kerisreads's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.5
The moving eloquence and lasting impact of Frederick Douglass's autobiographical narrative leaves me thinking no study of early American history could possibly be complete without it.
Told in alternating matter-of-fact prose and passionately emotional poetry, it's no wonder Douglass played such an instrumental role in the abolition of American slavery.
As I read, I imagined reading this as a 19th century white American previously unacquainted with specifics of the manifold evils of southern slavery.... Phew.
A must-read indeed. You'll weep, but be the better for it.
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Content warnings: As expected of any work on American slavery, many heavy topics are covered, though none graphically, including rape, cruelty and physical abuse, violence, death of and separation from parents and grandparents, etc.
Told in alternating matter-of-fact prose and passionately emotional poetry, it's no wonder Douglass played such an instrumental role in the abolition of American slavery.
As I read, I imagined reading this as a 19th century white American previously unacquainted with specifics of the manifold evils of southern slavery.... Phew.
A must-read indeed. You'll weep, but be the better for it.
•
•
•
Content warnings: As expected of any work on American slavery, many heavy topics are covered, though none graphically, including rape, cruelty and physical abuse, violence, death of and separation from parents and grandparents, etc.
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Alcohol, Racism, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Police brutality, Racial slurs, and Sexual assault
sophiabarrygordon's review against another edition
3.0
Read for Mr. Cohn's English III Honors class junior year.
afreema3's review against another edition
5.0
My first book I needed to read for my first ever college class, even though it is my second class of the day. This story was more than powerful and I am upset and disappointed that I never had to read it for school or picked it myself. An intense tale of life as a slave and an eye opener because in school all they really tell you is slavery was bad, but they don't give you the specifics. They don't tell you a slave holder in Maryland was just as brutal as one in Georgia, or the extreme levels of psychological warfare used against slaves to make them think slavery is best for them. A truly disturbing and powerful narrative.
s0litude's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
"I have found that, to make a contented slave, it is necessary to make a thoughtless one. It is necessary to darken his moral and mental vision, and, as far as possible, to annihilate the power of reason. He must be able to detect no inconsistencies in slavery; he must be made to feel that slavery is right; and he can be brought to that only when he ceases to be a man."
A truly harrowing account of the life of Frederick Douglass. Focused mainly on his time as a slave, Douglass spares no detail in describing the horrors of both his own life, and the lives of countless others. At times an insight into the mindset of both slaves and slaveholders, at others a poetic testimony to the power of education.
A truly harrowing account of the life of Frederick Douglass. Focused mainly on his time as a slave, Douglass spares no detail in describing the horrors of both his own life, and the lives of countless others. At times an insight into the mindset of both slaves and slaveholders, at others a poetic testimony to the power of education.
robdawgreads's review against another edition
4.0
Douglass's prose is impeccable. This is a small but immensely heavy book. The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass should absolutely be required reading for high school and college curriculum in the US.
colin_cox's review against another edition
5.0
For anyone interested in understanding the slave narrative genre, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is a great place to start. It shows the trappings of the genre in a clear, readable, and emotionally-resonate way. Douglass's criticism of the "upperground railroad," the many descriptions in other texts of the workings, mechanics, and practices of the underground railroad, is also fascinating. This criticism both explains one of the narrative holes in Douglass's text, and it reveals something interesting about Douglass's personality. Douglass, for example, casts himself as a reluctant public-facing voice of the abolitionist movement, especially when interacting with predominately white audiences. Suffice it to say, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is a pillar of the genre and worth consideration for anyone interested in understanding the racial dynamics of the United States.