Alan Burns was een Britse schrijver die geassocieerd werd met een experimentele groep auteurs die de grenzen van taal en realiteit verkenden. Zijn werk, vaak doordrenkt van surrealistische elementen, daagde conventionele narratieve structuren uit. Burns probeerde de traditionele vertelwijze te doorbreken en bood lezers onconventionele perspectieven en intellectuele diepgang. Zijn kenmerkende stem maakte hem tot een belangrijk figuur in de modernistische literaire exploratie.
Celebrations, Alan Burns's third novel, brings the inherent violence and oppression so apparent in Europe after the Rain into the setting of a family- owned factory, where social hierarchies, legal structures and humiliation keep the workers in line. číst celé
Never before published in standalone volume form since its original publication in the inaugural New Writers anthology in 1961, Buster is characteristically succinct and of huge literary merit, but in its autobiographical and pre-aleatoric style it provides, perhaps more importantly, a key to understanding the rest of Burns's works.
Upon the novel's first publication, Burns was heralded as presenting a picture of his age and capturing the `collective unconscious' of the twentieth century - in a language that can have few rivals for economy, beauty and rhythm.
Exploring themes of loss and identity, Alan Burns' collection features four innovative novels that highlight his experimental approach to narrative. "Buster" follows Dan Graveson’s tumultuous childhood marked by tragedy, while "Europe After the Rain" embraces surrealism with its nonsensical structure. "Celebrations" introduces the "cut-up" technique, where Burns reassembles phrases from found texts, creating a fragmented yet cohesive language. In "Babel," this method is pushed further, resulting in a text without a clear narrative, emphasizing visual poetry. These works exemplify Burns' unique literary voice.
The book delves into the Caribbean islands' journey from their initial discovery to the complexities of colonization and slavery, ultimately tracing their evolution towards independence. It provides a comprehensive overview of significant historical events and transformations that shaped the British West Indies, highlighting the interplay of cultural, social, and political factors throughout this dynamic period.
Covering Nigeria's history from pre-colonial times to independence in 1960, this revised edition delves into the nation's encounters with British colonialism. It provides a comprehensive examination of significant events and transformations throughout this period. The inclusion of appendices with royal genealogies and treaty texts adds depth and context, making it a valuable resource for understanding Nigeria's historical landscape.