Prologue: The Novels of Black American Women, 1891-1965

(Hardback)

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This volume discusses the emergence of writings by Black women, the major concerns and themes of their fiction, and its special role within, and unique reflection of, Afro-American culture. A work of literary criticism as well as cultural history, Prologue focuses in depth on ten novels illustrative of the novels' concerns during the periods 1891-1920, 1921-1945, and 1946-1965, and discusses their literary characteristics and aesthetic achievement. It discusses the broad characteristics of Afro-American fiction and compares it to mainstream American fiction. Its generously annotated bibliography contains entries for each of the fifty-eight novels on which the study is based.

Reviews

Watson's critical discussion is based on 58 of the 64 novels written by black American women between 1891 and 1965. Of special interest are the number of obscure novels she includes with the more widely known. She demonstrates that all of these works reflect the very pointed social, rather than artistic, goals of these writers. Many of them, such as Frances Harper's Iola Leroy (1891), deal with intraracial issues such as the low self-esteem resulting from a continual confrontation with American racism. In these instances, Watson points out, the novels are prescriptive. They express a faith in Afro-American self-help as a means of redemption.... Yet, this book will prove to be a useful research tool because of its fully annotated bibliography of the novels.... This book ... is evidence of the growing number of studies of black American women novelists....-Choice
"Watson's critical discussion is based on 58 of the 64 novels written by black American women between 1891 and 1965. Of special interest are the number of obscure novels she includes with the more widely known. She demonstrates that all of these works reflect the very pointed social, rather than artistic, goals of these writers. Many of them, such as Frances Harper's Iola Leroy (1891), deal with intraracial issues such as the low self-esteem resulting from a continual confrontation with American racism. In these instances, Watson points out, the novels are prescriptive. They express a faith in Afro-American self-help as a means of redemption.... Yet, this book will prove to be a useful research tool because of its fully annotated bibliography of the novels.... This book ... is evidence of the growing number of studies of black American women novelists...."-Choice

Author Bio

tson /f Carole /i McAlpine