Myths of Wilderness in Contemporary Narratives: Environmental Postcolonialism in Australia and Canada by Kylie Crane (review)

Kylie Crane's monograph challenges the myth of wilderness as pristine, revealing its role in erasing Indigenous histories in Australia and Canada. By analyzing six contemporary narratives—spanning fiction, memoir, and nature writing—the study exposes how settler perspectives perpetuate the absence of Indigenous voices in environmental discourse. Crane employs thematic criticism and narratology to dissect constructions of wilderness, contrasting Australian and Canadian narratives with dominant U.S. models. A key finding is the trope of survival in wilderness literature, which paradoxically reinforces colonial legacies by marginalizing Indigenous presence. The study critiques the 'post-settler' framework for its limitations but contributes valuable insights into how wilderness narratives shape environmental postcolonialism.

(Ed.). (2013). Myths of Wilderness in Contemporary Narratives: Environmental Postcolonialism in Australia and Canada by Kylie Crane (review). Ariel: A Review of International English Literature, 44(4), 236–235. https://doi.org/10.1353/ari.2013.0033