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The Book of Colour

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The Book of Colour
AuthorJulia Blackburn
LanguageEnglish
PublisherPantheon Books
Publication date
September 12, 1995
Publication placeUSA

The Book of Colour is a novel by British author Julia Blackburn, published in 1995 by Pantheon Books. Blackburn's first novel, the book was praised by critics and shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction.

Background

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The Book of Colour was the first novel by Blackburn, a writer previously best-known for her biographies.[1] Blackburn stated the novel was based on her own family history.[2][non-primary source needed]

Summary

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The narrative begins with a missionary on a 19th-century island in the Indian Ocean. His actions form the basis for the remainder of the story which follows his descendants. The novel explores themes of racial intolerance and guilt.[1]

Reception

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The Book of Colour was mostly well-received by critics. Writing in the New York Times, Michiko Kakutani called the book "a dense, poetic tale of a family's inheritance."[3] Kirkus Reviews said the book was a "first novel of beauty and accomplishment".[1] Publishers Weekly offered a mixed review, describing the novel's central question as "dishearteningly rhetorical".[4]

Awards

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The Book of Colour was shortlisted for the inaugural Women's Prize for Fiction in 1996.[citation needed]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "The Book of Colour". Kirkus Reviews. June 15, 1995. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
  2. ^ "The Book of Colour". Julia Blackburn. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
  3. ^ Lesher, Linda Parent (17 November 2015). The Best Novels of the Nineties: A Reader's Guide. McFarland. ISBN 9781476603896.
  4. ^ "The Book of Color by Julia Blackburn". Publishers Weekly. July 31, 1995. Retrieved August 12, 2024.