Something Rich and Strange: Selected Essays on Samuel Selvon

For those who love the rich comedy of Selvon's fiction, and for students of Caribbean writing, these essays do the essential - return us to his books with a deeper appreciation of their art and questioning humanity. Essays by leading Caribbean critics including Harold Barratt, John Thieme, Kenneth Ramchand, and Maureen Warner-Lewis address issues of the relationship between Indianness and West Indianness, Selvon's treatment of gender, and the significance of his experimentation with language register. Essays imply a debate as to how Selvon should be read: within the framework of the conventional novel or within a nativist Caribbean literary aesthetic. Two interviews and a detailed bibliography enhance the value of this book.