Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Rule of Darkness: British Literature and Imperialism, 1830-1914

by Patrick Brantlinger

Argues for a close connection between the substance of British imperial power and the culture formed in the same period. Hardly a new argument at this stage in the historiography but the additional evidence brought in for the main theme is effective, and it benefits from adding a bit of nuance to the questions of how these intersection works. The book works best in its examination of specific texts, managing to breathe effective life into even very heavily commented on works like Heart of Darkness.

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