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1.46k reviews for:
Twelve Years a Slave: Including; Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
Solomon Northup, Frederick Douglass
4.23 AVERAGE
1.46k reviews for:
Twelve Years a Slave: Including; Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
Solomon Northup, Frederick Douglass
4.23 AVERAGE
A difficult read at times, especially in the tongue/dialect it is written, but important nonetheless.
A horrifying account of one Solomon Northup, a free man kidnapped and forced into slavery. For historical purposes, this should be mandatory reading.
In 1841, Solomon is tricked with the premise to earn money playing his violin and travels to Washington, D.C.. From there, he is drugged and robbed of his papers [proclaiming his status as a free man], then beaten into submission to be sold into slavery, taking the name of Platt. As the years pass, he loses hope in ever seeing his family and freedom again, not daring to risk placing trust in any man with his true story and desire to escape.
The level of detail in this book is incredible. From the point of capture to his reunion with his family, Solomon describes everything he can: physical locations, naming names of all that he met, work conditions, emotional turmoil, and so on. There is surely no more that one can express in words, as one that has been in Solomon's shoes. He writes with such a genuine voice to try to give justice to the slaves he's met, no matter how brief an encounter, whether in passing en route to another location or people he toiled with for years on end. The urgency is evident in his writing. In the time of it, he's telling not just his story but speaking for all those that will likely never have the chance to. He longs for the reader to understand how horrific the situation is and that even a so-called "free man" in these "free states" does not deem him safe from the clutches of slavery.
This is an immense effort on Solomon's part to be as accurate as possible to render this a proven account. As mentioned in the notes, the details in this record could have been and were verified to be true to bring more credence to his story. The way he writes shows a skill in storytelling, as threads are woven together, backwards and forwards at times, but it's all very organized. This is not to say that it's merely any historical account. Nothing feels clinical. There's so much despair in this that is hard to ignore, not just for Solomon even though he can be considered to be the most fortunate in his tale, as the reader can imagine the countless number of slaves who will never have the chance to escape.
I never would've known about this book if it wasn't for Steve McQueen's film adaptation of it. A devastating must-read.
In 1841, Solomon is tricked with the premise to earn money playing his violin and travels to Washington, D.C.. From there, he is drugged and robbed of his papers [proclaiming his status as a free man], then beaten into submission to be sold into slavery, taking the name of Platt. As the years pass, he loses hope in ever seeing his family and freedom again, not daring to risk placing trust in any man with his true story and desire to escape.
The level of detail in this book is incredible. From the point of capture to his reunion with his family, Solomon describes everything he can: physical locations, naming names of all that he met, work conditions, emotional turmoil, and so on. There is surely no more that one can express in words, as one that has been in Solomon's shoes. He writes with such a genuine voice to try to give justice to the slaves he's met, no matter how brief an encounter, whether in passing en route to another location or people he toiled with for years on end. The urgency is evident in his writing. In the time of it, he's telling not just his story but speaking for all those that will likely never have the chance to. He longs for the reader to understand how horrific the situation is and that even a so-called "free man" in these "free states" does not deem him safe from the clutches of slavery.
This is an immense effort on Solomon's part to be as accurate as possible to render this a proven account. As mentioned in the notes, the details in this record could have been and were verified to be true to bring more credence to his story. The way he writes shows a skill in storytelling, as threads are woven together, backwards and forwards at times, but it's all very organized. This is not to say that it's merely any historical account. Nothing feels clinical. There's so much despair in this that is hard to ignore, not just for Solomon even though he can be considered to be the most fortunate in his tale, as the reader can imagine the countless number of slaves who will never have the chance to escape.
I never would've known about this book if it wasn't for Steve McQueen's film adaptation of it. A devastating must-read.
challenging
informative
sad
slow-paced
informative
sad
slow-paced
I saw someone write the other day “I could read about slavery everyday for the rest of my life and still learn of a new atrocity every time.” I will echo that here.
A bit disappointing. Even in the height of drama the narrative is monotonous. It goes on random tangents on the precise details of growing cotton. But for me the most disappointing feature is the failure of the writer to take any stance at all on slavery. He almost seems to say that slavery is okay so long as the slave owner isn't a dick. I'm sure this is a reflection of the time it was written, but you'd think something described as the most compelling account of slavery would deign to have an opinion on the matter.
emotional
informative
sad
slow-paced
dark
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Man this book was intense. I feel so sad and angry. Nobody deserved to be treated the way Solomon and other slaves were treated. Nobody deserved to be treated like they aren't even a human being just because of the color of their skin. And I feel so angry that none of the men responsible for these 12 years he was enslaved and away from his family faced any consequences and that they all got away with it just because Solomon was a black man.
Wow. Just wow. I don’t remember the other books on slavery I read in high school so I can’t compare any. But Solomon was an amazing writer and a gifted storyteller. The biggest takeaway from the book is those that were born free have no concept of freedom at all. Slaves truly understand what freedom means.