Two Years in the French West Indies
by Lafcadio Hearn
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Description
In October 1887 the writer and translator Lafcadio Hearn sailed from New York to Martinique. Intending to stay for a few months, he remained for two years. He viewed French-ruled Martinique as an exotic fusion of European, African and Asian influences, the Creole society par exellence. Describing the island's landscape, its flora and fauna, its colonial architecture and rural villages, he provides a picture of a Caribbean colony where slavery was a recent memory and race an all-importan show more matter of identity. show lessTags
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IsolaBlue After reading Hearn's wonderful observations of French Creole culture in the city of St. Pierre, Martinique, circa 1888, it is fascinating - and sad - to read Gordon Thomas and Max Morgan Witts' THE DAY THE WORLD ENDED which tells us about the volcanic eruption that totally destroyed St. Pierre and all but two of its inhabitants in 1902. Reading Thomas and Witts' book on the heels of Hearn's makes us realize that we had the privilege - through Hearns - of meeting some of the wonderful, fascinating and very real people who later died under the ash of Mount Pelee.
Member Reviews
Facing the title page is a photograph of 'La Montagne Pelée. Hearn's descriptions of the society of Saint-Pierre, Martinique is not only beautiful writing, but it is one of the few descriptions of the area which survives after the 1902 eruption of Mt. Pelée, which killed all but one of a city known as the Paris of the West Indies.
Hearn is well known for his writings on Japan where he lived and taught in his later years, and somewhat known for his writings on New Orlesns, but this is one of the lesser known parts of his life and work.
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Lists
Trinity College Booklist (1951): Class Five, Travel and Geography
52 works; 2 members
Author Information
393+ Works 5,635 Members
Lafcadio Hearn (1850-1904) was a fiction writer, critic, amateur engraver, and journalist. He wrote extensively about the cultures of Louisiana and is considered the first major Western chronicler of Japanese culture Delia Labarre is an independent scholar of Lafcadio Hearn and Louisiana culture. She lives in Baton Rouge Jefferson Humphries is show more chair of French studies at Louisiana State University show less
Common Knowledge
- Important places
- Martinique, France
- First words
- A long, narrow, graceful steel steamer, with two masts and an orange-yellow chimney,—taking on cargo at Pier 49 East River. Through her yawning hatchways a mountainous piling up of barrels is visible below;—there is much ... (show all)rumbling and rattling of steam- winches, creaking of derrick-booms, groaning of pulleys as the freight is being lowered in. A breezeless July morning, and a dead heat,—87° already.
Classifications
- Genres
- Travel, Nonfiction, General Nonfiction, Biography & Memoir
- DDC/MDS
- 972.98 — History & geography History of North America Mexico, Central America, West Indies, Bermuda West Indies (Antilles) and Bermuda; Caribbean Windward Islands and other southern islands
- LCC
- F2081 .H43 — Local History of the United States, Canada and Latin America Latin America. Spanish America Lesser Antilles Individual islands
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 77
- Popularity
- 407,053
- Reviews
- 2
- Rating
- (4.75)
- Languages
- English, French, Spanish
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 19
- UPCs
- 1
- ASINs
- 5
