Scan barcode
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
Last year one of the major reading projects I completed was to read all 50 books included in this volume. I’d previously read 18 of them and didn’t bother to reread; rather I focussed on the remaining 32 titles. And while I wrote about them all here I neglected to feature the book that inspired the project.
The introductory and concluding essays of This is The Canon include lots of valuable introduction on what makes up the literary canon, how it came to be, its limitations, and why it needs to be diversified and decolonized . These essays also acknowledge the limitations to decolonizing the canon including many important works not yet translated into English, and suggest actions that ordinary readers can take to decolonize their own reading lives and help to decolonize the canon generally.
However, the real meat of the book is the fifty chapters, each focused on a different book. Each of these short and easy to read chapters opens with a summary of the book’s plots and themes as well as its wider significance, before giving an overview of its publishing history and some background information of the author. Each chapter ends with suggestions for further reading - often books that explore similar themes. I love the fact the even though my project is finished I’ll still have reason to dip into this gem in search of new titles to aid my ongoing goal of reading diversely.
Books like this are always open to debate. Why include one title and not another? Is book x really deserving of a place in the literary canon, decolonized or not? And while I didn’t get along with every book recommended I’m more than willing to concede that some of the reason for that lies in my limitations as a reader, as someone who still, unwillingly and unwittingly, carries the legacy of my own colonised education. What this book did really well was expose me to authors and books from many different parts of the world, some of whom I wasn’t at all familiar with; others I’d heard of but hadn’t actually got around to reading. Each taught me something about the world and helped me see with with new, more widely opened eyes.
Of the 32 books that I read the one that has stuck with me the most is Dancing in the Dark by Caryl Phillips. It tells the true story of a Black entertainer who felt compelled to don blackface and play up to caricatured stereotypes in order to advance his career. Such a melancholic and soul-hurting read. Another standout was Jackie Kay’s Trumpet. It also features an entertainer, a trumpet player, whose death led to the public revelation of his transness. Lots of great food for thought about gender, the right to privacy and the role of the media. Three books by African women have also stuck with me - So Long a Letter and The Joys of Motherhood explore aspects of women’s lives and their position in society, while Muriel at the Metropolitan highlights some of the many problems with South Africa’s apartheid system. And then there are all the phenomenal books and authors I’d already read including Octavia Butler, Andrea Levy, Alexis Wright and Toni Morrison.
Overall I recommend you pick this book up. Even if you have no plans to read all the 50 books featured, you are bound to find a title that piques your interest, that you’ll enjoy reading, and that offers a perspective outside that of the traditional western canon.
hksmith's review
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
4.75
An interesting introduction to so many writers and their works
chandraleereads's review
5.0
This book is a must own for all readers! It offers up invaluable information and recommendations for decolonizing your bookshelf. I am so thankful that I received a copy from NetGalley and I will 100% be buying a physical copy of the book as soon as I can! I have already added several books to my TBR and am beyond excited for all of the glorious reading and book discussions in my future!
christinevellis's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
3.25