corvusastrum's review against another edition
2.5
I don't even know what to say that hasn't been said better already. Incredibly important, but badly written and - as it was the norm back then - quite damn preachy. Good to have read it, but I don't think I will again.
This is not actually the edition I read. As it has been printed before the ISBN was a thing it is basically untraceable online. I'm just mentioning it here because it's full of absolutely breathtaking illustrations by an unnamed artist and I feel like it'd be a shame not to mention how much colour they brought to this reading experience.
This is not actually the edition I read. As it has been printed before the ISBN was a thing it is basically untraceable online. I'm just mentioning it here because it's full of absolutely breathtaking illustrations by an unnamed artist and I feel like it'd be a shame not to mention how much colour they brought to this reading experience.
rebecca_reeves's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
yeahjaclynn's review against another edition
read for school, spring 2020. surprisingly readable for a book from its time, but it still had its moments. maybe not a good first classic, but possibly a good second classic.
the illustrated edition i read was from my local library. it is no longer in print, which is neat.
the illustrated edition i read was from my local library. it is no longer in print, which is neat.
laurammon's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
shiradest's review against another edition
4.0
I was shocked when I saw how bravely Tom stood up to his 'master' and refused to obey the order to whip his fellow slave, knowing that the price would inevitably be a painful death. I see that the sacrifice is now-a-days considered to be giving in, but in that context, under those circumstances, his only choices were obey or dis-obey, non-violently or make life even worse for the others and himself. Given those realities, he acted heroically, not as we currently use the phrase 'an Uncle Tom.'
benetnasch's review against another edition
Realized I read this one years ago, and the deja vu kept throwing me off lmao. It's the kind of book I only wanted to read once.
stephjl's review against another edition
you know what? I just won't pick the essay questions about this book. fuck it.
zoes_human's review against another edition
1.0
As a piece of literature, Uncle Tom's Cabin is appalling. At least half of it is pure, unabated preaching. The dialog is so overwhelmingly didactic that it's absurd to consider a person should ever have spoken that way. This all makes sense though considering that it was written with the intent of being informative on the topic of slavery. However, for the modern reader, much more may be gleaned of the conditions of slavery by reading actual slave narratives - most of which are better written.
Historically it is, nonetheless, still of some interest. (Though I'm not confident that it is of enough interest to actually read it.) While the conditions of slaves and behaviors of slave holders are far better understood via the narratives, this novel reveals, far more than what it was meant to reveal, the racism of white abolitionists. After all, the reason the novel was useful was because it was written by a white person and a piece of fiction written by a white woman based on hearsay carried more weight than the absolute truth as written by a black person with first-hand experience. If you doubt that, I ask you to recall that all slave narratives include a section of dozens of "testimonies" by white men to give credibility to the author.
In short, if you want to know about slavery go read Twelve Years a Slave, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Narrative of Sojourner Truth, etc. If you want to know the manner in which white abolitionists were racist, read this. In fact, you could even read The Life of Josiah Henson, Formerly a Slave, Now an Inhabitant of Canada instead of this since his life is the one upon which this is loosely based.
Historically it is, nonetheless, still of some interest. (Though I'm not confident that it is of enough interest to actually read it.) While the conditions of slaves and behaviors of slave holders are far better understood via the narratives, this novel reveals, far more than what it was meant to reveal, the racism of white abolitionists. After all, the reason the novel was useful was because it was written by a white person and a piece of fiction written by a white woman based on hearsay carried more weight than the absolute truth as written by a black person with first-hand experience. If you doubt that, I ask you to recall that all slave narratives include a section of dozens of "testimonies" by white men to give credibility to the author.
In short, if you want to know about slavery go read Twelve Years a Slave, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Narrative of Sojourner Truth, etc. If you want to know the manner in which white abolitionists were racist, read this. In fact, you could even read The Life of Josiah Henson, Formerly a Slave, Now an Inhabitant of Canada instead of this since his life is the one upon which this is loosely based.
miss_ishy's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
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? It's complicated
5.0
gothamballer39's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Honestly I liked this more than I thought I would. It is definitely a testament of its time and doesn't stand up all that well today. Respect to Stowe for the impact this book made in its hey-day, but we could probably SparkNote it at this point and still get enough out of it.