Caught between cultures: colonial and postcolonial short stories

by Ellen Butzko (Editor), Susanne Pongratz (Editor)

The book contains the following short stories:

The British Empire: Colonial Encounters
- Joseph Conrad, "An Outpost of Progress" (1898)
- W. Somerset Maugham, "The Force of Circumstance" (1928)
- George Orwell, "Shooting an Elephant" (1936)
- Doris Lessing, "The Second Hut" (1964)

The Commonwealth of Nations: Cross-Cultural Experiences
- R. K. Narayan, "A Horse and Two Goats" (1965)
- Chinua Achebe, "Dead Men's Path" (1972)
- Ngugi wa Thiong'o, "A Meeting in the Dark" (1974)

Modern Britain: Postcolonial Consequences
- Muriel Spark, "The Black Madonna" (1963)
- Qaisra Shahraz, "A Pair of Jeans" (1988)
- Hanif Kureishi, "My Son the Fanatic" (1994)
- Salman Rushdie, "Good Advice Is Rarer than Rubies" (1994)

Genres: Short Stories, School, History, Classics, Anthologies

240 pages, Paperback

First published May 31, 2005

Reviews

[Alessio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not really sure how to rate it because there are some great works written but then there is J0seph C0nrad. F him

[Luisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite a nice arrangement of short stories. i have to say, i am not the biggest fan of this genre, but the one by joseph conrad was actually very good. the way the editors organised them chronically, showing the beginnings and the effects on society today, was also quite interesting. plus: the non-eurocentric vision of what colonialism was and how it leaves its traces on societies in our time today, and is still a very powerful force is an important thing to be conscious about.

[Lulufrances · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had to read this anthology for school and guess what - I'm finally done wuhuuuu *.*
As in all anthologies you're bound to come across a few stories that are good and a few that are not.
Overall I was not that much invested.

[Tt10 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this on one of those free bookshelves and since I have always enjoyed colonial and postcolonial fiction, particularly when juxtaposed, this was a perfect little read. I liked the short autobiographical introductions and the way the stories are arranged chronologically.

[David Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Caught Between Cultures” is a collection of English short-stories compiled for A-level students in Germany. It’s theme is the British legacy of colonialism and I found the book to be very cleverly structured: First, stories by British writers (critically) depicting the time Empire from the British side (Conrad, Orwell). Secondly, stories showcasing the colonized’s perspective(Achebe, Thiong’o, …). And thirdly, stories about Britain in a now postcolonial world, with questions of identity, migration, racism.
I liked it already 12 years ago when I had to read it for school. Reading it again, it’s still a very good selection of short-stories. I’m very glad that we had to read this in high-school English classes instead of Shakespeare or something.

[amalia poulain · Rating 4 out of 5]

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