, Director, The Interchange Institute
“The selections here, varied as they are, share the quiet, profound, and rich experiences of people writing on the most innocent years, transcendent of cultural boundaries. Reading this book is a travel across the globe with an impressive group of worldly citizens.”
– Morten Ender, PhD, Professor of Sociology, United States Military Academy at West Point
“I recommend this book to all parents who are creating TCKs; to teachers and professors of TCKs; for general reading and understanding of the making of a citizen of the world; and, finally, to TCKs themselves, who will see that their experiences are shared with many others.”
– Linda A. Garvelink, President, Foreign Service Youth Foundation
“This book is an essential contribution to the discussion of migration and the art of finding a home between borders. In vivid prose, the authors reveal the value of cultural negotiation and the complexity of identities formed on the margins.”
– Neela Vaswani, PhD, Author of You Have Given Me a Country
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