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4.36 AVERAGE
4.36 AVERAGE
Loved it. Semi-biographical novelization of Alex Haley's own family from tribal life in Africa to slavery in the U.S. to his writing of the book. Excellent craftsmanship and narrative. Perfectly woven story from period to period. The characters were very relatable and human. There was something in the story that spoke to me as being about not only his specific family but about how every single living person has a lineage and a history whether they are aware of it or not; generations upon generations upon which the person that each of us is came about.
30 hours and 7 minutes of book and every one of them was important. This heartbreaking, inspiring, and epic tale across generations is something everyone should read at least once. We learn about slavery as a broad topic, and less about what day-to-day horrors people had to experience at the hands of white folks. Haley did a remarkable job of bringing these people to life and it was a pleasure to get to know them.
This book is a work of art. To start, Alex Haley tracing his ancestry back to the 1700s is such a genealogical feat when records are so scarce. Second, he tells the story of each generation with such love and attention to detail. The members of his family that the story centers around are so well rounded and well researched. Finally, the story is compelling every moment of the way. I can see why this book has been so important in recent history and I loved reading it.
edit: I just was reading some reviews that make it pretty clear that Haley's research is not so factually based as it claims to be. While this is a little disappointing, I still think it was well written and masterfully crafted, as well as historically significant.
edit: I just was reading some reviews that make it pretty clear that Haley's research is not so factually based as it claims to be. While this is a little disappointing, I still think it was well written and masterfully crafted, as well as historically significant.
Incredible epic devastating and gorgeous - if I made a list of 10 books to read before you die this would be right at the top.
One of the top 5 books I have ever read! FANTASTIC! A must read!
I got this book at a garage sale this summer and recognized the title as a book that I thought everyone had read but me. It turns out that not many people have read the book, but it was a very popular mini-series. Anyway...
This was a fabulous book. It has been about 5 weeks since I read it and I still keep thinking about it. It has changed how I see African-Americans--both physically and emotionally. Kunta described the different features of the slaves that he saw (wider noses, prominent foreheads, etc) and he knew which communities they came from. He also was surprised that certain blacks were not being used where their strengths were. For example, he thought the white men were stupid b/c they put a man in the field who was from a tribe that taught their men how to build homes.
It was interesting to see the generations of slaves change in their mentality. Kunta Kinte did not want to ever submit to the whites. He believed in continually trying to escape and couldn't understand why the blacks weren't revolting against slavery. Then he married and had a daughter, Kizzy. And suddenly you see that Kunta doesn't want his daughter to be in continual torment or running for her life. He wants her to be happy--and happy might mean being submissive to the whites and existing peacefully. The continual evolving of 7 generations was great reading and the end was sad, but satisfying.
I haven't seen the mini-series, but I can't imagine that it was as good as the book. I recommend that everyone reads this book.
This was a fabulous book. It has been about 5 weeks since I read it and I still keep thinking about it. It has changed how I see African-Americans--both physically and emotionally. Kunta described the different features of the slaves that he saw (wider noses, prominent foreheads, etc) and he knew which communities they came from. He also was surprised that certain blacks were not being used where their strengths were. For example, he thought the white men were stupid b/c they put a man in the field who was from a tribe that taught their men how to build homes.
It was interesting to see the generations of slaves change in their mentality. Kunta Kinte did not want to ever submit to the whites. He believed in continually trying to escape and couldn't understand why the blacks weren't revolting against slavery. Then he married and had a daughter, Kizzy. And suddenly you see that Kunta doesn't want his daughter to be in continual torment or running for her life. He wants her to be happy--and happy might mean being submissive to the whites and existing peacefully. The continual evolving of 7 generations was great reading and the end was sad, but satisfying.
I haven't seen the mini-series, but I can't imagine that it was as good as the book. I recommend that everyone reads this book.
dark
sad
slow-paced
I consider myself a pretty fast reader,usually. Not with this book, though. It took me almost two weeks to finish this book. There was just so much there that was so brutal and hard to read. I found myself completely drawn into this book and these characters. I wanted to read more about Kunta Kinte and was sad when his time in the novel ended. This book makes very clear how awful an institution slavery was and how ingrained into American culture it became. Through this book, we really see the effects of slavery and white supremacy down through the generations all the way up to the present day. I was reminded of the movie 12 Years a Slave, another example of how much damage slavery has done.
This book has been accused of being more a work of fiction than an actual fact. That doesn't take away anything from its power. As a white person, I was disgusted and sickened by the way my ancestors treated the slaves in this book. Even the "nicer" slave owners are still horrible because they own slaves in the first place. It is an institution that cannot be excused or justified. It simply was and remains a stain on our nation's history. This book shows that while we have come a long way, we haven't come far enough. I learned so much about the history of the slave trade from this book. For that alone, it is worth it. It also gives us so many compelling characters that I grew to know and love. That makes the atrocities committed against them even more deplorable. There is lots of awful stuff portrayed in this book, no doubt about that. However, it is all stuff that is necessary to read and understand. You need to know the history of slavery. Maybe then, you will understand a little better the struggles that black people face even now. I'm glad I spent the past two weeks reading this. It was well worth it. I feel like a better person and a better human being for having read this. I now have a better understanding of what it is like to be black in America.
This book has been accused of being more a work of fiction than an actual fact. That doesn't take away anything from its power. As a white person, I was disgusted and sickened by the way my ancestors treated the slaves in this book. Even the "nicer" slave owners are still horrible because they own slaves in the first place. It is an institution that cannot be excused or justified. It simply was and remains a stain on our nation's history. This book shows that while we have come a long way, we haven't come far enough. I learned so much about the history of the slave trade from this book. For that alone, it is worth it. It also gives us so many compelling characters that I grew to know and love. That makes the atrocities committed against them even more deplorable. There is lots of awful stuff portrayed in this book, no doubt about that. However, it is all stuff that is necessary to read and understand. You need to know the history of slavery. Maybe then, you will understand a little better the struggles that black people face even now. I'm glad I spent the past two weeks reading this. It was well worth it. I feel like a better person and a better human being for having read this. I now have a better understanding of what it is like to be black in America.
One of the most powerful books I've ever read. Expertly written...flawless!
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes