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1.48k reviews for:
Twelve Years a Slave: The Autobiography of Solomon Northup
Louis Gossett Jr., Solomon Northup
4.23 AVERAGE
1.48k reviews for:
Twelve Years a Slave: The Autobiography of Solomon Northup
Louis Gossett Jr., Solomon Northup
4.23 AVERAGE
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
[34/166]
Northup's clear, crisp prose and incredible empathy for the people he found himself bound alongside make this an effective testament and a chilling tale of human cruelty. Much of what is described in chapter III with Burch is incredibly hard-to-read psychological and physical torture, say nothing of the chapters afterwards, with stories such as Eliza's and Patsey's, relating specifically to the awful treatment of women who were enslaved, being enraging. Solomon, at least, always has the slightest spark of hope-- his violin, his literacy, the possibility of getting a letter northwards-- which is not to diminish the enormity of what he went to, but to highlight what the book explicitly impresses in the reader's mind, that for millions during this era, there was *no such hope*:
"If I have failed in anything, it has been in presenting to the reader too prominently the bright side of the picture. I doubt not hundreds have been as unfortunate as myself; that hundreds of free citizens have been kidnapped and sold into slavery, and are at this moment wearing out their lives on plantations in Texas and Louisiana. "
A sobering reminder of the country we come from.
This is our history, and we'd do well to remember it.
Northup's clear, crisp prose and incredible empathy for the people he found himself bound alongside make this an effective testament and a chilling tale of human cruelty. Much of what is described in chapter III with Burch is incredibly hard-to-read psychological and physical torture, say nothing of the chapters afterwards, with stories such as Eliza's and Patsey's, relating specifically to the awful treatment of women who were enslaved, being enraging. Solomon, at least, always has the slightest spark of hope-- his violin, his literacy, the possibility of getting a letter northwards-- which is not to diminish the enormity of what he went to, but to highlight what the book explicitly impresses in the reader's mind, that for millions during this era, there was *no such hope*:
"If I have failed in anything, it has been in presenting to the reader too prominently the bright side of the picture. I doubt not hundreds have been as unfortunate as myself; that hundreds of free citizens have been kidnapped and sold into slavery, and are at this moment wearing out their lives on plantations in Texas and Louisiana. "
A sobering reminder of the country we come from.
This is our history, and we'd do well to remember it.
Wow... what a dense and intriguing rollercoaster for me to discover. (I gave this 5 stars but it was more of 4.5 stars)
Where do I begin.. This book has made me deciding between choosing to read it or not, and I am so glad that I got to finish it. The book was quite dull and stale for me as I was reading in the middle of the book. However, the beginning and the end really caught my attention and made me want to read more.
It is somewhat a surreal but also real at the same time to read this in the point of view of a black man being sold into slavery. We have always heard in school and been taught by teachers (who are dominantly white) teaching about slavery but it was not the same. The emotions, the struggles, the writing of this book really make you imagine what it would feel like if you lost your liberty one day, and become a slave.
Overall, this is a great book that I got to finish. I was thinking about dnf-ing it when I was 70% through. Great book, I would definitely recommend to others to read and know about the hard life of being a slave.
Where do I begin.. This book has made me deciding between choosing to read it or not, and I am so glad that I got to finish it. The book was quite dull and stale for me as I was reading in the middle of the book. However, the beginning and the end really caught my attention and made me want to read more.
It is somewhat a surreal but also real at the same time to read this in the point of view of a black man being sold into slavery. We have always heard in school and been taught by teachers (who are dominantly white) teaching about slavery but it was not the same. The emotions, the struggles, the writing of this book really make you imagine what it would feel like if you lost your liberty one day, and become a slave.
Overall, this is a great book that I got to finish. I was thinking about dnf-ing it when I was 70% through. Great book, I would definitely recommend to others to read and know about the hard life of being a slave.
informative
slow-paced
dark
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
a harrowing first hand account of an enslaved man that every single person needs to read. it is terrifying and we need to see what was reality so as to not repeat the torture, cannibalism, enslavement, racism and segregation white settlers did to black people. slavery was fucking terrifying and we must never let it happen again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Physical abuse, Blood, Trafficking, Grief
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail
A griping and interesting account. Astonishingly easy to read, giving a detailed picture not only of slavery, but of life on a southern plantation.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
fast-paced