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4.36 AVERAGE
4.36 AVERAGE
Such a difficult but necessary read. I think that when everyone is old enough, they should read this book. We think we know about our country's evil path with slavery, but we don't truly. Even after reading this book I know there are atrocities that I couldn't even imagine. This novel takes us back... back to when the people who were enslaved were just living... truly living their best lives. These histories are difficult to digest, but they must be told. We must be better as people.
What a great book! Long, yes. But well written, interesting, heart-wrenching, warm, humorous, sad, informative, and amazing all rolled together. I love multi-generational stories. This one is worth a read.
Most amazing and disturbing literature I have ever read. And get this, I read this when I was in grade school, against my parents wishes, and I snuck and red it. When my mom was working nights in the hospital, I read this book and let me tell you, each page is filled with thrilling unexpected nuggets that will grab you and shake you to your very core. "He asked each boy to name the ancestor he remembered best; Cunta named his Grandma Yaisa, and the kin tango said hat each of the ancestors the boys had named--as was the way of ancestors..."
Amazing I tell you!!!
Amazing I tell you!!!
4.5 stars. The first 60% of this book, focused on Kunte Kinte, was 5 stars: gripping, interesting, and full of rich detail. The rest of the book is 4 stars: there are more and larger jumps forward in time, making the narrative less immersive, and I found it overall a bit less interesting, though still solid.
This book was originally incorrectly marketed as nonfiction. It also plagiarized some other works, and contains some historical inaccuracies. Those facts didn't affect my experience of reading it much.
This book was originally incorrectly marketed as nonfiction. It also plagiarized some other works, and contains some historical inaccuracies. Those facts didn't affect my experience of reading it much.
The pacing was amazing, characters were amazing, this was well worth the time!
4.25 stars
What a strong classic that I've been intimidated by for some time. I'm glad I read this novel that shows how slavery affected Alex Haley's family tree. I felt like the reader spends a lot of time with Kunta Kinte (the patriarch), but each subsequent generation is covered increasingly quickly. In some places that worked for me because, for instance, I didn't want to spend as much time with Chicken George. But I felt the story diluted over time because I didn't feel I understood the later generation characters as much.
What a strong classic that I've been intimidated by for some time. I'm glad I read this novel that shows how slavery affected Alex Haley's family tree. I felt like the reader spends a lot of time with Kunta Kinte (the patriarch), but each subsequent generation is covered increasingly quickly. In some places that worked for me because, for instance, I didn't want to spend as much time with Chicken George. But I felt the story diluted over time because I didn't feel I understood the later generation characters as much.
Roots : The Saga of an American Family by Alex Haley is a powerful and emotionally charged novel that delves dee into the legacy of slavery and racism in America. The book follows the story of Kunta Kinte, a young man from Gambia who is captured by slave traders and brought to theAmerica. The novel explores the themes of family, identity, and the resilience of the human spirit. Haley's writing is both eloquent and honest, and his attention to detail in research is remarkable. The characters are well-developed, and I can not help but become emotionally invested in Kunta Kinte's journey. The book is an important reminder of the atrocities of slavery and the impact it has had on African American culture in America. Despite its merits, I would give Roots four stars as it can be a heavy read and may not be suitable for everyone It can be difficult to confront the harsh realities of slavery and the novel's length may be intimidating to some readers However I believe that this book is a must-read for anyone interested in historical fiction or seeking a deeper understanding of African-American culture.
I think you would enjoy this book more if this was your introduction to slavery. Throughly enjoyed the first half - kunta kinte life but felt the book would benefit from being much shorter. Having said that it is a v gd book about slavery.
This book is amazing. Should definitely be required reading for every person in the USA.
I plan on updating this review shortly.
I plan on updating this review shortly.
What do you even say about a book like this? The narrative is so moving, the themes and descriptions are really moving. Spoiler alert/manic overshare but as someone who has been separated from her children unwillingly, I found the scene where Kizzie is separated from Kunta and Bell viscerally moving.
I think the one star reviews that critique the story of Kunta’s story being the best and not getting any closure are missing the point. The whole point is that yes, Kunta and Bell deserved to live out their lives in the company of their grandchildren and so on and so forth, but that right was interrupted by systemic racism. So instead what we get is a patchwork story — a beautiful patchwork story — of an American family whose dreams were constantly being held back by America itself.
I think the one star reviews that critique the story of Kunta’s story being the best and not getting any closure are missing the point. The whole point is that yes, Kunta and Bell deserved to live out their lives in the company of their grandchildren and so on and so forth, but that right was interrupted by systemic racism. So instead what we get is a patchwork story — a beautiful patchwork story — of an American family whose dreams were constantly being held back by America itself.