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2.84 AVERAGE
2.84 AVERAGE
dark
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
read this for class. i knew it would be racist, as a black king’s story told by some random white woman, but it read as torture porn sometimes and exceeded my expectations of how bad it could really be.
i’d recommend the history of mary prince instead. based on a true story and although is also written by a white woman, so tons of discussion to be had there about white people feeling the need to tell black people’s stories for them, it is much gruesome than this which was only gruesome for the sake of shock value to its white english reader.
i’d recommend the history of mary prince instead. based on a true story and although is also written by a white woman, so tons of discussion to be had there about white people feeling the need to tell black people’s stories for them, it is much gruesome than this which was only gruesome for the sake of shock value to its white english reader.
2.5
I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t this.
The plot of this story was really quite interesting. I’m surprised this hasn’t been turned into a film.
I understand that this novel was one of the first of its kind, but I found it a bit difficult to get into. I enjoyed the plot, but the way it was being conveyed was not as enjoyable.
I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t this.
The plot of this story was really quite interesting. I’m surprised this hasn’t been turned into a film.
I understand that this novel was one of the first of its kind, but I found it a bit difficult to get into. I enjoyed the plot, but the way it was being conveyed was not as enjoyable.
Read this for my Major British Authors class. It was interesting to follow the course of this tale, for I never really knew what turn it would take, although at times some scenes were quite horrific.
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
"We are bought and sold like apes and monkeys, to the sport of women, fools and cowards, and the support of rogues..."
I had to read this book for my English Literature class that focused on the birth of the novel. This is one of the first examples of novels and the first novel written by a woman, Aphra Behn.
It tells us the story of Oroonoko, a prince, and how he becomes a slave (hence why "Oroonoko, the Royal Slave"). I won't say anything more cause everything else will result a spoiler, since the book is short and packed with information and events.
I didn't particularly enjoy this book, it took me ages to finish (I started it once, read till page 50, left it there, then started it again), because I didn't really fall for the characters or the plot.
The language is very simple, even if it was written at the end of the 17th century.
I didn't particularly like is the structure of the book itself: it doesn't have chapters, it's just an endless stream of consciousness (I get why the author wanted to use this method, but it really wasn't for me).
In conclusion, I didn't hate it with all my heart (it had some nice parts, especially when it focused on slavery and how people prefer to die than being enslaved), but at the same time I didn't really like it and I wouldn't read it again unfortunately.
I had to read this book for my English Literature class that focused on the birth of the novel. This is one of the first examples of novels and the first novel written by a woman, Aphra Behn.
It tells us the story of Oroonoko, a prince, and how he becomes a slave (hence why "Oroonoko, the Royal Slave"). I won't say anything more cause everything else will result a spoiler, since the book is short and packed with information and events.
I didn't particularly enjoy this book, it took me ages to finish (I started it once, read till page 50, left it there, then started it again), because I didn't really fall for the characters or the plot.
The language is very simple, even if it was written at the end of the 17th century.
I didn't particularly like is the structure of the book itself: it doesn't have chapters, it's just an endless stream of consciousness (I get why the author wanted to use this method, but it really wasn't for me).
In conclusion, I didn't hate it with all my heart (it had some nice parts, especially when it focused on slavery and how people prefer to die than being enslaved), but at the same time I didn't really like it and I wouldn't read it again unfortunately.
I enjoyed this work a lot. What a powerful work, well written, very significant for its time and context. It's so disturbing though! Apart from that, I really liked the fact that Oroonoko's story reminded me of the West-African epics I know from my studies. I am glad to have read this classic.
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
3.0 out of 5 stars
Easier to read than other books of this same class. A good book to read during this time of the BLM movement. Still had moments I had hard times of understanding but that’s what lecture notes are for.
Easier to read than other books of this same class. A good book to read during this time of the BLM movement. Still had moments I had hard times of understanding but that’s what lecture notes are for.
challenging
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
So by modern standards, I was going to rate this a 3. However, after having it on my mind several hours later I took to the internet to research the author and historical context. Aphra Behn was the first female to publish a "novel". Published in 1688, Oroonoko is one of the earliest examples of fiction writing. It's all the more impressive when you consider the protagonist is a wrongfully enslaved African Prince. This was long before a formal abolitionist movement was formed. The protagonist and his love interest are believed to be fictional but many of the supporting characters are real historical figures who held powerful positions in the South American Slave Trade. Though the author's writing reveals some bias and ignorance it is also very clear that she was ahead of her time in terms of open-mindedness, more willing than most to question the ethics of slave trading. For those reasons, I give Oroonoko 4 stars.
Read for university, a novel which covers difficult topics and not one I readily enjoyed.