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4.23 AVERAGE
4.23 AVERAGE
Just Wow!
This is not an easy read. But Holy Smokes, it is a powerful story. The true story of a free man who was kidnapped and taken away from his home and family in the north to become a slave in the south. My son read this for a college assignment and after he asked me to look through his paper for mistakes, I had to borrow the book! Painfully honest, full of violence, language, and pure horror, it is nonetheless unputdownable. Written before the Civil War, this account reveals the many ways that I was taught a sanitized version of our history of slavery. Oh, and I learned a bunch of new words besides. Folks had quite an eloquent vocabulary back then. I mean, not everyone, but Mr. Northup had such a lovely way with words, even about the terrible journey he lived. A first-hand account that is not to be missed!
This is not an easy read. But Holy Smokes, it is a powerful story. The true story of a free man who was kidnapped and taken away from his home and family in the north to become a slave in the south. My son read this for a college assignment and after he asked me to look through his paper for mistakes, I had to borrow the book! Painfully honest, full of violence, language, and pure horror, it is nonetheless unputdownable. Written before the Civil War, this account reveals the many ways that I was taught a sanitized version of our history of slavery. Oh, and I learned a bunch of new words besides. Folks had quite an eloquent vocabulary back then. I mean, not everyone, but Mr. Northup had such a lovely way with words, even about the terrible journey he lived. A first-hand account that is not to be missed!
The story was amazing, the writing for me wasn't as easy to read as some other historical books. I did struggle through it, but am glad I read it, and now have the actual story to compare to the movie, which is always a good thing.
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Wow, hard to even fathom that this is a true story. Worth the read.
I do find myself getting distracted while reading old books like this, and that I’m not as emotionally invested in the story, but I think that’s just because of the older writing style. I think this is the first older book that I’ve ever finished, which says a lot.
I do find myself getting distracted while reading old books like this, and that I’m not as emotionally invested in the story, but I think that’s just because of the older writing style. I think this is the first older book that I’ve ever finished, which says a lot.
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Note: Read for book club at work.
Being forced into slavery for twelve years after being free is the fate suffered by Solomon Northup. A true story of the trials and tribulations faced by a slave in New Orleans.
I liked this book a lot better than Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The pacing and way the book was arranged was a lot more interesting and I thought the arrangement made the book that much more powerful to read. It was a heartfelt and interesting read.
Being forced into slavery for twelve years after being free is the fate suffered by Solomon Northup. A true story of the trials and tribulations faced by a slave in New Orleans.
I liked this book a lot better than Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The pacing and way the book was arranged was a lot more interesting and I thought the arrangement made the book that much more powerful to read. It was a heartfelt and interesting read.
dark
emotional
medium-paced
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
I listened to this read as an audio book and I enjoyed the experience, as it felt more like Northup was talking to me and telling me his story. The book went through his early life and his kidnapping all the way through his reunion with his family. He was very careful to make sure that the reader understood that he was describing his own story and not trying to speak for the experience of enslaved people around the country. His memory for these events is incredibly detailed and fascinating and disturbing to read/listen to. This has been a book I’ve been wanting to read since I was young and I’m glad I finally did it
[bc:Twelve Years a Slave|13542540|Twelve Years a Slave|Solomon Northup|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348574569s/13542540.jpg|160246], a memoir written by [a:Solomon Northup|96426|Solomon Northup|http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66-251a730d696018971ef4a443cdeaae05.jpg], is the true story of Mr. Northrup's kidnapping and forced life in slavery in the 1840-50's. The narrative is an honest look through Mr. Northrup's eyes at the South and slavery during this awful time in American History. It is an enthralling, brutal, and shocking look into a subject that has stained our country since its origins.
[bc:Twelve Years a Slave|13542540|Twelve Years a Slave|Solomon Northup|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348574569s/13542540.jpg|160246] begins in the early 1840's in Saratoga County, New York. Northrup, who has been living as a free man in the North since his birth, is a resident of Saratoga Springs, and is tricked and kidnapped in Washington, D.C. by two slave traders. He is sold several times, and eventually ends up on the Bayou Boeuf in Louisiana - north of New Orleans. The narrative is told through [a:Solomon Northup|96426|Solomon Northup|http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66-251a730d696018971ef4a443cdeaae05.jpg]’s eyes as he is forced to journey through the horrors of slavery. He is an able bodied man in his 30's who is brutally honest throughout this tale. He attempts to tell the public about the sickening truths of slavery without giving too much personal opinion - he simply details what he had gone through - and I think that he does an excellent job with this. From the kind Master Ford to the sadistic Tibeats and Ebbs, Northrup recounts his many experiences dealing with the diverse faces of slavery.
[bc:Twelve Years a Slave|13542540|Twelve Years a Slave|Solomon Northup|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348574569s/13542540.jpg|160246] uncovers some of the most primal truths of this shameful period of our country’s history. I really loved how in-depth [a:Solomon Northup|96426|Solomon Northup|http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66-251a730d696018971ef4a443cdeaae05.jpg] went with his descriptions and the manner in which he justified some of the terrible, yet necessary, things that he did over his twelve years in captivity. I would recommend this book to anyone that is interested in historical non-fiction or the struggles that have been placed upon the marginalized populations of the world.
[bc:Twelve Years a Slave|13542540|Twelve Years a Slave|Solomon Northup|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348574569s/13542540.jpg|160246] begins in the early 1840's in Saratoga County, New York. Northrup, who has been living as a free man in the North since his birth, is a resident of Saratoga Springs, and is tricked and kidnapped in Washington, D.C. by two slave traders. He is sold several times, and eventually ends up on the Bayou Boeuf in Louisiana - north of New Orleans. The narrative is told through [a:Solomon Northup|96426|Solomon Northup|http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66-251a730d696018971ef4a443cdeaae05.jpg]’s eyes as he is forced to journey through the horrors of slavery. He is an able bodied man in his 30's who is brutally honest throughout this tale. He attempts to tell the public about the sickening truths of slavery without giving too much personal opinion - he simply details what he had gone through - and I think that he does an excellent job with this. From the kind Master Ford to the sadistic Tibeats and Ebbs, Northrup recounts his many experiences dealing with the diverse faces of slavery.
[bc:Twelve Years a Slave|13542540|Twelve Years a Slave|Solomon Northup|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348574569s/13542540.jpg|160246] uncovers some of the most primal truths of this shameful period of our country’s history. I really loved how in-depth [a:Solomon Northup|96426|Solomon Northup|http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66-251a730d696018971ef4a443cdeaae05.jpg] went with his descriptions and the manner in which he justified some of the terrible, yet necessary, things that he did over his twelve years in captivity. I would recommend this book to anyone that is interested in historical non-fiction or the struggles that have been placed upon the marginalized populations of the world.