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zoes_human's review
challenging
4.0
My rating is an average of the ratings of each individual component of this collection rounded up. My overall review would be to go ahead and download this since it is free and some of the works within are must reads. The breakdown:
Twelve Years a Slave 5 stars
This is the most well written slave narrative I've ever read. It's a pity Mr. Northup never had a literary calling beyond sharing his experience for the cause of abolition. He is not only insightful but also has that gift of making the reader genuinely feel the experience behind his words. Were I to compile a list of "must-read" slave narratives, this would top the list. Not only for its quality, but also for the fact that it shows slavery from the perspective of a man born free and kidnapped into it.
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass 5 stars
Doubtless the most well known of the slave narratives. If a person has read only one, it is usually this one and with good reason. While I find Mr. Northrup's tale far better as a piece of literature, Mr. Douglass' shows a broader range and deeper insight into the institution of slavery than any other work I've read.
The Life of Josiah Henson 4 stars
While not necessarily the most well written of the narratives, Mr. Henson's story offers a unique perspective for a couple of reasons. First, this is the individual upon whom <u>Uncle Tom's Cabin</u> was based. Why read a white woman's fictionalized account when the black person's actual account is perfectly available to you? Especially since <u>Uncle Tom's Cabin</u> is a horrible book, which I will get into in more detail later. Second, Mr. Henson exhibits an unusual level of empathy to the special plight of the black woman in slavery. Not something that one sees as often as they should.
Uncle Tom's Cabin 1 star
This book is miserable. It's poorly written, so didactic as to read like a sermon for half the book (a badly written sermon), and the dialog wavers between strongly unlikely and appallingly bad. The useful information in it regarding the conditions of slavery can readily be obtained elsewhere (see every other work included in this collection along with the 199 other narratives) and is a bit watered down. It's only possible unique use is to reveal exactly how racist abolitionists could be.
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl 4 stars
As previously mentioned, there's not so much out there that reveals the special atrocities that black women suffered under slavery. This is well worth your time for that reason alone.
Up from Slavery 3 stars
Booker T. Washington was an impressive man but also a troubling one. He was a bit of a white apologist. Don't get me wrong, he's amazing, but he could have stood to be a bit more compassionate towards his own race and less so towards mine. This is the one work that I didn't really feel fit this collection at all. It's not particularly useful in learning about slavery or the life of the average black person after slavery. It's great if you want to know more about him and his philosophy but not so much anything else.
Twelve Years a Slave 5 stars
This is the most well written slave narrative I've ever read. It's a pity Mr. Northup never had a literary calling beyond sharing his experience for the cause of abolition. He is not only insightful but also has that gift of making the reader genuinely feel the experience behind his words. Were I to compile a list of "must-read" slave narratives, this would top the list. Not only for its quality, but also for the fact that it shows slavery from the perspective of a man born free and kidnapped into it.
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass 5 stars
Doubtless the most well known of the slave narratives. If a person has read only one, it is usually this one and with good reason. While I find Mr. Northrup's tale far better as a piece of literature, Mr. Douglass' shows a broader range and deeper insight into the institution of slavery than any other work I've read.
The Life of Josiah Henson 4 stars
While not necessarily the most well written of the narratives, Mr. Henson's story offers a unique perspective for a couple of reasons. First, this is the individual upon whom <u>Uncle Tom's Cabin</u> was based. Why read a white woman's fictionalized account when the black person's actual account is perfectly available to you? Especially since <u>Uncle Tom's Cabin</u> is a horrible book, which I will get into in more detail later. Second, Mr. Henson exhibits an unusual level of empathy to the special plight of the black woman in slavery. Not something that one sees as often as they should.
Uncle Tom's Cabin 1 star
This book is miserable. It's poorly written, so didactic as to read like a sermon for half the book (a badly written sermon), and the dialog wavers between strongly unlikely and appallingly bad. The useful information in it regarding the conditions of slavery can readily be obtained elsewhere (see every other work included in this collection along with the 199 other narratives) and is a bit watered down. It's only possible unique use is to reveal exactly how racist abolitionists could be.
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl 4 stars
As previously mentioned, there's not so much out there that reveals the special atrocities that black women suffered under slavery. This is well worth your time for that reason alone.
Up from Slavery 3 stars
Booker T. Washington was an impressive man but also a troubling one. He was a bit of a white apologist. Don't get me wrong, he's amazing, but he could have stood to be a bit more compassionate towards his own race and less so towards mine. This is the one work that I didn't really feel fit this collection at all. It's not particularly useful in learning about slavery or the life of the average black person after slavery. It's great if you want to know more about him and his philosophy but not so much anything else.
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