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4.36 AVERAGE
4.36 AVERAGE
RE-READ.
Read this book pretty you originally, after seeing the mini series. I feel that Roots should be read or watched by everyone at some point in their lives. I genuinely enjoy this book, I value it’s awesome depth, and it’s very ii here the sort of original family anthology book.
I know that quite a bit of Haley’s “fact” is likely embellished and s really can’t be proven, but I don’t think that matters as much as the general vein of the story he is telling. Too many Black families can relate to this - in fact all descendants of Black people who were brought her unwillingly can, and that is where the importance of the story is. Arguing over how “real” Haley’s specific story is is silly.
Roots drags pretty hard at the end, and it gets difficult to read during a lot of Chicken George’s parts as he is … frankly kind of a huge asshole to his wife. But the book as a whole is a pinnacle of literature and Haley is an excellent storyteller.
Read this book pretty you originally, after seeing the mini series. I feel that Roots should be read or watched by everyone at some point in their lives. I genuinely enjoy this book, I value it’s awesome depth, and it’s very ii here the sort of original family anthology book.
I know that quite a bit of Haley’s “fact” is likely embellished and s really can’t be proven, but I don’t think that matters as much as the general vein of the story he is telling. Too many Black families can relate to this - in fact all descendants of Black people who were brought her unwillingly can, and that is where the importance of the story is. Arguing over how “real” Haley’s specific story is is silly.
Roots drags pretty hard at the end, and it gets difficult to read during a lot of Chicken George’s parts as he is … frankly kind of a huge asshole to his wife. But the book as a whole is a pinnacle of literature and Haley is an excellent storyteller.
This story blew me away. I'll be ruminating on it for years, to come.
I’m happy that I finished Roots since it had been on my to be read pile for years. I’d watched the television version years ago then rewatching it recently. I didn’t pay much attention to the television version but the book really helped put all the pieces together of Alex Haley’s ancestor Kunta Kinte.
Roots starts out in Gambia and discusses the birth of Kunta until he is captured by slavers and taken to the shores of Maryland. I had no idea he was brought here in the 1760’s. How ironic til this day that white men wanted freedom from England all while enslaving black people......
There was a bunch of facts that I either missed in the television series or were just in the book itself. I was very shocked at how old Kunta was when he married Bell. They were in their 40’s by the time she was born. The story goes on to talk about Kizzy’s life and her son Chicken George and his family after the Civil War. The story followed the family all the way until Alex Haley was born. The last part talked about Alex’s research into his family history and finally writing this book.
This version of Roots is an abridged audio version. The unabridged version is about 30 hours and I some how feel like I missed a huge amount of the story. I may go back and listen to the unabridged version.
I’m slightly envious that Mr Haley can trace his roots all the way back to Africa,back to the village where his ancestors lived. I believe that they kept their history alive by talking about their ancestor that had been brought over on a slave ship and how he never forgot his name or where he came from.
Roots starts out in Gambia and discusses the birth of Kunta until he is captured by slavers and taken to the shores of Maryland. I had no idea he was brought here in the 1760’s. How ironic til this day that white men wanted freedom from England all while enslaving black people......
There was a bunch of facts that I either missed in the television series or were just in the book itself. I was very shocked at how old Kunta was when he married Bell. They were in their 40’s by the time she was born. The story goes on to talk about Kizzy’s life and her son Chicken George and his family after the Civil War. The story followed the family all the way until Alex Haley was born. The last part talked about Alex’s research into his family history and finally writing this book.
This version of Roots is an abridged audio version. The unabridged version is about 30 hours and I some how feel like I missed a huge amount of the story. I may go back and listen to the unabridged version.
I’m slightly envious that Mr Haley can trace his roots all the way back to Africa,back to the village where his ancestors lived. I believe that they kept their history alive by talking about their ancestor that had been brought over on a slave ship and how he never forgot his name or where he came from.
I thought I had a decent understanding of the travesty of slavery, but this book opened my eyes to unimaginable heartache. As I've pondered what makes this story more compelling than other accounts I've read, I think it is two things.
First this was based on a true story as told and passed orally through generations of slaves held in captivity. Many other stories are either fictitious and/or told by people who are separated from the slaves by degrees or race and class. This near-first-hand account really sheds light on the brutality. It's convenient to whitewash history and defend enslavers as a product of the time. "It was just the culture," or "it was the only way they knew," are common cries. Other accounts try to paint the occasional enslaver as not that bad if they provided certain benefits of leniencies. This book drew a very plain line that being nice to slaves is still slavery! There is no dignity in abuse even if the abuse isn't as visibly noticable to others. Slavery is slavery and enslavers are enslavers. Period.
The second distinction between this book and other accounts is the finality that occurred a few times as families were ripped apart. Story telling workshops instruct that a good story should have a beginning, a middle, and an end. While the book as a whole completes that arc, the experiences within the chapters don't always get that closure. This story is told through generations, so only the story of the ancestors closest to the author persists. For example, when a teenage daughter is torn from her parents and sold to another enslaver, we hear of her heartache and fears, but are left to imagine the feelings those left behind. I kept hoping until the very last page that one surviving person would come across a cousin or other descendant that could fill in the holes that were left when families were destroyed. Those holes are left unfilled in my head, but that is a small comparison to the void experienced by the families themselves. I can't imagine being torn from my loved ones without a chance to say goodbye and to never know anything about them again. Several times in the book the characters felt that their ancestors were looking down on them from beyond the grave. I believe that's true and that their reunions must be the sweetest that exist. I hope that they have found closure and peace that were cruelly denied them in this life.
I highly recommend this book, but know that it is a tough read. As a true account it deals with kidnapping, physical and mental torture, sexual abuse, slavery, and in trying to keep the dialogue authentic with the era, uses the n-word frequently. Thanks Melissa for the recommendation!
First this was based on a true story as told and passed orally through generations of slaves held in captivity. Many other stories are either fictitious and/or told by people who are separated from the slaves by degrees or race and class. This near-first-hand account really sheds light on the brutality. It's convenient to whitewash history and defend enslavers as a product of the time. "It was just the culture," or "it was the only way they knew," are common cries. Other accounts try to paint the occasional enslaver as not that bad if they provided certain benefits of leniencies. This book drew a very plain line that being nice to slaves is still slavery! There is no dignity in abuse even if the abuse isn't as visibly noticable to others. Slavery is slavery and enslavers are enslavers. Period.
The second distinction between this book and other accounts is the finality that occurred a few times as families were ripped apart. Story telling workshops instruct that a good story should have a beginning, a middle, and an end. While the book as a whole completes that arc, the experiences within the chapters don't always get that closure. This story is told through generations, so only the story of the ancestors closest to the author persists. For example, when a teenage daughter is torn from her parents and sold to another enslaver, we hear of her heartache and fears, but are left to imagine the feelings those left behind. I kept hoping until the very last page that one surviving person would come across a cousin or other descendant that could fill in the holes that were left when families were destroyed. Those holes are left unfilled in my head, but that is a small comparison to the void experienced by the families themselves. I can't imagine being torn from my loved ones without a chance to say goodbye and to never know anything about them again. Several times in the book the characters felt that their ancestors were looking down on them from beyond the grave. I believe that's true and that their reunions must be the sweetest that exist. I hope that they have found closure and peace that were cruelly denied them in this life.
I highly recommend this book, but know that it is a tough read. As a true account it deals with kidnapping, physical and mental torture, sexual abuse, slavery, and in trying to keep the dialogue authentic with the era, uses the n-word frequently. Thanks Melissa for the recommendation!
Wow. Just....wow. I'm floored by this book. This is a must-read for all Americans, without a doubt. Of course much has been written about American slavery and plantation life, but the painstakingly preserved oral tradition that recorded Mr. Haley's African heritage truly demonstrates the scope of the tragedy, in how much was stolen over hundreds of years in the names of racism, hatred, and profit. My heart aches for the millions of African-Americans who were not as lucky to have what Mr. Haley did - both the clues as to where he came from, and the resources to follow the trail all the way back to the village in the Gambia.
I think this is best captured in how jarring the POV changes are. After spending over a third of the book following Kunta from the Gambia to Virginia, I felt betrayed when that connection was abruptly severed. It didn't take me long to realize this was the reality endured by so many slave families who ripped away from their loved ones, never to be seen or heard from again.
The pacing also felt uneven, with the last generations being described much more in a Biblical "Tom begot Cynthia begot Bertha begot Alex" sort of way. However again I quickly realized how much this added to the book rather than took away from it--for the author, the connection back to Africa is the most important part, so it makes sense such a large chunk of the story takes place there and with "the African ancestor" as the narrator.
I can easily see why Haley's book is considered one of the most important works of American 20th century literature. It deserves that honor, and then some. For those who wonder why the call for racial justice in America is still so strong in 2020, the legacy of Black pain and suffering is laid out in stark detail right here. The repercussions of America's original sin are still with us, and until we make real progress towards correcting the long, ugly legacy of cruelty and injustice, there will continue to be a reckoning.
I think this is best captured in how jarring the POV changes are. After spending over a third of the book following Kunta from the Gambia to Virginia, I felt betrayed when that connection was abruptly severed. It didn't take me long to realize this was the reality endured by so many slave families who ripped away from their loved ones, never to be seen or heard from again.
The pacing also felt uneven, with the last generations being described much more in a Biblical "Tom begot Cynthia begot Bertha begot Alex" sort of way. However again I quickly realized how much this added to the book rather than took away from it--for the author, the connection back to Africa is the most important part, so it makes sense such a large chunk of the story takes place there and with "the African ancestor" as the narrator.
I can easily see why Haley's book is considered one of the most important works of American 20th century literature. It deserves that honor, and then some. For those who wonder why the call for racial justice in America is still so strong in 2020, the legacy of Black pain and suffering is laid out in stark detail right here. The repercussions of America's original sin are still with us, and until we make real progress towards correcting the long, ugly legacy of cruelty and injustice, there will continue to be a reckoning.
The fact that this book isn't required reading for every American history class is beyond me. I loved it, even when it made me feel sick, guilty, or heartbroken, there is always a hopefulness and spirit that kept me moving through the pages. It is immersive, allowing you to experience the horrors and joys of its charcters in the safety that the written word allows an easy escape by simply closing the covers. Read ROOTS, it will change you.
This book should be required reading for all of us. It presents the horrors of slavery in a terrifyingly heartbreaking way. You think you know something about slavery... then you read this book. It's a commitment well worth the time it takes to read.
This may have been 5 stars for the story alone but the writing was absolutely captivating. A well-deserved Pulitzer for scope and storytelling. I might have wished for some of the more graphic scenes to be less vivid but it would have lessened the impact and wouldn’t have done justice for these characters whether they were real or imagined…
I was aware before beginning this book of the controversy surrounding it. I’m surprised that the book world at the time of its publishing labeled this as non-fiction. In my opinion, anytime there is dialogue between characters in a book it is automatically fiction and in this case fiction based on true events. Where there are recordings or journal entries used to create the dialogue, maybe, but those kinds of records aren’t possible for this demographic during the bulk of the eras portrayed here. The most compelling part of the controversy for me is that Haley admitted to plagiarizing and that the historicity of the characters has been disproved. I'm not happy about it, I wish Haley hadn't resorted to borrowing from other accounts to plump it up and I wish this had been accurately labeled as historical fiction. Ultimately, it’s a good story and I think it’s good to remember that it’s a story and that the depictions of slavery and the experience of the enslaved have basis in truth.
There is no denying the impact this book has had on the world we inhabit. The book sparked an interest in genealogy, for both black and white, in America. It’s hard to attempt to calculate the impact that interest has had on science, medicine, how we see ourselves, etc. While academics and scholars were already aware of the history, the miniseries that was watched by an estimated half of Americans changed the way that laymen saw our collective past, which up until then had been portrayed very differently in pop culture.
If Alex Haley’s incredible accounting of tracking down his family history in the final pages of “Roots” had been accurate it would have been a small miracle. I don’t find it surprising that further research brought what he wrote here into question. The beautiful thing is that in writing half truths he spurred many others to search for their ancestors stories and to learn the true history.
I was aware before beginning this book of the controversy surrounding it. I’m surprised that the book world at the time of its publishing labeled this as non-fiction. In my opinion, anytime there is dialogue between characters in a book it is automatically fiction and in this case fiction based on true events. Where there are recordings or journal entries used to create the dialogue, maybe, but those kinds of records aren’t possible for this demographic during the bulk of the eras portrayed here. The most compelling part of the controversy for me is that Haley admitted to plagiarizing and that the historicity of the characters has been disproved. I'm not happy about it, I wish Haley hadn't resorted to borrowing from other accounts to plump it up and I wish this had been accurately labeled as historical fiction. Ultimately, it’s a good story and I think it’s good to remember that it’s a story and that the depictions of slavery and the experience of the enslaved have basis in truth.
There is no denying the impact this book has had on the world we inhabit. The book sparked an interest in genealogy, for both black and white, in America. It’s hard to attempt to calculate the impact that interest has had on science, medicine, how we see ourselves, etc. While academics and scholars were already aware of the history, the miniseries that was watched by an estimated half of Americans changed the way that laymen saw our collective past, which up until then had been portrayed very differently in pop culture.
If Alex Haley’s incredible accounting of tracking down his family history in the final pages of “Roots” had been accurate it would have been a small miracle. I don’t find it surprising that further research brought what he wrote here into question. The beautiful thing is that in writing half truths he spurred many others to search for their ancestors stories and to learn the true history.
I did enjoy this book, for the most part, but a part of me feels like the length was an unnecessary byproduct of a very repetitive writing style. It seemed, to me, that much of the books girth could have been cut simply by cutting out sentences that had previously appeared in almost the exact wording. That said, I found the book and its research interesting, though the only character I really found myself getting into in any meaningful way was that of Kunta Kinte, as the others simply seemed flat.
challenging
dark
sad