In Theory: Classes, Nations, Literatures (Cultural Studies) (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"A sustained and searching polemic... A powerful dissenting voice to the two orthodoxies - 'Third Worldism' and post-structuralism - which have succeeded each other in misrepresenting, as Ahmad convincingly shows, the nature of the many different literatures and cultures flourishing in Africa and Asia. Because of this vigorously argued claim, Ahmad's voice is one of the most important in the current critical debate." - Financial Times "Aijaz Ahmad's In Theory is a brilliant polemic which remorselessly undoes some Western illusions about post-colonial societies. Ahmad examines the historical roots of Western Third-Worldism ... His book is a sharp reminder that there is only one world - that of international capitalism - within which some post-colonial nations have needed to struggle and resist more energetically than others." - Times literary Supplement "In Theory is an erudite and brilliant work - one of the few books in recent years on politics, and literature, which deserves to be taken completely seriously." - The Guardian "Aijaz Ahmad addresses the work of Frederic Jameson, Edward Said and Marx as a theorist of colonialism ... an important and intermittently brilliant book, 'must' redaing for any students of 'world literature'." - Choice

Product Description

This work provides a critique of the major theoretical statements on "colonial discourse" and "post-colonialism", aiming to dismantle many of the commonplaces and conceits that dominate contemporary cultural theory.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Verso (July 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0860916774
• ISBN-13: 978-0860916772
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #781,485 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A radical Marxist critique of the recent postcolonial hype., July 16, 1998

By A Customer

Aijaz Ahmad is one of those critics who are not afraid of exposing the shortcomings of any despotic cultural signifier. Ahmad is a Marxist critic and, in this book, has exposed the essentialism in the thought of Fredric Jameson, Edward Said and many others. The book is a must read for anybody interested in postcolonial literatures, critical theory, cultural studies, Indian literature in English, Marxism and neo-colonialism.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Continuing Salience of Marxist Critique, February 15, 2009

By	Paul Heideman "grad student" (Newark, NJ) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: In Theory: Classes, Nations, Literatures (Radical Thinkers) (Paperback)

Though first released in 1992, Aijaz Ahmad's In Theory retains today the same theoretical relevance as when it first appeared. Ahmad is mad as hell with the state of postcolonial theory, and he's not taking it anymore. Beginning with a survey of developments in world capitalism and literary theory, Ahmad goes on to produce in depth readings of several exemplars of postcolonialism, most notably Edward Said and Salman Rushdie. Also incuded is Ahamd's devastating polemic against Fredric Jameson's theory of the "national allegory" in third world literature.

All in all, this is a brilliant collection of essays, and a necessary step towards a theorization of imperialism and its effects. That said, it has a few flaws. Most notable is Ahmad's tendentious soft Stalinism. Whenever a theorist he discusses refers to the Soviet Union as imperialist, Ahmad, for whatever reason, feels compelled to point out that this is really an echo of the "Maoist theory of convergence." In 2008, fighting the Sino-Soviet feud is even less relevant than it was in 1992.