Author: Solomon Northup
Type: Audiobook
Narrator: Louis Gossett Jr.
Genre: Memoir
Series: No
Copyright: 2013(original copyright 1853)
Publisher: Blackstone Audiobooks
Rating: 4 out of 5
Summary: from good reads
In this riveting true story, Academy Award winner Louis Gossett, Jr., masterfully transports us to 1840s New York, Louisiana,and Washington, DC, to experience the kidnapping and twelve-year bondage of Solomon Northup, a free man of color. Published in 1853, this account was a bombshell in the national debate over slavery leading up to the Civil War and helped tilt public opinion in favor of abolition. Solomon captures the reality of slavery in stunning detail as we learn about the characters that populate plantation society and the intrigues of the bayou. Eventually a friend attempts a courageous rescue that could either result in Solomon's death or get him back to the arms of his family.
Feelings:
I thought this would be a harder book to listen to than it was. A free man sold into slavery would surly have a story that would be heart wrenching. However, the way this was told did not dwell on the pain and suffering but tried to deliver facts.
I did find the delivery of the story of Solomon to be a bit dry at times. We went from fact to fact and didn't get bogged down in the emotions. When emotions were involved we didn't get caught up in them but seemed to observe from a distance of time. I think that having written the story in this way was good as it did give some distance from the horror that was slavery. However, it did make the story a little bit difficult to get into.
I have not seen the movie that was made from the book. The visuals of film would add to the story and emphasis the emotion and pain more than the book did in my opinion. I recommend the audiobook the narrator did an excellent job making what was at times a dry narrative interesting.
No comments:
Post a Comment