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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
juanpablo_85's review
3.0
The books is just okay to me, partially because I've read all of Fanon's books, excerpts of which make up the bulk of the book & because it is clear that opening sector. steals from & repeats a lot from the interviews in the closing section, kind of stealing the magic away from them.
The insights into Fanon's experiences & how he & his work are viewed are invaluable. Especially in reading how his work is viewed, especially in regards to violence as retaliation against oppression, oppression being an act of aggression, made me realize how important it is to hear people in their own words. Opinions about people who make such huge impacts on the world, often take on a life of their own, oversimplified for the masses, to the point they are likely unrecognizable in comparison to whom the true person is. Fanon was a complex person, not without faults or contradictions but also ahead of his time in certain ways, particularly the way he views the bourgeoisie of oppressed people & nations & the role they play. Getting more background on Fanon, to me, made him all the more admirable & I appreciate being able to see how a little into how truly human he was. The opening & closing sections provide enough in that regard to make anyone curious about the man and, if you're not already familiar with them, his works.
Decent book to gain a small glimpse into the man & his history. The book is probably better suited for those not yet familiar with his work & contributions. It will, hopefully, compel people to not only engage his work critically but also look into recommendations biographies by his official biographer, David Macey & another by his friend, Alice Cherki.
The insights into Fanon's experiences & how he & his work are viewed are invaluable. Especially in reading how his work is viewed, especially in regards to violence as retaliation against oppression, oppression being an act of aggression, made me realize how important it is to hear people in their own words. Opinions about people who make such huge impacts on the world, often take on a life of their own, oversimplified for the masses, to the point they are likely unrecognizable in comparison to whom the true person is. Fanon was a complex person, not without faults or contradictions but also ahead of his time in certain ways, particularly the way he views the bourgeoisie of oppressed people & nations & the role they play. Getting more background on Fanon, to me, made him all the more admirable & I appreciate being able to see how a little into how truly human he was. The opening & closing sections provide enough in that regard to make anyone curious about the man and, if you're not already familiar with them, his works.
Decent book to gain a small glimpse into the man & his history. The book is probably better suited for those not yet familiar with his work & contributions. It will, hopefully, compel people to not only engage his work critically but also look into recommendations biographies by his official biographer, David Macey & another by his friend, Alice Cherki.
tashrikas's review
“The need to subjugate comes from a scarcity of oneself being unable to recognize oneself.”
ishdaya's review against another edition
5.0
This was really well compiled and serves as a great primer for Fanon and his thinking. It is almost frightening how he clear of a vision/warning he held of what the future could look like should nations pass from liberation to neo-liberalism. This feels like a book that I’ll need to reread a few times to feel like I’ve actually absorbed the material!
He talks about how political education and social consciousness must be prioritized in order for countries to successfully shift away from the slippery slope on nationalism/ultra-nationalism, and without that, how power can become concentrated again, and the national bourgeoise could become power players, capital extractors, and conductors of neocolonialism in place of white colonialism. Reallllllly excited to fully read Wretched of the Earth (this compilation pulls a few chapters from it) now that it’s been teased out!!
He talks about how political education and social consciousness must be prioritized in order for countries to successfully shift away from the slippery slope on nationalism/ultra-nationalism, and without that, how power can become concentrated again, and the national bourgeoise could become power players, capital extractors, and conductors of neocolonialism in place of white colonialism. Reallllllly excited to fully read Wretched of the Earth (this compilation pulls a few chapters from it) now that it’s been teased out!!