The Colonizer and the Colonized [Paperback]

Albert Memmi (Author), Jean-Paul Sartre (Introduction), Susan Gibson Miller (Afterword)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 8, 1991 | ISBN-10: 0807003018 | ISBN-13: 978-0807003015 | Edition: Expanded

First published in English in 1965, this timeless classic explores the psychological effects of colonialism on colonized and colonizers alike.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Confiscated by colonial police throughout the world since its 1957 publication, The Colonizer and the Colonized is an important document of our times, an invaluable warning for all future generations.--The Los Angeles Times

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: French

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Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Beacon Press; Expanded edition (July 8, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807003018
• ISBN-13: 978-0807003015
• Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 0.4 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #92,261 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Timeless Lessons, July 11, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Colonizer and the Colonized (Paperback)

Albert Memmi wrote many yeras ago this study of the relationship and dynamics between the colonizer and the colonized, but the lessons he imparts unto the reader are of great value to this day. Be it in racist, sexist or politically oppresive conditions, Memmi manages to pinpoint the psychological and social impact upon the individual. Trully a valuable piece of literature.

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the top books of all time, April 17, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Colonizer and the Colonized (Paperback)

Memmi captures the contradictions and destructive forces of colonialism from an individual perspective, but more importantly he provides us with a work that transends his subject matter and allows for greater understanding of the manner in which structural and institutional forces of other forms of oppression and inequality affect us today. A classic statement pertaining to the human condition and the potential for liberation.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent treatment of the classic dialectic, November 13, 2007

By 

Curiousity and Justice "Jesse" (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Colonizer and the Colonized (Paperback)

Where Hegel discussed the psycho-social relations between the 'master' and the 'slave,' Memmi turns toward the relations between Colonizer and Colonized. Like Aime Cesaire, Malcolm X, Franz Fanon, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, and so many others of the mid 20th century anti-colonial movements, Memmi is interested in exposing the crippling psychological effects of the colonial relationship for all involved. His standpoint as a Jew in the middle of French North Africa allows him an inside/outside perspective which helps him to interpret the worlds of both colonizer and colonized. An exceptional work of anti-colonial theory, this book can open even stubbornly shut eyes.