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The Chosen Place, The Timeless People Paperback – September 12, 1984

by Paule Marshall (Author)

4.4 26 ratings

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The chosen place is Bourneville, a remote, devastated part of a Caribbean island; the timeless people are its inhabitants—black, poor, inextricably linked to their past enslavement. When the advance team for an ambitious American research project arrives, the tense, ambivalent relationships that evolve, between natives and foreigners, black and whites, haves and have-nots, keenly dramatize the vicissitudes of power.

“An important and moving book . . . Marshall is as wise as she is bold, for in compromising neither her politics nor her understanding of people, she makes better sense of both.”—Village Voice

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Paule Marshall
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From the Back Cover

The chosen place is Bourneville, a remote, devastated part of a Caribbean island; the timeless people are its inhabitants--black, poor, inextricably linked to their past enslavement. When the advance team for an ambitious American research project arrives, the tense, ambivalent relationships that evolve -- between natives and foreigners, blacks and whites, haves and have-nots -- keenly dramatize the vicissitudes of power.

About the Author

Paule Marshall is the author of Brown Girl, Brownstones, The Chosen Place, The Timeless People, Praisesong for the Widow, Soul Clap Hands and Sing, Reena and Other Stories, and Daughters. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, she is now Professor of English at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group (September 12, 1984)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 480 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0394726332
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0394726335
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.7 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.19 x 1.09 x 8 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,204,059 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #3,944 in Cultural Heritage Fiction
- #4,688 in Literary Criticism & Theory
- #12,759 in Short Stories Anthologies

Customer Reviews:
4.4 26 ratings

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4.4 out of 5

26 global ratings

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Ernest Johnson

Great read.

Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2023

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I really enjoyed this book, a must read. Relevant to today. Helped me to understand my connection to my ancestors, friends I frequently visit in Kingston, and Great Britain. Breaks down the haves and have nots, also why somethings are difficult to change. While many remain the same.

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Kay Johnson

Arrived in great condition

Reviewed in the United States on August 28, 2023

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Haven't read the book yet, but the condition is new.

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Claudette

... he Caribbean I felt the character very deeply and enjoyed the clash of cultures that became apparent with the ...

Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2018

Verified Purchase

As someone from he Caribbean I felt the character very deeply and enjoyed the clash of cultures that became apparent with the researchers in the midst of a culture that they could not understand or change. I was sorry for the book to end.

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IsolaBlue

A West Indian Classic

Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2000

Merle Kinbona is one of the most memorable and interesting protagonists in all of West Indian literature. She is one of the strongest characters in all of the literature that emerged from the 1960s, and she reflects what was going on politically not only in the Caribbean, but also in the United States during that time. American social anthropologists have been sent to a West Indian island, Merle's homeland, with plans to help the residents. With this as a backdrop, Marshall explores race, politics, and cultural differences. She addresses the issues of immigrants, outsiders, and all those living outside of their cultures. Particularly effective are her portrayals of white male characters, proving that cross-race, cross-gender writing can work. The book may be too long, but the text is accessible, and the novel features a very real sense of place. Subtle and well-handled issues of homosexuality show that Marshall was, indeed, a woman ahead of her time.

18 people found this helpful

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Joe

and the story itself is not bad. However I recommend only reading this if you ...

Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2016

Verified Purchase

Was forced to read this for class, it wasn't badly written, though it could have been improved upon, and the story itself is not bad. However I recommend only reading this if you have an interest in it. I had no interest in it when I was forced to read it and I couldn't get through it. I have tried since but I still cannot enjoy it.

One person found this helpful

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A reader

Very well written and beautiful book

Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2002

Marshall's strength as an author of fiction lies in her ability to write rich, detailed characterizations. Throughout "The Chosen Place, the Timeless People," the variety of ages, races, class identities, and cultural backgrounds is woven into a fascinating narrative about a fictional Caribbean island in the early throes of multi-national post-industrial capitalism. How the characters react to these outside influences of globalization on them is the focus of the struggles: in their interpersonal relationships, in their determination to remember and re-enact the history of oppression and liberation from slavery, and in the larger struggles between nations and nationality.
As a metaphor for colonialism, this book is stunning. Harriet, the American woman who finds herself so out of place in the West Indian world, so unable to understand the "laws" by which this world operates (as seen in the arrogance she displays by taking the eggs meant for trading and making omelets for the children, which go uneaten), gets swept away by the force of a carnival crowd. She feels the power and feels the fear of that power as she falls to the ground. Without understanding, she watches the recreation of the past and senses its full force, then becomes overwhelmed by it-but she is unable to comprehend it or stop it. This representation of the local history is too much for the American to take in, and she is ultimately undone by its power. Although she never understands why, the force of this collective memory changes her life forever, and her incapacity to understand it forces her to her final end.

12 people found this helpful

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