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4.36 AVERAGE
4.36 AVERAGE
Thanks to the very popular 1970s miniseries and another newer adaptation (neither of which I've yet seen) as well as the widespread popularity of the book, I knew a lot about this book before I read it. Many plot points were things I had heard talked about when I was a child, or heard referenced since in discussions or in other works. I even already knew the name of the patriarch of the family the book chronicles: Kunta Kinte.
There are some truly striking characters and moving moments throughout this book. Kunta Kinte's stubborn determination to hold on to who he was in the face of kidnapping, slavery, disfigurement, and so much trauma was especially striking. The complicated relationship between Chicken George and his father/owner Tom Lea revealed deep ambiguities and contradictions among the people impacted by slavery (owners and slaves).
The book is eminently readable, with a strong narrative voice and a good sense of scene. In the end, though, it could have been so much better. None of the other narratives is as striking as Kunta Kinte's. And even Kinte's story started to bog down during the part describing his life in Africa before his capture.
All of the female characters are undeveloped, their traumas explored for a moment then never mentioned again (I'm thinking of Kizzy in particular, who was raped repeatedly during her first months at Tom Lea's over and over again, a fact which was never mentioned again as Lea went on to become almost sympathetic in his relationship with the son he fathered in this manner. The story doesn't say the rape stopped or it didn't. It just fails to comment at all.
The long digressions into details of farming, chicken fighting, and blacksmithing detracted from the human story as they fell into minutiae.
If the story had been reined in and tightened, the emotional impact could have been more intense. If the other generations' lead characters were as fully realized as Kinte and the narrative as tightly focused around one character, it would have felt less diffuse. In trying to be everything, the book missed an opportunity to be something and to be that something very well.
The last three chapters, while interesting, didn't belong in the book at all. They were a complete departure in tone and narration and felt more like an epilogue or author's note about the writing of the book. I wish the book ended with "The baby boy, six weeks old, was me" and the rest had been in a separate appendix. "So, thank you" is the proper ending to an acknowledgements page, not this epic multi-generational family story.
I'm still glad I read the book, but there are other books about slavery times that had a much greater impact on me.
There are some truly striking characters and moving moments throughout this book. Kunta Kinte's stubborn determination to hold on to who he was in the face of kidnapping, slavery, disfigurement, and so much trauma was especially striking. The complicated relationship between Chicken George and his father/owner Tom Lea revealed deep ambiguities and contradictions among the people impacted by slavery (owners and slaves).
The book is eminently readable, with a strong narrative voice and a good sense of scene. In the end, though, it could have been so much better. None of the other narratives is as striking as Kunta Kinte's. And even Kinte's story started to bog down during the part describing his life in Africa before his capture.
All of the female characters are undeveloped, their traumas explored for a moment then never mentioned again (I'm thinking of Kizzy in particular, who was raped repeatedly during her first months at Tom Lea's over and over again, a fact which was never mentioned again as Lea went on to become almost sympathetic in his relationship with the son he fathered in this manner. The story doesn't say the rape stopped or it didn't. It just fails to comment at all.
The long digressions into details of farming, chicken fighting, and blacksmithing detracted from the human story as they fell into minutiae.
If the story had been reined in and tightened, the emotional impact could have been more intense. If the other generations' lead characters were as fully realized as Kinte and the narrative as tightly focused around one character, it would have felt less diffuse. In trying to be everything, the book missed an opportunity to be something and to be that something very well.
The last three chapters, while interesting, didn't belong in the book at all. They were a complete departure in tone and narration and felt more like an epilogue or author's note about the writing of the book. I wish the book ended with "The baby boy, six weeks old, was me" and the rest had been in a separate appendix. "So, thank you" is the proper ending to an acknowledgements page, not this epic multi-generational family story.
I'm still glad I read the book, but there are other books about slavery times that had a much greater impact on me.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
I read this book for the first time when I was in middle school and it simply blew me away. The book is a mix of biography and historical fiction, based on Haley's research of his family history.
The story starts when a young African boy named Kunte Kinte is kidnapped and brought to America as a slave. He survives a harrowing journey on the slave ship and refuses to give in to despair. He is sold to a Virginia planter and spends the rest of his life as a slave.
The story follows Kunte Kinte's family over the next seven generations as they struggle to triumph over incredible adversity.
One of my favorite books of all time. READ THIS BOOK!
The story starts when a young African boy named Kunte Kinte is kidnapped and brought to America as a slave. He survives a harrowing journey on the slave ship and refuses to give in to despair. He is sold to a Virginia planter and spends the rest of his life as a slave.
The story follows Kunte Kinte's family over the next seven generations as they struggle to triumph over incredible adversity.
One of my favorite books of all time. READ THIS BOOK!
Rude, magnifique, nécessaire.
Prévoir une boîte de mouchoirs, surtout sur les cinquante dernières pages, si comme moi on est émotif.
Prévoir une boîte de mouchoirs, surtout sur les cinquante dernières pages, si comme moi on est émotif.
an extensively written family history and perhaps one of the best multigenerational stories out there.
You settle on the floor of Alex Haley's living room, warming yourself by the fire as he tells you the story of this ancestors. It's a slow and lilting voice that conveys the pain, joy, exhilaration, and grief of his forefathers and mothers. I feel that the audio book production gave another layer of significance, since all of these stories were passed by word of mouth.
I enjoyed this book and feel that I have learned and grown from the experiences of Kunta, Kizzy, Chicken George, and Tom.
Although I loved this book, I would not recommend it to everyone. I don't think everyone would appreciate the research, story telling, and subject matter.
I enjoyed this book and feel that I have learned and grown from the experiences of Kunta, Kizzy, Chicken George, and Tom.
Although I loved this book, I would not recommend it to everyone. I don't think everyone would appreciate the research, story telling, and subject matter.
an extensively written family history and perhaps one of the best multigenerational stories out there.
the first third was great and then it lost a lot of the excitement and became tedious (I know more about fighting chickens than I care to). I realize this came first, but [b:Homegoing|27071490|Homegoing|Yaa Gyasi|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1448108591l/27071490._SY75_.jpg|47113792] was a similar idea and better throughout (and, 600 pages less).
Wow, just wow.
This is the best book I've read this year (beside Harry Potter which I reread every year and still love) The story was great and even better because it is true!! Everything was so so interesting and i learned so much.
It took me awhile to read, but only because it is a very large book perfect for squishing things. It didn't matter thought, I wasn't bored with this book once.
The characters were well written. The only character I didn't like was Chicken George. But his story was still interesting I just didn't like him much.
Well written, great story. I have no complaints about this book and I love it. :D:D
This is the best book I've read this year (beside Harry Potter which I reread every year and still love) The story was great and even better because it is true!! Everything was so so interesting and i learned so much.
It took me awhile to read, but only because it is a very large book perfect for squishing things. It didn't matter thought, I wasn't bored with this book once.
The characters were well written. The only character I didn't like was Chicken George. But his story was still interesting I just didn't like him much.
Well written, great story. I have no complaints about this book and I love it. :D:D
Oh man, I can not stop thinking about this book. It’s long enough to really get invested in this family. Really powerful.