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caitlin_89's review
2.0
Not a long read (4ish hours), but kind of tedious. I enjoyed the first third, the middle third was way too full of ornate descriptions that I thought didn't really add to the plot or meaning of the story, and the last third felt like it was dragging out the inevitable ending.
Read for school. Wouldn't recommend, and wouldn't read again, but I can see its usefulness at the beginning of our reading plan in our African and African American literature class, as it portrays a historical U.S. African American perspective on Africa as the noble motherland and "Ethiopia" as both homeland and promised land, and a place that embodies the opposite of the woes of unfortunates, as the main character says.
Read for school. Wouldn't recommend, and wouldn't read again, but I can see its usefulness at the beginning of our reading plan in our African and African American literature class, as it portrays a historical U.S. African American perspective on Africa as the noble motherland and "Ethiopia" as both homeland and promised land, and a place that embodies the opposite of the woes of unfortunates, as the main character says.
jennie_cole's review against another edition
3.0
Of One Blood by Pauline Hopkins is a novel from the first decade of the twentieth century set in post Civil War Boston. The story centers around Reuel Briggs, a medical student, and his friends, Livingston and Vance. The house next door to the Vance's has a Halloween legend. Years before there were some family murders and the ghost of a woman remains and sometimes appears on Halloween. The friends decide to test this out and Briggs sees her, but he has seen her before. Briggs ends up on a trip to Ethiopia to find ancient treasures. But the trip maybe more dangerous than originally thought.
This story is a great blend of historical fiction, mysticism, and fantasy. The other great element is that it is story from a female writer of the Harlem Renaissance. Because of this the story and structure are very different from what you would read today. This might cause modern readers to have initial reactions to the writing but move past that and enjoy the story of these characters.
This story is a great blend of historical fiction, mysticism, and fantasy. The other great element is that it is story from a female writer of the Harlem Renaissance. Because of this the story and structure are very different from what you would read today. This might cause modern readers to have initial reactions to the writing but move past that and enjoy the story of these characters.
tina94's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Racial slurs, Colonisation, Death, Religious bigotry, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Racism, Domestic abuse, and Suicide
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Slavery, Rape, and Child death
abagoflobsters's review
4.0
As the first novel by an African-American writer to feature both the setting of Africa and African characters, Pauline Hopkins’ Of One Blood is of immense historical value. Of One Blood is also considered to be among the earliest African-American speculative or science-fiction. It features a technologically and culturally superior Ethopia as its main character’s ancestral home, revealed in prophetic mysticism and gothic occurrences while commenting on issues of ancestry and race in early 19th Century America. The novel can be described as domestic romance, mystic adventure, and racial discovery tale.
As many have stated, and as can be expected with the genre, this book has serious issues when pressed under modern conventions of plot, most of which stem from its purpose as an “Afrocentric Fantasy for a Black Middle Class Audience.” The novel certainly succeeds in offering its readership ownership of a historical past that equaled western myth, and a cathartic vindication for the dystopian remnants of slavery through Reconstruction. For more on this, I would recommend John Gruesser’s critical article: “Of One Blood: Creating an Afrocentric Fantasy for a Black Middle Class Audience.”
I would recommend this to anyone interested in early 19th century African American authors, domestic fiction, adventure novels, early speculative fiction, and early American science fiction.
As many have stated, and as can be expected with the genre, this book has serious issues when pressed under modern conventions of plot, most of which stem from its purpose as an “Afrocentric Fantasy for a Black Middle Class Audience.” The novel certainly succeeds in offering its readership ownership of a historical past that equaled western myth, and a cathartic vindication for the dystopian remnants of slavery through Reconstruction. For more on this, I would recommend John Gruesser’s critical article: “Of One Blood: Creating an Afrocentric Fantasy for a Black Middle Class Audience.”
I would recommend this to anyone interested in early 19th century African American authors, domestic fiction, adventure novels, early speculative fiction, and early American science fiction.
litprof's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
philip_bonanno's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.75
This book is AMAZING. It’s like 5 books in one and kinda batshit tbh, but gotta support the Portland authors ytmfv. Also love the plot development followed by the most devastating philosophical thoughts — very enjoyable.
emilym1093's review
3.0
Dramatic and ridiculous, a bit slow in parts, but the overall enjoyable story made up for what lacked in the writing. Read this after Pope's Nubia in American Thought class. Was way more interesting because I took his class and saw the connections.
barnstormingbooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Originally serialized in 1902 in Colored American Magazine, this is an interesting look at race and power written by a Black Woman. By today’s standards this is pretty tame story, but when the time that it was published and by a woman is factored in suddenly the subversive nature of the piece is clear. Using the bible as a background to uplift the idea of excellence of people of African descent, and the idea of passing, with a dose of unintentional incest creates an exciting and disturbing read. The horror here is of its time, but an unease sits in the reader the entire way through.
I wish the time would have allowed Hopkins an opportunity to build out her female characters more, but at that time and for that content I understand her focus on her male characters. Definitely an interesting read from a powerful female voice in horror.