Decolonizing Memory

“Decolonizing Memory is a remarkable account of literature as a form of witnessing and the aesthetic as the primary register for imagining the unthinkable. Presented with elegance and a keen attention to language, the book locates Algeria at the center of the traumas of the twentieth century and demonstrates how literature could push back against the politics of silence promoted by the state. This is postcolonial scholarship at its best—theoretically sophisticated and historically grounded.” - Simon Gikandi, Robert Schirmer Professor of English, Princeton University

“Jill Jarvis's comparative study of Algeria, which engages with Arabic materials alongside the French, is very impressive. Meeting a significant demand in the field, Decolonizing Memory is a strong addition to Francophone studies, memory studies, and postcolonial studies and it will appeal to all those interested in the relationship between justice and the literary.” - Ranjana Khanna, author of Algeria Cuts: Women and Representation, 1830 to the Present

“By engaging with literary works that span decades and continents, Decolonizing Memory is a useful text to think with across disciplinary lines. . . . By arguing that literature occupies a special place in the analysis of colonialism, Jarvis entreats scholars in other fields to take lit­erature seriously.” - Meghan Tinsley, French History

“Decolonizing Memory is a promising contribution to the flourishing research being done in the field of Memory Studies, that is challenging the Western and in this case the French politics of testimony from the postcolonial point of view.” - T. S. Kavitha, Journal of French and Francophone Philosophy

“Jarvis offers her readers a compelling theoretic work. . . . Her text marks a significant contribution to Francophone literary theory at a time when Algeria is experiencing a new chapter in its history, with both its citizens and its writers continuing the fight for justice as they hope for a brighter future.” - Mildred Mortimer, International Journal of Middle East Studies

"Decolonizing Memory is a welcome contribution to the emerging field of postcolonial memory studies. A theoretically sophisticated intervention in debates about the representation of violence and collective trauma in colonial and postcolonial settings. . . ." - Olivia C. Harrison, MLQ

"Overtaken by the historic events of the hirak movement, Jarvis contributes to a reading of texts of past events that make present occurrences appear inevitable. It addresses the age-old question: Does the suffering of people for a cause lead to a more dignified future?" - Doris H. Gray, The Journal of North African Studies

"This book will interest scholars of North African literature broadly, but it is crucial for scholars of Algerian literature because of the variety of texts studied, inclusion of works in multiple languages, and active decentering of the European perspective." - Mallory Nischan, The French Review