Oroonoko is a poignant tragic story of an African prince whose
grandfather, the king, denied him his true love, black beauty
Imoinda . Betrayed and sold into slavery to British colonists,
Oroonoko finds his lost love in the British colony of Suriname but
fails to gain freedom for himself and his family and soon finds a
tragic, grotesque death. This new edited version with an
introduction, further reading and notes by Janet Todd, offers a
fresh assessment of the literary and political contexts of Oronoko,
providing also a summary of Aphra Behn's life and the criticism of
her writing during the Restoration period. Particularly interesting
is the editor's observation of Behn's controversial treatment of
the racial differences and colonialism; Todd highlights how the
narrator identifies herself with her hero - Imoinda, but also
includes herself in the 'we' of the Europeans. Moving and
thought-provoking. (Kirkus UK)
Restoration-era poet, playwright and novelist Aphra Behn was the
first truly professional woman writer in English, and Oroonoko is
her sophisticated and insightful condemnation of slavery. This
Penguin Classics edition is edited with an introduction by Janet
Todd. When Prince Oroonoko's passion for the virtuous Imoinda
arouses the jealousy of his grandfather, the lovers are cast into
slavery and transported from Africa to the colony of Surinam.
Oroonoko's noble bearing soon wins the respect of his English
captors, but his struggle for freedom brings about his destruction.
Inspired by Aphra Behn's visit to Surinam, Oroonoko reflects the
author's romantic view of native peoples as noble savages in 'the
first state of innocence, before man knew how to sin'. The novel
also reveals Behn's ambiguous attitude to African slavery - while
she favoured it as a means to strengthen England's rule, her
powerful and moving work conveys its injustice and brutality. This
new edition of Oroonoko is based on the first printed version of
1688, and includes a chronology, further reading and notes. In her
introduction, Janet Todd examines Aphra Behn's views of slavery,
colonization and politics, and her position as a professional woman
writer in the Restoration. Little is known of Aphra Behn's
(1640-1689) early life. She was probably born in Kent, and in the
early 1660s claims to have visited the British colony of Surinam.
She turned to literature for a living, producing numerous short
stories, 19 stage plays and political propaganda for the Tories. If
you enjoyed Oroonoko, you might like Daniel Defoe's Moll Flanders,
also available in Penguin Classics.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
