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chanelmeadows's review against another edition
Mr. Brown is an amazing writer!
I have read other nonfiction novels about slavery that were extremely heavy or dry (obviously because of the severity of this topic) but Mr. Brown writes of these events in a manner that allows the reader to stay captivated not only by the historical points but also by his writing style and language. He shows the horrors of slavery by revealing the governments', religious institutions', and "good people"'s mistaken points of view.
Amazing read. It dies cover heavy points but the writer writes in a way that doesn't make the reader feel overburdened.
I have read other nonfiction novels about slavery that were extremely heavy or dry (obviously because of the severity of this topic) but Mr. Brown writes of these events in a manner that allows the reader to stay captivated not only by the historical points but also by his writing style and language. He shows the horrors of slavery by revealing the governments', religious institutions', and "good people"'s mistaken points of view.
Amazing read. It dies cover heavy points but the writer writes in a way that doesn't make the reader feel overburdened.
adeleighpenguin's review against another edition
A series of vignettes that captures the horrific and graphic details of slavery better than any required reading of Uncle Tom’s Cabin ever could. This book belongs in the modern high school curriculum
noteworthy_fiction's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
terrahome's review against another edition
3.0
Definitely historically significant and worth a read. Reading this today in the context of the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement, it struck me how even this novel from 1853 understands how every systemically racist aspect of American society can be traced back to the slave trade. The fact that this has been known and acknowledged by African American writers for literal centuries makes African-American literature's lack of representation in high school curriculums across the country all the more frustrating. Novels like Clotel so effortlessly convey the hypocrisy and disgusting cruelties of slavery and racial prejudice that they really should be read by every student in the United States. Still, as a work of fiction, I can't deny that Clotel is not the greatest read. It's really more of an abolitionist manifesto taking examples of real life self-liberated and recaptured slaves and fictionalizing them for a narrative format. It often feels more like a pamphlet about the author's political message than it does a story, made all the more glaring by how most of the narrative here is told to the reader rather than shown in scene. Such is the case with many sentimental novels of its era though, and the themes and messages here are still powerful enough that it remains relatively engaging in spite of these craft issues.
lizzield's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Trafficking, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Violence, Gun violence, Gaslighting, Sexism, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Medical trauma and Child abuse
emma_lynn_writes's review against another edition
4.0
This book by William Wells Brown is considered to be the first published African American novel. The main character is Clotel, the daughter of Thomas Jefferson and a slave woman. Clotel offers an interesting reading experience as it shifts the metaphorical camera to different characters in each chapter. These characters include Clotel and her mother, as well as the various people they come in contact with. While the introduction to the book written by M. Giulia Fabi makes the argument that this schizophrenic plot reveals the inherently chaotic nature of the lives of enslaved peoples in an unjust and nonsensical system, it doesn’t make for a very cohesive narrative or distinctive characters. Nevertheless, unlike some other books of this time period, the author’s writing style is clear and humorous, making this an important classic that I would recommend to modern readers.
100reads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I have no words😰
jflow's review against another edition
4.0
Read this as an audiook. A very good narrative detailing the different patterns of thought of that time.
manoushp109's review against another edition
read a few chapters for class :) but didn’t want to put finished bc i technically didn’t read that much: rly interesting narrative style
aeeklund's review against another edition
5.0
How the actual hell have I never heard of this book before?
Clotel: or, the President's Daughter is a masterpiece of historical fiction that rings with historical truth. Based on facts and narratives that William Wells Brown collected on his own journey out of slavery, Clotel unashamedly looks many facets of slavery in the eye and calls them out as the horrors they are. I wish like crazy that this book had been taught to me in school. I learned far more from it than I did from many of the narratives set before me. And it reaches through time to judge America now.
I intend to write more analytically when I can properly collect my thoughts. This book deserves it.
Clotel: or, the President's Daughter is a masterpiece of historical fiction that rings with historical truth. Based on facts and narratives that William Wells Brown collected on his own journey out of slavery, Clotel unashamedly looks many facets of slavery in the eye and calls them out as the horrors they are. I wish like crazy that this book had been taught to me in school. I learned far more from it than I did from many of the narratives set before me. And it reaches through time to judge America now.
I intend to write more analytically when I can properly collect my thoughts. This book deserves it.