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A review by lanikei
Uncle Remus: His Songs and His Sayings by Joel Chandler Harris
2.0
I had read a few of the Brer Rabbit stories as a kid; this collection included not just the Brer Animal stories, but also all of the (even more) terribly offensive Uncle Tom stories of Uncle Remus. I have an affection for the Brer stories, and also see some value in their place as American 'Aesop's Fables'. Morality tales couched in animal form that are fun, silly, and still a little creepy.
That said, the collection is difficult to read due to the dialect, and once you've made it through the children's stories, you get bogged down in old negro hymns and more folksy wisdom from Uncle Remus. These stories are even more cringe-inducing to the modern ear and include jokes hinging on Uncle Remus's love of watermelon and his support of his white family, his former masters.
I haven't studied the time period enough to say whether the book offers any historical value. If it is an accurate chronicle of some experience - for example if the stories, songs, and wisdom are actually black folktales that are not written elsewhere - then I can appreciate the book. Unfortunately, I think more of it is a white-washed 'idealized' black existence based around stereotypes that were only perpetuated by this book becoming a classic. That's a shame particularly because I think that it diminishes the Brer stories. As some have suggested (again, not sure if this is entirely accurate), many of the stories themselves are reflective of plantation life and storytelling, but the encompassing story of Uncle Remus is the creation of Joel Chandler Harris. In that case there is also some concern with a white author co-opting these tales to be packaged, sold, and branded as "his" creations for posterity.
The whole book suffers from its history and it makes even the simplest stories an uncomfortable read when considering the context.
That said, the collection is difficult to read due to the dialect, and once you've made it through the children's stories, you get bogged down in old negro hymns and more folksy wisdom from Uncle Remus. These stories are even more cringe-inducing to the modern ear and include jokes hinging on Uncle Remus's love of watermelon and his support of his white family, his former masters.
I haven't studied the time period enough to say whether the book offers any historical value. If it is an accurate chronicle of some experience - for example if the stories, songs, and wisdom are actually black folktales that are not written elsewhere - then I can appreciate the book. Unfortunately, I think more of it is a white-washed 'idealized' black existence based around stereotypes that were only perpetuated by this book becoming a classic. That's a shame particularly because I think that it diminishes the Brer stories. As some have suggested (again, not sure if this is entirely accurate), many of the stories themselves are reflective of plantation life and storytelling, but the encompassing story of Uncle Remus is the creation of Joel Chandler Harris. In that case there is also some concern with a white author co-opting these tales to be packaged, sold, and branded as "his" creations for posterity.
The whole book suffers from its history and it makes even the simplest stories an uncomfortable read when considering the context.