Moses Ascending (Caribbean Writers Series) [Paperback]

Samuel Selvon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 23, 1991 | Series: Caribbean Writers Series (Book 31)

The derelict house in Shepherd's Bush that Moses takes on becomes the scene for a topsy-turvy, irreverent sequence of events. The account of his attempts to cope with situations, together with a penchant for early wholesome philosophizing, form the basis of this book.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Sam Selvon was born in San Fernando, Trinidad in 1923. In 1950 Selvon left Trinidad for the UK where after hard times of survival he established himself as a writer with A Brighter Sun (1952), An Island is a World (1955), The Lonely Londoners (1956), Ways of Sunlight (1957), Turn Again Tiger (1958), I Hear Thunder (1963), The Housing Lark (1965), The Plains of Caroni (1970), Those Who Eat the Cascadura (1972), Moses Ascending (1975) and Moses Migrating (1983). Hari Kunzru was born in 1969. He published his first novel, The Impressionist in 2002. His second novel, Transmission appeared in 2004 and in 2005 he published Noise, a short story collection. In 2003, Hari Kunzru was named by Granta magazine as one of twenty 'Best of Young British Novelists'. He lives in London. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Heinemann (July 23, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0435989529
• ISBN-13: 978-0435989521
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 4.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #895,902 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Racist, sexist; a difficult read for the modern reader., March 22, 2011

By 

Rachel J. Taenzler "Rachel T" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Moses Ascending (Caribbean Writers Series) (Paperback)

When I read this book, I thought it was a satire of something that might have happened in 1970s London. I even sort of enjoyed it, though the treatment of Brenda and the racism in the book was jarring at times. Then I read the introduction. The best thing about this book is that years later, the author was slapped at an event by a female activist for his horrid portrayal of women in the book. For a man writing about a character who supposedly had sex with hundreds of white women and managed to get Brenda to sleep with him even after he let his friend try to rape her without interfering, this author seems to have neither respect for nor understanding of women.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Flawed and not Politically Correct Novel set in London in the early 1970's, November 27, 2010

By 

Kiwifunlad (London, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Moses Ascending (Caribbean Writers Series) (Paperback)

I have read Selvon's earlier work called The Lonely Londoners which was written 20 years earlier which introduced the main protagonist in this novel, the delightful Moses, a black immigrant from Trinidad. Moses has moved on and upwards in the 20 year gap and has become the owner of a property in Shepherds Bush. Moses occupies the top floor and rents the other rooms to a random assortment of other immigrants. Selvon writes with much humour and yet delivers alot of the undercurrent feelings as Black people were starting to become a political force. However, there are some serious flaws in the narrative. The account of the Asian tenant who is running an illegal immigrant smuggling racket is far fetched and Moses seems to be mindless of whether he is dealing with Muslims or Hindus. This book is very much a work of its time and there will be readers who find some of the novel potentially offensive: one character is called Paki, Moses asking for pork from a halal butcher and Selvon's treatment of Brenda, the only female character in the novel, is misogynistic. Notwithstanding these defects I enjoyed this engagingly funny and historically interesting account of Moses who tries to live apart from the day to day ramifications of life in London and live simply whilst writing his memoirs.

5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious and interesting, October 19, 2010

By 

Matthew B Goldie (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Moses Ascending (Caribbean Writers Series) (Paperback)

This is a classic of postcolonial literature. It's witty, incredibly clever, and hilarious. Is it true that Heinemann is letting it go out of print? That's a loss to the world of literature.