[Göttsche's] impressive study, in which he takes into account over fifty novels, pursues in a nearly encyclopedic manner the extent to which contemporary German literature reflects and represents the German colonial period in Africa. . . . [The book] represents an important contribution to German postcolonial studies, since it provides a richly detailed and informative overview of the content, themes, ... Read moreand formal aspects of the novels in question. MONATSHEFTE [M]agisterial . . . . Göttsche tackles his vast corpus of material with a re?ned and elaborate instrumentarium that differentiates clearly between inter-, trans-, and cross-culturality . . . . The study consolidates existing research in the most comprehensive way (plentiful contributions exist on the more intriguing works by the likes of Timm, Trojanow, Capus, Stangl, and others; almost none exist on the majority of the material). It thereby provides the touchstone for any future engagement with the subject-matter. Many of the novels discussed are also eminently teachable.
MODERN LANGUAGE REVIEW
[A]n important intervention in the steadily growing field of German postcolonial studies . . . . Göttsche's monumental work provides a wide-ranging and in-depth study of colonialism in German-language literature, supported by the inclusion of a wealth of secondary material in English and in German and historical overviews of the German presence in African colonies. . . . [O]f interest to anyone working in German studies but also to scholars of postcolonial literature more generally, since many of Göttsche's insights are equally applicable to a British or French context, and he raises important questions about appropriate ways of remembering Empire and the legacies of colonialism in contemporary Europe.
JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY EUROPEAN STUDIES
The study is almost encyclopedic in its review of the extensive corpus of texts, and provides a meticulous scholarly apparatus. . . . Göttsche's volume may be seen as a foundational text inaugurating the birth of a sub?eld of German literary studies. I look forward to seeing the results of the further productive efforts this study is sure to inspire.
Nina Berman
COMPARATIVE LITERATURE STUDIES
[C]ompulsory reading for all who concern themselves with contemporary literature and German colonial history.
Sabine Wilke
GERMAN STUDIES REVIEW
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