zombiedaa.blogg.se

It is carefully balanced to counter the most common euro-centric, white, male, Anglo-Saxon bias without ignoring the canonical status of European writers and thinkers of the past centuries. However, this introduction solves the issue brilliantly, and offers valuable background information, timelines, context, quotes and detailed analysis of important works of fiction in modern, objective language. Obviously, it is easy to criticise the choice of literature presented in a limited overview, and the context of the presentation as well, considering the sheer amount of content the volume is supposed to cover. Since university, the impossible question of establishing a sense of what "world literature" means has been of great interest to me, and I have read various reference books on literary developments over time and space. This work makes for essential reading for all of those interested in the literature of Empire, travel writing and the Middle East.What a delightful collection of literary history - a treasure chest for book lovers!ĭuring the past couple of weeks, I have read one or two chapters in this book each night, following the history of literature from the earliest epics and legends to modern movements in novel, drama and poetry. He analyses the relationship between Empire and author, showing how the one influenced the other, leading to a vast array of texts that might never have been produced had it not been for the ambitions of Imperial Britain. In this elegantly crafted book, James Canton examines over one hundred primary sources, from forgotten gems to the classics of T E Lawrence, Thesiger and Philby. In a similar fashion, as the Empire receded in the wake of World War II, so did the whole tradition of Middle East travel writing.

Missionaries, soldiers and spies as well as tourists and explorers started to visit the area, creating an ever bigger supply of writers, and market for their books. Suddenly, ordinary men and women found themselves visiting the region as British influence increased.

With the advent of an Imperial presence in the region, as the British seized power in Egypt, the very nature of travel to the Middle East changed. Until the 1880s, British travellers to Arabia were for the most part wealthy dilettantes who could fund their travels from private means.