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Jamaica Kincaid
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A Small Place Paperback – April 28, 2000

by Jamaica Kincaid (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,152 ratings
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A brilliant look at colonialism and its effects in Antigua--by the author of Annie John

"If you go to Antigua as a tourist, this is what you will see. If you come by aeroplane, you will land at the V. C. Bird International Airport. Vere Cornwall (V. C.) Bird is the Prime Minister of Antigua. You may be the sort of tourist who would wonder why a Prime Minister would want an airport named after him--why not a school, why not a hospital, why not some great public monument. You are a tourist and you have not yet seen . . ."

So begins Jamaica Kincaid's expansive essay, which shows us what we have not yet seen of the ten-by-twelve-mile island in the British West Indies where she grew up.

Lyrical, sardonic, and forthright by turns, in a Swiftian mode, A Small Place cannot help but amplify our vision of one small place and all that it signifies.

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  1. Print length
    81 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    April 28, 2000
  4. Dimensions
    5.45 x 0.3 x 8.2 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    0374527075
  6. ISBN-13
    978-0374527075
  7. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Ms. Kincaid writes with passion and conviction . . . [with] a poet's understanding of how politics and history, private and public events, overlap and blur.” ―The New York Times

“A jeremiad of great clarity and force that one might have called torrential were the language not so finely controlled.” ―Salman Rushdie

“A rich and evocative prose that is also both urgent and poetic . . . Kincaid is a witness to what is happening in our West Indian back yards. And I trust her.” ―Los Angeles Times Book Review

“Kincaid continues to write with a unique, compelling voice that cannot be found anywhere else. Her small books are worth a pile of thicker--and hollower--ones.” ―San Francisco Chronicle

“This is truth, beautifully and powerfully stated . . . In truly lyrical language that makes you read aloud, [Kincaid] takes you from the dizzying blue of the Caribbean to the sewage of hotels and clubs where black Antiguans are only allowed to work . . . Truth, wisdom, insight, outrage, and cutting wit.” ―The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“Wonderful reading . . . Tells more about the Caribbean in 80 pages than all the guidebooks.” ―The Philadelphia Inquirer

About the Author

Jamaica Kincaid was born in St. John’s, Antigua. Her books include At the Bottom of the River, Annie John, Lucy, The Autobiography of My Mother, My Brother, Mr. Potter, and See Now Then. She teaches at Harvard University and lives in Vermont.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Farrar, Straus and Giroux; First Edition (April 28, 2000)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 81 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0374527075
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0374527075
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.45 x 0.3 x 8.2 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,152 ratings

About the author

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Jamaica Kincaid

Jamaica Kincaid

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Jamaica Kincaid's works include, Mr Potter, The Autobiography of My Mother, and My Brother, a memoir. She lives in Bennington, Vermont.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,152 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book has interesting insights into Antigua's horrific past and a brutal look at colonialism. They also describe the writing style as very well written and short. However, some customers feel the intellectual quality is dreadful and full of hatred.

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ContentWriting styleReadabilityIntellectual quality
28 customers mention "Content"25 positive3 negative

Customers find the book has interesting insights into Antigua's horrific past. They also say the story keeps them entertained and refreshing. Readers also say it gives a great perspective on the Caribbean and the tourism industry. They mention it's one of their favorite non-fiction texts, and a short but brutal look at colonialism.

"...It's a brutally honest book, which I think is refreshing...." Read more

"...While perhaps not the most uplifting message, it is a incredibly powerful tale that points the finger of blame justifiably at everyone involved in..." Read more

"...read this for one of my history courses and it remains one of my favorite non-fiction texts." Read more

"...In summary, “A Small Place” is an angry, compelling but ultimately unfulfilling piece of work, by an Antiguan ex-pat who made her home in..." Read more

24 customers mention "Writing style"24 positive0 negative

Customers find the writing style very well written, easy to read, and lyrical. They also say the narrator speaks very emotionally and addresses the reader directly.

"...I just mean that she expresses an eloquent, honest, complicated, contradictory portrait of how she feels. And the writing is beautiful...." Read more

"...Her words are compelling and the use of second person point of view ensures the reader is personally engaged and feels responsible for the plight of..." Read more

"...It was an easy read, and whether or not it was the intention of the author I do not know, but finding myself on the defensive and a target of racism..." Read more

"...I liked it. I thought it was an interesting read, well written, and thought provoking...." Read more

3 customers mention "Readability"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to read.

"...Thankfully, amazon allows you to rent and buy books for cheap. Really convenient and definitely recommend." Read more

"...Doing business was completely easy and there were no complications at all." Read more

"Wonderful book! Easy and fast read. I had no problem getting through it." Read more

4 customers mention "Intellectual quality"0 positive4 negative

Customers find the book dreadful, full of hatred, and malice. They also say the author seems to have a lot of anger, and the book is biased and illogical.

"...However, the entire book is filled with so much hatred and racism that it is hard to see anything past that unless you are specifically looking for..." Read more

"...I have not gotten too far into this book as the author seems to have a lot of anger. Maybe it's me but the book made me feel unwanted." Read more

"This is not a happy go-lucky read by any means- it's angry, provocative, and makes you rethink history as you've been taught it." Read more

"...What I read was a dreadful book full of hatred and malice. If you are looking for information, go elsewhere...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

kiki
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully Written, Regardless of Your Politics
Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2009
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I love this book because it is beautifully written- lyrical, poetic, smart. I think she captures her complicated opinions on the culture and history of Antigua wonderfully. It's a brutally honest book, which I think is refreshing. As far as I know, and I may be wrong, she doesn't really represent this as anything other than her opinion. So by "brutally honest," I don't mean everything in it is true, in a textbook kind of way. I just mean that she expresses an eloquent, honest, complicated, contradictory portrait of how she feels. And the writing is beautiful. It's best described as a "poetic essay." If you're looking for a travel guide or a straight non-fiction history book, this isn't it and it shouldn't be marketed that way.

I don't feel strongly about the politics of this book, nor did I feel particularly hated (I'm a white American), but I guess I could see how you might feel that way if you are the sort of person who takes everything personally.
6 people found this helpful
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Arega Eniyew
5.0 out of 5 stars Short, Precise and Honest!
Reviewed in the United States on December 15, 2018
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In her book A Small Place the author Jamaica Kincaid reflects on the debilitating impacts of colonialism and slavery on her people, Antiguans. The narrator does not tell her audience, which are tourists, about the beauty of Antigua, the warm and beautiful weather of the country, or the magnificent even about beaches. She straightforwardly confronts her audience as tourists and informs them about their lack of awareness of the corrupt political system in the place they are visiting and the people who suffering consequently from outcomes. She is telling them if they were intelligent enough, they would not travel the long journey from their land to the place of Antigua in order to build up the corrupt political system. In this book, the most important themes that the author deals with are slavery, colonialism, corruption. The country is naturally beautiful and has thriving tourism industry, however, the underlining problems of corrupt system that was inherited from the slavery and colonialism, oppresses its citizens. The deep-rooted negative effects of these two brutal and inhumane systems are still visible in the political and socio economic situations of Antigua. The leaders are corrupt and work based on nepotism and political affiliations (Kincaid, 72). An irrefutable example, which the narrator uses, is the presence of Japanese made cars for taxi drivers. She states the reason why these luxurious and expensive cars are available for the drivers are because the government mandates their purchases and operations (5-6). These cars benefit the members of the government, not the people of Antigua. Her second example for the political corruption is the assignment of the Minister of Culture (46). The irony is that this minister is also the Minister of Education and Sports who controls all these offices for his advantage. She believes these offices exist for the purpose of exploitation and abuse, and not for the benefit of the country. The people of Antigua came out of slavery and colonialism, they still are suffering and are being abused and exploited by their own government.
8 people found this helpful
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Mike Sheldon
5.0 out of 5 stars A Powerful Tale of Oppression
Reviewed in the United States on May 24, 2013
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This book was not designed to be persuasive or to cater to any audience; it is a brutal, unrelenting account of the world as Jamaica Kincaid experiences it. Through her rage, she demonstrates through the hopelessness of her own argument and anger that the situation of Antigua is a hopeless one. While perhaps not the most uplifting message, it is a incredibly powerful tale that points the finger of blame justifiably at everyone involved in the convoluted system of colonial and post-colonial oppression.

This book isn't for the closed minded. You don't have to agree with her, but even to get through her argument, you must be able to relate to her.
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Jacob Hellman
4.0 out of 5 stars Kinc-Aid: The Metaphorical Tropical Punch!
Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2016
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A Small Place tells the story of the island of Antigua through the eyes of its author, Jamaica Kincaid, an Antiguan now living in the United States. It was originally an essay for The New Yorker, but was rejected, which I guess was good for Kincaid. We start in second person, with Kincaid narrating the arrival of "you," the tourist, on the island of Antigua, and all of the wonderful activities - the beach, the food, the hotel - that you will experience. She then takes a turn towards with the pragmatic, detailing the island's faults that are unseen to the tourist eye, including but not limited to: the island's lack of proper sanitation and health care; the collapse of banking and local food production; hotels enforcing neo-colonialism by training native Antiguans to serve tourists; the corruption of the government, mostly of Syrian descent...

If you liked this review, come read more at my blog: http://wp.me/p3Aqzs-hz
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Kanimoli Ramaiah
5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful small place
Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2022
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Jamaica Kincaid nailed it by describing what ailed Antigua. It was just people, largely those from other continents. Those who came to conquer the people of the small island. Remove the outsiders and the corrupt Antiguans, you have a great island nation! Well done, lady!!
One person found this helpful
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Andrew
5.0 out of 5 stars A Jamaica Kincaid must-read
Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2021
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A fantastic read. I loved hearing the shift as Kincaid goes from a more accusatory tone to a gentler, more nostalgic tone as she discusses Antigua. This 80 page novel will give you more insight to Antigua than any travel guide ever could. If you're looking to get into more Jamaica Kincaid, this is a must-read.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Anicka
5.0 out of 5 stars A Small place
Reviewed in France on April 30, 2024
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Such a fantastic book, I loved every part of it.
Would definitely recommend. It also highlights how important it is to be literate, because education is the true key to emancipation.
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Elaine
5.0 out of 5 stars Degree read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 14, 2024
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Perfect
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lidia coronado
5.0 out of 5 stars para leer y releer
Reviewed in Spain on May 4, 2021
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hermosa prosa de las cosas sencillas. pocas veces me releo un libro. este seguro que lo volveré a leer.
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Ally Chang
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful book
Reviewed in Canada on February 21, 2020
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Well written and eye opening. I would highly recommend it to anyone curious about Caribbean history and the people who live there.
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Vivek Tejuja
5.0 out of 5 stars Short, and yet such a powerful, intense, and engaging read.
Reviewed in India on January 1, 2020
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So, this is my first Kincaid read, and all thanks to the 2020 Reading Women Challenge. Their first prompt is an author from Caribbean or India. Since I’ve read a lot of women from India, I thought let’s give the Caribbean a shot and started with A Small Place by Jamaica Kincaid – a rather short, but extremely powerful and engaging book about colonialism and its effects in Antigua. There were so many things I wasn’t aware about Antigua till I read A Small Place, and like I said I was only too happy to read something out of my comfort zone and thereby discover the writing of an author I had intended to read for a while.

A Small Place is a memoir, it is also a history of Antigua in a way, it is also an essay of anger against the people who colonised Antigua, it is also a voice of great empathy that Kincaid has for her country and people. The book begins with an attack on tourists who visit Antigua – what they expect and choose to see versus what the place is.

A Small Place is a short book – but extremely powerful and angry. Kincaid writes about home – about what it meant to her, and what has become of it. Of how the English ruled them, and how their independence has only worsened the situation because of corruption and bureaucracy. Jamaica Kincaid speaks candidly – almost to the point of being brutal – there are no holds barred. The prose comes from an extremely personal space and therefore the writing shines the way it does.

For instance, when she speaks of lack of clean water in the country or even about the beloved old library that was destroyed in an earthquake and how nothing was done to build the new one. And now that there is a new one that has been built (way after the book was published), but there is still doubt if it is open to public or not.

Kincaid’s book is large – very large not only in its scope but also in what it has to say – and how she manages to say it in all in less than hundred pages is nothing short of a feat. That explains the writer she is – succinct, bare-boned, and yet so deeply emotional that every emotion is reflected on paper, and in turn is felt by the reader.
One person found this helpful
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