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dark
emotional
informative
sad
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
Powerful primary source about slavery. Would be a bit of a challenging read for younger high school students.
Now I know why this particular narrative has survived 150 years to be the best example of the writing style known as a slave narrative. Doug;ass is easy to read and gives a very descriptive explanation of life as a slave. He also condemn religious trappings as he found slave owners used their faith as a cudgel.
(Catching up on old reviews from pre-blogging and pre-Goodreads days. Written on 7/23/21 but the book was read years ago. I'm working off my notes.)
(Catching up on old reviews from pre-blogging and pre-Goodreads days. Written on 7/23/21 but the book was read years ago. I'm working off my notes.)
This was exactly what I expected it to be, until the Appendix. There, Douglass responds to critics that were upset at his portrayal of Christianity, clarifying that he sees a vast difference between the Christianity of the country and the Christianity of Christ. Sound familiar? It should. It disgusts me that his words are so relevant and that history has repeated itself. Right now is a good time for basically everyone who calls themselves an American Christian to read this book.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
The Narrative of Frederick Douglass, the greatest and most well-known of the slave narratives, is a masterpiece, and truly one of the greatest written works in American history. It is a tale of a deception and cruelty and of a man's search for freedom. It is also a panoramic view of 1830's America, particularly of Maryland. It presents and analyses the intensely religious man and the agnostic man, the free man and the enslaved man, the man and the woman, the young and the old, the kind and the cruel, the rich and the poor, the white and the black, and the urban and the rural. In a hundred or so pages you feel as though you've truly lived this world, and understand its dynamics and horrors, and the motivations of its people. You also feel as though you understand Fred himself. He comes off here as quiet and thoughtful, and someone who knows how to deceive. This man had level 100 speech craft, and his eventual freedom hinged upon it.
Frederick Douglass's writing is absolutely incredible. He writes in a detached and passive style full of subtle analysis and comment. He writes objectively on the surface yet his inner thoughts and feelings end up coming through somehow. To do this, he has a very dense writing style and he opts for complex sentences. However he still manages to be very accessible even 175 years later. I don't quite know how he does it but it is brilliant. He packs a wealth of detail and expression into a highly economical writing style and still makes it entertaining and easy to read. Truly a master of prose.
This book is rather heartbreaking. Douglass doesn't shy away from depicting the worst slavery had to offer. However he does not relish in it and doesn't detail cruelty more than he has to. Mostly he focuses on telling his own story and analyzing people and things. This is where the book's value comes from. As I stated, this depicts its setting panoramically with great detail, and Douglass's insight is helpful and interesting. He does a fantastic job explaining the master/slave dynamic from both perspectives; how and why slaves endure, and how and why masters are cruel. As a result this book is not for the faint of heart but it can still be easily read if you're not comfortable witnessing cruel acts. Mainly its an interesting depiction of Douglass's life and times.
The best part of Douglass's story. This book spans his birth through the start of his freedom and ends with him becoming a notable abolitionist figure. It shows his early childhood, entry into slave labor, his various masters (and different kinds of masters for that matter), his relationship with fellow slaves, his triumph over Covey, his gradual increase in independence, and his final escape. It also shows his intellectual progression; his attaining of literacy, his increasing desire for freedom, his increasing societal awareness, and his increasing intellect and social skills. This is how the book becomes hopeful and eventually triumphant. It is a real and beautiful tale, and a reminder how one can escape systemic suffering. It is also a reminder of how dystopic slavery was, and to a degree a reminder of how dystopic capitalism is (although that is on me). Douglass's story is important, his analysis is worthwhile, and his writing is genius. This is one of America's great masterpieces. It must be read.
Frederick Douglass's writing is absolutely incredible. He writes in a detached and passive style full of subtle analysis and comment. He writes objectively on the surface yet his inner thoughts and feelings end up coming through somehow. To do this, he has a very dense writing style and he opts for complex sentences. However he still manages to be very accessible even 175 years later. I don't quite know how he does it but it is brilliant. He packs a wealth of detail and expression into a highly economical writing style and still makes it entertaining and easy to read. Truly a master of prose.
This book is rather heartbreaking. Douglass doesn't shy away from depicting the worst slavery had to offer. However he does not relish in it and doesn't detail cruelty more than he has to. Mostly he focuses on telling his own story and analyzing people and things. This is where the book's value comes from. As I stated, this depicts its setting panoramically with great detail, and Douglass's insight is helpful and interesting. He does a fantastic job explaining the master/slave dynamic from both perspectives; how and why slaves endure, and how and why masters are cruel. As a result this book is not for the faint of heart but it can still be easily read if you're not comfortable witnessing cruel acts. Mainly its an interesting depiction of Douglass's life and times.
The best part of Douglass's story. This book spans his birth through the start of his freedom and ends with him becoming a notable abolitionist figure. It shows his early childhood, entry into slave labor, his various masters (and different kinds of masters for that matter), his relationship with fellow slaves, his triumph over Covey, his gradual increase in independence, and his final escape. It also shows his intellectual progression; his attaining of literacy, his increasing desire for freedom, his increasing societal awareness, and his increasing intellect and social skills. This is how the book becomes hopeful and eventually triumphant. It is a real and beautiful tale, and a reminder how one can escape systemic suffering. It is also a reminder of how dystopic slavery was, and to a degree a reminder of how dystopic capitalism is (although that is on me). Douglass's story is important, his analysis is worthwhile, and his writing is genius. This is one of America's great masterpieces. It must be read.
To give this anything less than five stars is a disgrace. Douglass was an extremely eloquent writer, made all the more incredible by the fact that he received no formal education. This book taught me more about slavery than all of the slavery units I’ve done in school combined. This should be required reading for all Americans.
Jeffrey Wright also narrates beautifully.
Jeffrey Wright also narrates beautifully.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
slow-paced
dark
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Slavery, Violence