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4.37 AVERAGE
4.37 AVERAGE
This book was pretty incredible. I wasn't sure if it was going to hold up to the place it holds in American culture, but I was engrossed the whole time. I didn't realize that the first 20-plus chapters was going to show Kunta Kinte's life in Africa, which made his capture and enslavement that much more gutting, knowing the intimate and warm details of his life beforehand.
Wikipedia has a long section about all the problems with Haley's research (which I ended up at after I was wondering how an enslaved person could be sent to England after the country had abolished slavery((that couldn’t happen)) and I know this book was originally sold as nonfiction (that was a mistake) but it is still a well-researched, culturally important, and immensely readable story.
Wikipedia has a long section about all the problems with Haley's research (which I ended up at after I was wondering how an enslaved person could be sent to England after the country had abolished slavery((that couldn’t happen)) and I know this book was originally sold as nonfiction (that was a mistake) but it is still a well-researched, culturally important, and immensely readable story.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Despite the controversy surrounding the legitimacy of this family saga, it is still an important story to be told about the history of slavery in the US. And it is well written and both heartbreaking and heartwarming.
challenging
emotional
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
It seems impossible to "enjoy" a book about a man who has been kidnapped and taken across the ocean to be a slave and about the many atrocities and injustice that have been done to him and his descendants. And yet, I couldn't put "Roots" down, and soon Kunta Kinte and his family began to feel like my family, even though I'm white and from Europe. Also, as someone who has a penchant for genealogical research, I was amazed and full of admiration for the way in which the author managed to find confirmation of his family history passed down from generation to generation.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I feel weird reviewing a book like this. The ending made me cry. A lot of the scenes made me cry. Only issue was the pacing was a little slow until the end but that’s just how it is. I wouldn’t change it at all.
This is one of those epic novels that I hated to see end because it felt so real to me. The characters were so well-developed that I felt as if I knew each and every one.
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes