Pacific Possessions: The Pursuit of Authenticity in Nineteenth-Century Oceanian Travel Accounts
Chris J. Thomas, "Pacific Possessions: The Pursuit of Authenticity in Nineteenth-Century Oceanian Travel Accounts"
English | ISBN: 0817320946 | 2021 | 184 pages | PDF | 16 MB
English | ISBN: 0817320946 | 2021 | 184 pages | PDF | 16 MB
Reframes Polynesia and Melanesia through analysis of nineteenth-century travel writing
In Pacific Possessions: The Pursuit of Authenticity in Nineteenth-Century Oceanian Travel Accounts, Chris J. Thomas expands the literary canon on Polynesia and Melanesia beyond the giants, such as Herman Melville and Jack London, to include travel narratives by British and American visitors. These accounts were widely read and reviewed when they first appeared but have largely been ignored by scholars. For the first time, Thomas defines these writings as a significant literary genre.
Recovering these works allows us to reconceive of nineteenth-century Oceania as a vibrant hub of cultural interchange.
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