University Press Copublishing Division / Fairleigh Dickinson University Press
Pages: 268
Trim: 6½ x 9
978-1-68393-245-1 • Hardback • March 2021 • $111.00 • (£85.00)
978-1-68393-246-8 • eBook • March 2021 • $45.00 • (£35.00)
Mélanie Joseph-Vilain is professor of postcolonial literatures and head of the research team “Individu et nation” for the TIL Research Center at the University of Burgundy in Dijon.
Chapter 1. The Sense of Place
Chapter 2. Unhomely homes
Chapter 3. Landscapes
Chapter 4. Cities: South African “Urban Gothic”
Chapter 5. Non-places
The Gothic genre has become extremely popular in South Africa since apartheid. Joseph-Vilai maintains that the eerie and disturbing qualities of Gothic writing express the anxieties of a troubled society, and she makes a strong case... Especially interesting is the author's discussion of the Gothic transformation of a keystone of South African white writing, the "farm novel." The last and most original chapter, "Non-Places," looks at science fiction and dystopian writing. Joseph-Vilain concedes that she is not a South African, but points out that an outsider can have special insights. She interrogates the explosively problematic term "white" with insight, and she skillfully balances theory and close reading. Including an extensive bibliography, helpful notes, and a thorough index, this will be an useful resource for those interested in South African writing. Recommended for upper-division undergraduates through faculty.
— Choice Reviews