Folio Archives 208: Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys 1993
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1wcarter
Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys 1993
Set in Jamaica and Trinidad in the 1850s, the novel follows the life of a white woman who after the end of slavery becomes a “white cockroach”. From a childhood in poverty, through her family’s disintegration to eventual wealth and marriage, the story is beautifully written, and the local lifestyle is described in detail. There are many unexpected twists and turns, a touch of black magic, both love and hatred, and insight into a style of life in the Caribbean of that era that eventually sends the heroine mad.
Quite why it is called the Sargasso Sea I do not know, as that sea is in the Atlantic, northeast of the Bahamas, and a long way from the Caribbean. But I am a geographic purist, not a romantic novelist.
The xiv + 162 page book is beautifully presented and is printed on pale green paper with light blue staining to the page tops. It is introduced by Bel Mooney and has twelve leaves of copper engravings by Chris Daunt that are all positioned perfectly against the relevant text.
It is bound in dark green and pale green cloth, divided vertically down the centre of each board, with an impressed block design in green by Daunt, who hand-cut the spine lettering. The endleaves and slipcase (23.1x15.1cm.) are plain green-blue.
An index of the other illustrated reviews in the "Folio Archives" series can be viewed here.
Set in Jamaica and Trinidad in the 1850s, the novel follows the life of a white woman who after the end of slavery becomes a “white cockroach”. From a childhood in poverty, through her family’s disintegration to eventual wealth and marriage, the story is beautifully written, and the local lifestyle is described in detail. There are many unexpected twists and turns, a touch of black magic, both love and hatred, and insight into a style of life in the Caribbean of that era that eventually sends the heroine mad.
Quite why it is called the Sargasso Sea I do not know, as that sea is in the Atlantic, northeast of the Bahamas, and a long way from the Caribbean. But I am a geographic purist, not a romantic novelist.
The xiv + 162 page book is beautifully presented and is printed on pale green paper with light blue staining to the page tops. It is introduced by Bel Mooney and has twelve leaves of copper engravings by Chris Daunt that are all positioned perfectly against the relevant text.
It is bound in dark green and pale green cloth, divided vertically down the centre of each board, with an impressed block design in green by Daunt, who hand-cut the spine lettering. The endleaves and slipcase (23.1x15.1cm.) are plain green-blue.
An index of the other illustrated reviews in the "Folio Archives" series can be viewed here.
2jveezer
I didn't realize they did this book. I really liked it on my first (library) read and would definitely consider it worthy of a reread. If I run across this edition, that would be lovely, although I'm starting to forget what it was like to be in a bookshop...
3whytewolf1
Thanks for continuing to post these! It's very much appreciated.
4U_238
Thank you for sharing. I lived in T&T for a while; it’s nice to see it mentioned in unexpected places. It’s a beautiful pair of islands, each with its own character, and wonderful people.
5affle
It may be worth pointing out, for those who do not know the novel, that it tells the backstory of Mr Rochester's mad wife in Jane Eyre.
6Forthwith
It's probably just me but after three reads across the years, I still have trouble following the shifts. I know that the writing is fine and I want to not miss a thing.
I have had this edition since it was released and it is worth the challenge.
I have had this edition since it was released and it is worth the challenge.
7LesMiserables
Mixed feelings, nice copy but boy I detested this book. I read to the end hoping I would find some redeeming quality, but I didn't find it.
8folio_books
>1 wcarter:
Busy day on Wikipedia for me!
The Sargasso Sea is a region of the Atlantic Ocean bounded by four currents forming an ocean gyre. Unlike all other regions called seas, it has no land boundaries. It is distinguished from other parts of the Atlantic Ocean by its characteristic brown Sargassum seaweed.
Wide Sargasso Sea is a 1966 novel by Dominica-born British author Jean Rhys. It is a feminist and anti-colonial response to Charlotte Brontë's novel Jane Eyre describing the background to Mr. Rochester's marriage from the point-of-view of his mad wife Antoinette Cosway, a Creole heiress. Antoinette Cosway is Rhys' version of Brontë's devilish "madwoman in the attic".
Busy day on Wikipedia for me!
The Sargasso Sea is a region of the Atlantic Ocean bounded by four currents forming an ocean gyre. Unlike all other regions called seas, it has no land boundaries. It is distinguished from other parts of the Atlantic Ocean by its characteristic brown Sargassum seaweed.
Wide Sargasso Sea is a 1966 novel by Dominica-born British author Jean Rhys. It is a feminist and anti-colonial response to Charlotte Brontë's novel Jane Eyre describing the background to Mr. Rochester's marriage from the point-of-view of his mad wife Antoinette Cosway, a Creole heiress. Antoinette Cosway is Rhys' version of Brontë's devilish "madwoman in the attic".
