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A review by lauralhart
A Fugitive in Walden Woods by Norman Lock
4.0
In Norman Lock's novel, A Fugitive in Walden Woods, Samuel Long is in danger. He has escaped from his "master" and has ridden the Underground Railroad all the way to Massachusetts, where he becomes the preferred company of men like Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Nathaniel Hawthorne. Lock's novel attempts to wrestle with the ideas of transcendentalism, "human dignity", "racism, privilege, and what it means to be free in America." And it mostly succeeds.
Lock's narrative borrows generously from the slave narrative tradition, employing themes such as confinement with the intention of gaining freedom (see Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs). However, the story is told not with the intentions of disclosing Samuel's journey, but rather with the intentions of disclosing the nature of Henry Thoreau, a man who Samuel considers to be a good friend. This provides an interesting angle and allows for the discussion of transcendental ideas but often overshadows the gravity and severity of Samuel's suffering. I wondered a lot while reading about the intentions and sincerity of the author because of this, putting the life of a white man in focus rather than the black man's. Everything is mediated through Samuel's voice, though, so maybe my concerns aren't valid.
There were several poignant moments in the book, but I'm unsure about the meaning of their sum. The novel did not follow conventional narrative structure, seeing as there was an absence of rising action, and the climax and resolution occurred in the last five pages. I'm not sure why the end of the novel was written the way it was, with an italicized "I originally thought I'd stop here" section and a disclaimer from "Walt Whitman." Perhaps it was to set off the conclusion as significant, but, with me, it fell flat.
Overall a decent read, but not my favorite. Perhaps it's that I don't really enjoy fictional extrapolation of real life people. Regardless, I'm grateful to LibraryThing and to Bellevue Press for allowing me to take part in this review.
Lock's narrative borrows generously from the slave narrative tradition, employing themes such as confinement with the intention of gaining freedom (see Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs). However, the story is told not with the intentions of disclosing Samuel's journey, but rather with the intentions of disclosing the nature of Henry Thoreau, a man who Samuel considers to be a good friend. This provides an interesting angle and allows for the discussion of transcendental ideas but often overshadows the gravity and severity of Samuel's suffering. I wondered a lot while reading about the intentions and sincerity of the author because of this, putting the life of a white man in focus rather than the black man's. Everything is mediated through Samuel's voice, though, so maybe my concerns aren't valid.
There were several poignant moments in the book, but I'm unsure about the meaning of their sum. The novel did not follow conventional narrative structure, seeing as there was an absence of rising action, and the climax and resolution occurred in the last five pages. I'm not sure why the end of the novel was written the way it was, with an italicized "I originally thought I'd stop here" section and a disclaimer from "Walt Whitman." Perhaps it was to set off the conclusion as significant, but, with me, it fell flat.
Overall a decent read, but not my favorite. Perhaps it's that I don't really enjoy fictional extrapolation of real life people. Regardless, I'm grateful to LibraryThing and to Bellevue Press for allowing me to take part in this review.