Time, history, and philosophy in the works of Wilson Harris

Más información sobre el libro

Gianluca Delfino’s study posits that Wilson Harris’s works exhibit a profound unity of thought stemming from his intricate imagination. This contribution to Caribbean Literature and Philosophy explores Harris’s imaginative engagement with reality, particularly concerning history and time, through several novels, including Palace of The Peacock, The Mask of the Beggar, The Infinite Rehearsal, Jonestown, and The Dark Jester. Spanning over forty years, the analysis incorporates diverse critical perspectives, from African philosophy to Jungian interpretations, historiography, and anthropology. Delfino reveals the cross-cultural essence of Harris’s thought as a healing response to the traumatic colonial experience, merging elements from Amerindian, African, and European traditions in a continuous dialogue with time, nature, and the psyche. This extensive research builds on late Hena Maes-Jelinek’s critical work, enhancing philosophical and psychological readings with anthropological insights that resonate with those captivated by Harris’s complexity and Maes-Jelinek’s illuminating interpretations. The study aims to reconstruct a unifying framework around Harris’s oeuvre, offering a fresh perspective on one of the Caribbean’s most controversial authors.