97. Romance in Marseille by Claude McKay and postcolonial novels to expand your world

Today, Sara and Chelsey discuss Romance in Marseille by Claude McKay. We discuss the classic nature of this novel along with some of its modern elements, as well as our own personal impressions and individual reading experiences of the book. This Harlem Renaissance novel explores themes that pushed the boundaries of its time: disability, the physical body, race, migration, post-colonialism, Marxism, economics. If you’re looking for a short classic novel that covers many modern ideas, consider this one alongside some of our pairings.   

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Books Mentioned 

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Romance in Marseille by Claude McKay (Penguin Classics) 

 

Listen to our pairings: [41:05]

 

Chelsey: 

• At Night All Blood is Black by David Diop 
• A Country for Dying by Abdellah Taïa

 

Sara: 

• Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin 
• You Made A Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi 

 

Also Mentioned: 

The Best New Novel Was Written 90 Years Ago by Molly Young (Vulture) 

A Book So Far Ahead of Its Time, It took 87 Years to Find A Publisher by Tayla Zax (NYTimes)