The Colonial Rise of the Novel

"The Colonial Rise of the Novel" provides a feminist and anti-imperialist account of the development of the novel. Far from describing the universality of the novel, as emphasized in previous studies, Azim makes clear how the novel as a genre silenced and excluded both women and people of colour. In what is both a provocative and important contribution to post-colonial and feminist criticism, Azim examines closely texts by writers such as Aphra Behn and Charlotte Bronte. Her conclusions force a radical rethink of Western literature's most enduring form.