Description: Thomas brings forward questions such as--Why is France a privileged site of civilization? Who is French? Who is an immigrant? Who controls the networks of production? Black France poses an urgently needed reassessment of the French colonial legacy.
Review Quotes:
". . . a wide--ranging exploration of the literature of the black experience of France. . . . Particularly valuable is [Thomas's] examination of francophone African literature . . . Any library supporting programs in Francophone or African studies will want this scholarly but accessible book. . . . Recommended."--Choice
"[This] book offers a welcome reminder of the breadth and depth of French cultural intersections. 51.1 April 2008"--African Studies Review
"Thomas' approach opens up new intersections for a broader understanding of contemporary cultural studies of francophone Africa, as distinct from most studies of Anglophone Africa that are most frequently grounded in history and anthropology to the exclusion of lived experience as a literary adventure. Vol. 33.1-2 (Winter-Spring 2008)"--Peter J. Bloom, University of California (Santa Barbara)
"Thomas (comparative literature and French and Francophone studies, UCLA) offers a wide--ranging exploration of the literature of the black experience of France. His analysis is informed by writers and critics located throughout Africa and the African diaspora, and it covers themes ranging from immigration/emigration, slavery, and excision to the culture of Congolese dandyism known as la sape. Particularly valuable is his examination of francophone African literature, work written by people living in Africa or elsewhere: Thomas does not impose a framework that would imply a monolithic Franco--African experience that does not exist. Just as important, Thomas demonstrates a continuity in themes and literary influences that stretches across the borders of time (colonial and postcolonial) and nation. Thomas supports his study with the work of numerous scholars (cited throughout), and he includes generous references to primary texts (either in citations or in summaries that are easy to follow, even if one has not read the text in question). Any library supporting programs in Francophone or African studies will want this scholarly but accessible book. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper--division undergraduates through faculty. --CHOICE November 2007"--D. L. Boudreau, Mercyhurst College