The Book of Colour is a novel by British author Julia Blackburn, published in 1995 by Pantheon Books. Blackburn's first novel, the book was praised by critics and shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction.
 | |
| Author | Julia Blackburn |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Pantheon Books |
Publication date | September 12, 1995 |
| Publication place | USA |
Background
editThe Book of Colour was the first novel by Blackburn, a writer previously best-known for her biographies.[1] Blackburn stated the novel was based on her own family history.[2][non-primary source needed]
Summary
editThe narrative begins with a missionary on a 19th-century island in the Indian Ocean. His actions form the basis for the remainder of the story which follows his descendants. The novel explores themes of racial intolerance and guilt.[1]
Reception
editThe Book of Colour was mostly well-received by critics. Writing in the New York Times, Michiko Kakutani called the book "a dense, poetic tale of a family's inheritance."[3] Kirkus Reviews said the book was a "first novel of beauty and accomplishment".[1] Publishers Weekly offered a mixed review, describing the novel's central question as "dishearteningly rhetorical".[4]
Awards
editThe Book of Colour was shortlisted for the inaugural Women's Prize for Fiction in 1996.[citation needed]
References
edit- ^ a b c "The Book of Colour". Kirkus Reviews. June 15, 1995. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
- ^ "The Book of Colour". Julia Blackburn. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
- ^ Lesher, Linda Parent (17 November 2015). The Best Novels of the Nineties: A Reader's Guide. McFarland. ISBN 9781476603896.
- ^ "The Book of Color by Julia Blackburn". Publishers Weekly. July 31, 1995. Retrieved August 12, 2024.