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egtheridge's review
5.0
Frederick’s writing style transcends time, all generations should read this book.
He spares no details into the horrors of his life giving you a vivid sense of what it was like to live as a slave and black man during the 1800s.
He writes extensively about his activism and the many places and people that he met, yet always remains humble.
The things he accomplished are incredible, if you are interested in the history of the US or slavery at all give this one a read!
He spares no details into the horrors of his life giving you a vivid sense of what it was like to live as a slave and black man during the 1800s.
He writes extensively about his activism and the many places and people that he met, yet always remains humble.
The things he accomplished are incredible, if you are interested in the history of the US or slavery at all give this one a read!
heregrim's review
4.0
Narrative of the Life: Book 1, Douglass's blunt, terse style works well in his purpose to just "relate and describe...the facts narrated." It was much more effective then I would have thought possible, although I am often surprised how effective simple prose can be.
My Bondage and My Freedom: Book 2 (10 years later), The style is the same, but then so are all the details and the stories told about his time in slavery with only a few places, such as descriptions of life with his grandmother, where new details are provided. The real meat of this book is the last 2 chapters where he describes the events of the last 10 years, focusing on his time in England.
Life and Times: Book 3 (38 years later), The style is still the same and the first 1/3rd of the book still contains the details of the first two books. the remainder of the book focuses on Douglass's antislavery contributions from the North Star to his running the underground railroad in Rochester, NY with J.P. Morris. It talks of John Brown's attempt to recruit him to help plan a guerrilla campaign in the south and his relationship with Harriett Beecher Stowe. The story continues into his relationship with Lincoln and eventually into the Women's rights movement.
The Narrative of the Life is by far the most touching as it is the core of all three books, but the historian in me found his involvement within multiple areas of movements incredibly fascinating.
My Bondage and My Freedom: Book 2 (10 years later), The style is the same, but then so are all the details and the stories told about his time in slavery with only a few places, such as descriptions of life with his grandmother, where new details are provided. The real meat of this book is the last 2 chapters where he describes the events of the last 10 years, focusing on his time in England.
Life and Times: Book 3 (38 years later), The style is still the same and the first 1/3rd of the book still contains the details of the first two books. the remainder of the book focuses on Douglass's antislavery contributions from the North Star to his running the underground railroad in Rochester, NY with J.P. Morris. It talks of John Brown's attempt to recruit him to help plan a guerrilla campaign in the south and his relationship with Harriett Beecher Stowe. The story continues into his relationship with Lincoln and eventually into the Women's rights movement.
The Narrative of the Life is by far the most touching as it is the core of all three books, but the historian in me found his involvement within multiple areas of movements incredibly fascinating.
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