Colonial Discourse and Post-Colonial Theory (A Reader) - Laura Chrisman, Patrick Williams > Reviews > Excellent introduction to postcolonial debates.

Author's product rating:   

Degree of Information	Very high
How interesting was the book?	Captivating
How useful was it?	Very useful
Would you read it again?	Absolutely
Value for money	Excellent

Advantages:	Suitable both for undergraduates and specialists, broad range of readings .
Disadvantages:	None

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Published by Harvester Wheatsheaf
Price: I paid about £20 but cheaper second hand obviously!

I bought this book when I was an undergraduate studying postcolonial theory as part of my degree in English Literature. I have since used it while working on my Masters and my Doctorate. It is an excellent source book for all levels of study.
First published in 1993, the textbook is introduced and edited by Laura Chrisman and Patrick Williams, both of whom are experienced lecturers in English Literature and in my opinion it is this experience that has led to the creation of such an accessible textbook. As lecturers they know what their students need.

Contents:
Introduction by Chrisman/Williams:
The introduction provides a detailed overview of the main debates and theories to be explored in the body of the book.
There is also a short introduction by Chrisman and Williams at the start of each section, detailing the historical and political context of the readings that follow.

Part one: Theorising Colonised Cultures and Anti-Colonial Resistance. Section in cludes writing by Fanon, Spivak and Bhabha.

Part two: Theorising the West. Section includes writing by Said, Giddens and Ahmad.

Part three:Theorising Gender. Section includes writing by Suleri, Henderson and Mohanty.

Part four: Theorising Post-Coloniality: Intellectuals and Institutions. Section includes writing by Franco, Mishra and Hodge.

Part five: Theorising Post-Coloniality: Discourse and Identity. Section includes writing by hooks, Achebe and Ngugi wa Thiong'o

Part six: Reading from Theory. Section includes writing by Williams, Chrisman and Mulvey.

I won't elaborate on the sections because that would be reductive. Suffice it to say that I found all sections useful but was particularly gripped by the section on Gender. There is something to interest everyone here and I can't recommend it highly enough.