A review by pangnaolin
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.0

This autobiography was a really difficult read in a very important way. Douglass has some really intense stories, obviously, as he covers his existence under slavery-- both on a plantation and in Baltimore, within a home. His writing style is beautiful and vivid, allowing for you to really feel everything he describes. I did a lot of stopping and sitting with what I had just read. It was kind of astonishing to think, too, about how he had written this piece after teaching himself language as a preteen! I know a lot of native English speakers who couldn't write something anywhere near this powerful or interesting.

Setting aside how beautiful and intense the story was, it was also a really important read from a historical perspective. I learned a lot I would never have known about how slavery functioned as an institution, and also the intricacies of how these 'masters' thought and acted. I specifically remember the stories of Covey, who was regarded as a snake-- trying to sneak up on enslaved people as they worked and sort of 'catch' them.

I rated this a 4.0 instead of higher just because his style personally isn't my favorite or anything, nor does it really match up with how much I loved the books I have rated higher, but I do think this was really amazing and worth it to read. It was incredibly intense and well-written and taught me a lot. I probably would never have picked it up had I not read it in school, and I'm so glad I did!