One of the BBC's '100 Novels That Shaped Our World' A gorgeous clothbound edition of Jean Rhys's great masterpiece of desire and madness in the Caribbean, published for the novel's fiftieth anniversary. Born into the oppressive, colonialist society of 1930s Jamaica, white Creole heiress Antoinette Cosway meets a young Englishman who is drawn to her innocent beauty and sensuality. After their marriage, however, disturbing rumours begin to circulate which poison her husband against her. Caught between his demands and her own precarious sense of belonging, Antoinette is inexorably driven towards madness, and her husband into the arms of another novel's heroine. This classic study of betrayal, a seminal work of postcolonial literature, is Jean Rhys's brief, beautiful masterpiece. 'She took one of the works of genius of the nineteenth century and turned it inside-out to create one of the works of genius of the twentieth century' Michele Roberts, The Times
Jean Rhys
Jean Rhys was a British writer known for her vivid and haunting exploration of the complexities of human relationships and the struggles of marginalized individuals. Born in Dominica in 1890, Rhys is best known for her novel "Wide Sargasso Sea," a prequel to Charlotte Brontë's "Jane Eyre" that examines the story of Bertha Mason, the madwoman in the attic.
Rhys' writing style is characterized by its spare, evocative prose and its focus on the internal lives of her characters. She often delved into themes of alienation, displacement, and the search for identity, drawing on her own experiences as a mixed-race woman in a colonial society.
Rhys' work has had a significant impact on the literary genre of postcolonial literature, challenging traditional narratives and giving voice to those on the margins of society. Her contributions to literature continue to be celebrated for their depth, insight, and lasting relevance.
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