Reviews - Oroonoko: Or, The Royal Slave, A True Story

660 reviews for:

Oroonoko: Or, The Royal Slave, A True Story

Aphra Behn

2.84 AVERAGE

bookishlychelle's review against another edition

3.0

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

carlyisnotliterate's review against another edition

1.0

I skimmed this. Sucked absolute ass. Would never fucking recommend. Ever.

evelynepisodes's review against another edition

3.0

challenging dark slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Content Warnings

archerisonline's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark informative reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

lonelyghostsclub's review against another edition

3.0

medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Content Warnings

texreader's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

This book, published in 1688, is brutal, by a woman “often cited as the first known professional female writer.” Prince Oroonoko‘s betrothed is sold into slavery. Then he is tricked by an evil English slave trader and sold into slavery. Shipped to Suriname, he finds his lover owned by the same master. Initially treated well because of his royalty, he is betrayed again. So he kills his love, and himself in the most gruesome of ways. All of this in the summary, so no spoilers. But that‘s the entire story. Beautiful imagery of the country, Behn is a lovely writer. I‘m trying to decide if she was opposed to slavery. Some times she seems to excuse it, but given the brutality of the story I tend to think she very much opposed it. A hard but short read. Prepare yourself accordingly if you decide to read it.

rebeccazh's review against another edition

Short novel I read for my lit mod about the eighteenth century. In Oroonoko, Aphra Behn dramatizes and romanticizes an African prince, Oronooko and his ill-fated love with Imoinda. She circles around the ideas of the noble savage and natural kingship - very much brings to mind Shakespeare's Othello.