In his introduction to Last Voyages Professor Edwards almost apologises for voyages as a form of literature, partly because the New Criticism ignored them; yet he may be battering at an open door, for surely the great mass of readers, who do not give a damn for the New Criticism, have never ceased to agree that 'these narratives ... are a special kind of writing with distinctive values of its own.' And it is likely that they will welcome this scholarly presentation of three of the most interesting of their time. They are by definition tragic, but two at least illustrate the editor's views on the interaction of literature, voyages and imperialism particularly well.

LRB 9 November 1989 | PDF Download