Reviews

This is a very short, fast, and important read. Frederick Douglass succeeded in his goal of “throwing light on the American slave system” and he did so with eloquence and honesty.
He wrote two other autobiographies and I’m now very much looking forward to reading them!

alpha_nuova's review against another edition

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fast-paced

4.0

milanblack's review against another edition

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4.0

Similarly to Harriett Jacobs' narrative, this gives the same story of a journey, but from a different point of view and different struggles. It is clear that some things are withheld because Douglass doesn't want to write about them to the public or he wants to protect some of his people. I think this narrates the life of a very brave, very strong man and no person in our day and age could ever properly understand what it was like to go through the things these slaves went through. Every narrative is just a very small, personalized piece of history.

"I was now my own master. It was a happy moment, the rapture of which can be understood only by those who have been slaves."

henni203's review against another edition

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dark sad tense medium-paced

5.0

Only the fact that this story really happened, makes me shiver. No person should ever have to live in a condition similar to this or in general in slavery. There would be no point on criticizing this book considering the fact that a former slave wrote this.

matthewkillham's review against another edition

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5.0

the score i gave this is the score i wish i got on the test we took after reading it

side note it’s also a good book

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