Reviews with content warning for Sexual violence - The Underground Railroad

Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

79 reviews

angorarabbit's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark informative sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

TLDR: Sometimes a book is so good writing a review is pointless.

Context: Going into this book I knew that it dealt with slavery in the American south. I have read some histories regarding southern chattel slavery and American abolitionist theories. I also had the idea that the underground railroad in this book delivered people to some sort of dark amusement parks. The dark was correct, the amusement park was not. People were delivered to actual or proposed alternatives to slavery.

Mr Whitehead guided me through the horrors of chattel slavery without breaking me. He then details possible outcomes for solutions that some Americans had posed for the “slave problem”. By the time I reached Indiana I was grasping for a life line, so deep had my dread and my investment in Cora’s future become. The author delivered one just in the nick of time.

I don’t think I was so close to heartbreak reading a book since Beloved.

During Cora’s journey she learns of the displacement and genocide of indigenous peoples by the European coloniser’s greed for land. We forget all to often in the Americas that all land is stolen land and the oldest and most prized buildings were built by the blood sweat and tears of stolen people.

I wish every American (not just USains) would read this book. Then think before they speak about the “black problem”.

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parenthesis_enjoyer's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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juliana18's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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millbot's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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drossg's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

It is a hard read, but it’s a good read. It is fast-paced, and the structure helps divide things up. I like how the author did not try to sell the railroad, it is just a matter of fact. The book is fair and clear-eyed. The author’s style is criticized as overly “clinical” but I think it lends to what he’s doing here - he’s not sensationalizing chattel slavery or it’s effects. Just as the fact of the literal railroad he’s simply describing things as they are. I’ve heard of authors described as society’s physicians, and I could advocate a similar description for this book as well. It is difficult to rate “important” books, but it’s worth reading and I did enjoy it. So, 5 stars

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