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elizabethhamill's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
bedemissie's review against another edition
4.0
I read this for a class and it was on the syllabus as a counter to Uncle Tom's Cabin. The Marrow of Tradition is everything Uncle Tom's Cabin wishes it was and is a third of its length. It is an intelligent use of character tropes that explores how racism destroys everyone, white or black, and informs the public of an ugly and overlooked moment in American history. Plus, it's a genuinely interesting story with characters I actually feel for. They should use this in high schools instead of all the "classics" that involve white people writing Black history. If you are looking to diversify your reading or learn about racism in America, I highly recommend The Marrow of Tradition. I would also suggest buying the Norton Critical Edition because it has a plethora of context, research, and important historical information to go along with the story.
teeny_bee's review against another edition
5.0
I found myself completely absorbed in Chesnutt's writing. This novel is so extremely important and I think everyone should read this/listen to it. With every event taking place in the novelI found myself wanting to know its deeper meaning, and when I looked into them more- there was always some meaning there. The ending of this book, wow. I'm not sure I can make a review that does this novel justice. Everyone should read this novel.
margaretpinard's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
leighkaisen's review against another edition
Charles W. Chesnutt’s Marrow of Tradition reimagines a fictional account based on the Wilmington Race Riots of 1898. Here, the town is Wellington, and its characters bring a dynamic and personal glimpse into this moment in history. The white Carteret family and the mixed-race Miller family are inexorably linked by a hidden marriage and unacknowledged half-sisterhood. Major Carteret runs the Morning Chronicle newspaper, and he and his right-hand men are set in supremacist mindsets and schemes to keep their intended social order in the post-Reconstruction south. In the rising action leading up to the riot, a servant is blamed for a murder he did not commit, and another man is set on a vengeance to kill the man who killed his father. Together these subplots draw out the hard truths of black accusation in “the age of crowds” that permeated through mass retaliation and lynching (which made this novel too controversial in its original time of publication). The novel as a whole looks at layered dynamics between complex characters and offers an authentic view of colliding motives and difficult realities in the context of race, equality, society, greed, conviction, and even compassion. The Marrow of Tradition is in turns heavy and intriguingly readable; although Chesnutt confronts hard contexts he also leaves room for redemptions. I found Chesnutt’s juxtaposition of the Carteret and Miller family especially interesting; from the sisters’ story to Carteret’s need for Miller, a black doctor, to care for his son. Unfamiliar with this novel prior to reading it for a class, I can see why The Marrow of Tradition is considered to be a milestone for Civil Rights and for the landscape of literature.
colorful_language's review against another edition
5.0
I have lived in North Carolina my entire life without knowing anything about the Wilmington (race riots? massacre? coup d'etat?) incidents. I am so utterly shaken by what I have read and by the startling proximity of these issues raised to 2016's America. So much work is left to be done. Is there time enough?
Skip Harriet Beecher Stowe, her narrative is tired and dated and romantic and where this story is not. I want everybody to read this book.
Skip Harriet Beecher Stowe, her narrative is tired and dated and romantic and where this story is not. I want everybody to read this book.
emmah45's review against another edition
5.0
Such an important book. It has so much complexity and depth while staying accessible and enjoyable to read. It is very intense, but the story is so worth it. Should be taught in classrooms across the US.