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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
I enjoyed 12 Years a Slave (novel) and I feel better prepared emotionally for the movie. Northrup's plight is incomprehensible from the perspective of a human being. That is to say I believe his kidnappers and some brutal "owners" to be inhuman and inhumane. I can't begin to occupy the headspace to accept slavery was anything other than barbaric.
The book was fantastic though the language was difficult to follow given it was "flowery" (mid 1800's) so the book didn't flow quickly for me and I found myself re-reading passages for better comprehension.
The book was fantastic though the language was difficult to follow given it was "flowery" (mid 1800's) so the book didn't flow quickly for me and I found myself re-reading passages for better comprehension.
Solomon Northup was born a free black man in New York. He married, had children and was working to support his family. He tells the story of how he was (likely) drugged and sold into slavery for 12 years.
He tells the story of how he was treated, both by good masters and bad ones; he tells us what life was like on a cotton plantation. and about harvesting sugar cane. He paints a vivid (but not graphic) picture of the despairing life of a woman who is raped regularly by her "master," and despised and persecuted by his wife for it.
He reassures the reader that in all slave hearts beats the desire for freedom. He demonstrates clearly that ignorance and brutality in the slave people is commonly a product of they way they are treated by their "masters."
There is a great speech attributed to Mr Bass, a Canadian in Louisiana, arguing with Epps (Solomon's owner) that slavery is evil, and assures that there is a judgment coming.
When Solomon at last is found and rescued by his childhood associate, I wept. I was so glad his bondage was over, and wished that they had been able to free the other slaves with him.
I'm so glad I read this book.
He tells the story of how he was treated, both by good masters and bad ones; he tells us what life was like on a cotton plantation. and about harvesting sugar cane. He paints a vivid (but not graphic) picture of the despairing life of a woman who is raped regularly by her "master," and despised and persecuted by his wife for it.
He reassures the reader that in all slave hearts beats the desire for freedom. He demonstrates clearly that ignorance and brutality in the slave people is commonly a product of they way they are treated by their "masters."
There is a great speech attributed to Mr Bass, a Canadian in Louisiana, arguing with Epps (Solomon's owner) that slavery is evil, and assures that there is a judgment coming.
When Solomon at last is found and rescued by his childhood associate, I wept. I was so glad his bondage was over, and wished that they had been able to free the other slaves with him.
I'm so glad I read this book.
This book was full of surprises. It weirdly felt very modern. His life wasn’t what I thought it would be before, during or after. It had incredible detail, which really brought his story alive. He is a remarkable man, pity much isn’t really known about him or his family after he was freed. I found it interesting to read all the evidence to back his story up at the end.
After seeng the movie, I wanted to read the book, now I finally have (via audio book), and it was a challenge. I'mnot sure I actually could have read this book, the writing style and language is so far removed from our time, but listening to it was interesing, jarring in many cases. Glad I read it because there are parts of Solomon Northup's story that weren't in the movie that add to my understanding of what he went through.
I really enjoyed this book, for me it was a slow read, due to the older style language, but a worthy read anyway.
Very good
This specific video review: https://youtu.be/aN_nVzL7tIM
For other video reviews check out my YouTube Channel Stephanie Uncensored
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNTmgDRRFoeRLS5l97T97Q
This specific video review: https://youtu.be/aN_nVzL7tIM
For other video reviews check out my YouTube Channel Stephanie Uncensored
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNTmgDRRFoeRLS5l97T97Q
This memoir offers disturbing insight into the first-hand experience of slavery in the mid 1800’s. I am interested in refreshing my knowledge and awareness of our nation’s history because I think as a white person it’s easy to look upon slavery as “history” and forget or ignore the horrible trauma generations of human beings bore before slavery was abolished. I was aware that the early slave trade involved kidnapping multitudes of people directly from Africa but I didn’t realize it also happened to free people within the United States.
I was impressed that the author held so much insight even after his experience to mention multiple times the “good” slave owners, who he felt were blinded to the wrongs of slavery but were still good people. I’m not sure after all he suffered that I would be so generous in his place. What an amazing human being. I’m grateful he was able to escape to tell his story.
I was impressed that the author held so much insight even after his experience to mention multiple times the “good” slave owners, who he felt were blinded to the wrongs of slavery but were still good people. I’m not sure after all he suffered that I would be so generous in his place. What an amazing human being. I’m grateful he was able to escape to tell his story.
What a story!
In the days before the infamous Civil War...the subject of slavery seems to be somewhat distant. Even to me as a 21st-century person couldn’t believe the reality of slavery. Yet, this terrible journey in the “peculiar institution” brought out on the table. Utterly tragedy! I mean I’m glad that Solomon was able to make it out but thousands of millions of others didn’t...the raw storytelling was raw. I’m not going to pick on the style or writing. The whole point of this is to be raw.
In the days before the infamous Civil War...the subject of slavery seems to be somewhat distant. Even to me as a 21st-century person couldn’t believe the reality of slavery. Yet, this terrible journey in the “peculiar institution” brought out on the table. Utterly tragedy! I mean I’m glad that Solomon was able to make it out but thousands of millions of others didn’t...the raw storytelling was raw. I’m not going to pick on the style or writing. The whole point of this is to be raw.