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More like a 3.5 stars. It was an interesting book, but I didn’t love it. I only sometimes felt any empathy towards Wash, though his character seemed only defined by the things he wanted and the things he was scared by. I liked Tanna and Mr Goff quite a bit, as they were whole, multi-faceted characters, who were intelligent and interesting and hard working. Titch was lovable and despicable in equal measures. And while Wash’s travels were extremely extensive, no one seemed to care about it at all. I would have thought that his freedom and his story would be amazing to those around him. I was disappointed in the ending as well, which held no closure. I would like to know how the octopus fared, and what happened to Ocean House.
DNF’d it around 35% into the audiobook. I found it incredibly slow going and monotonous, unfortunately.
Haiku
...
Unfathomable
Portrait of a young artist
Born in slavery
.
.
Historic fiction
A layered unraveling
Conjuring Jules Verne
.
.
Glowing sea creatures
Shallow odds of survival
Seeking ghosts, alas
.
.
Broken men striving
A sea of guilt dried in sand
In a cruel cruel world
4.5
...
Unfathomable
Portrait of a young artist
Born in slavery
.
.
Historic fiction
A layered unraveling
Conjuring Jules Verne
.
.
Glowing sea creatures
Shallow odds of survival
Seeking ghosts, alas
.
.
Broken men striving
A sea of guilt dried in sand
In a cruel cruel world
4.5
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
I should have liked this more than I did. I agree with reviewers who say it started out powerful and fizzled to an end that wasn't endy enough for me. Last third just seemed like a long epilogue. I did like the writing and setting. I would read more from the author.
Graphic: Slavery, Torture
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
reflective
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:
Yes
DNF I got lost in the storyline and it felt like it just kept dragging on at one point
“You were more concerned that slavery should be a moral stain upon white men than by the actual damage it wreaks on black men.”4/5 stars.
ebook, 432 pages.
Read from February 25, 2022 to March 6, 2022.
Review at The Pluviophile Writer: https://bit.ly/38mkL5T
An 8 Sentence Review:
The runner up of this year's Canada Reads 2022 debate, this is not the author's first stint in the annual debates.
Washington Black is an accessible and unique story that paints a picture of slavery and racism while taking readers on a unique journey with varying plot points that include aeronautics, marine biology, art, and an arctic expedition. Washington's story takes him from a plantation in Barbados to the Arctic circle, Canada and even London. It's by a strike of luck that he gets away from the plantation and that his talents for drawing are recognised by people who both help and use him. Washington spends most of his life on the run but no matter how far he gets he can't seem to escape his past.
Washington Black is an immersive and enjoyable adventure read but feels more fantastical than most historical fiction novels on this subject. Washington's story is engaging but was not as potent as some of the other contenders in terms of meeting the Canada Read's 2022 theme. The author is a talented and capable writer and I would recommend this book to those that are looking for an engaging, easy, and unique historical fiction.
.....Read this book. Now.
Like Kushner's monologue at the end of Angels in America, Edugyan captures the transitory nature of life, self-possession, and identity. There is an ephemeral quality to Edugyan's writing that does not detract from the hard edge of the story's subject matter.
The story has really played with my view of power. In the throes of the narrative, Tanna (a gorgeously written character) charges Wash with the precept that our views of humanity can sometimes rest on the relationship between the people who save and the people who need saving; our ideas about the interior lives and motivations of individuals are too simplistic, binary almost, in the face of the insurmountable complexity that human life entails.
Aside from being eminently quotable, the book packs a punch that you might not feel until a few hours after reading.
Like Kushner's monologue at the end of Angels in America, Edugyan captures the transitory nature of life, self-possession, and identity. There is an ephemeral quality to Edugyan's writing that does not detract from the hard edge of the story's subject matter.
The story has really played with my view of power. In the throes of the narrative, Tanna (a gorgeously written character) charges Wash with the precept that our views of humanity can sometimes rest on the relationship between the people who save and the people who need saving; our ideas about the interior lives and motivations of individuals are too simplistic, binary almost, in the face of the insurmountable complexity that human life entails.
Aside from being eminently quotable, the book packs a punch that you might not feel until a few hours after reading.
George Washington Black is born a slave, but that is not what life has in store for him. For me the best part of the book was the language, the way the words flowed on the page. Some of what Wash gets up to I'm rather incredulous to. I appreciate the nods to mental health at the time however.
Definitely a good read, and with my book club there was a good discussion too. About Wash, about Titch and about the life changes and especially the ending.
Definitely a good read, and with my book club there was a good discussion too. About Wash, about Titch and about the life changes and especially the ending.