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curlysushi's review against another edition
dark
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
In content, it’s not a bad read. But it felt like such a drag to read, it was just so dry and bland. I get there’s not much to make light of on this topic, but it was just a snooze fest. It’s not the content, it’s just simply how it was written.
The information about lower and middle class enslavers was interesting though. But I just found it super hard to finish with the authors writing style. Also, they seem very cold to the idea of slavery. Like they spent so much time detailing how enslavers felt about themselves and portrayed them as people just trying to get by. However, he is so unconcerned with actual slaves and just brushes past them.
In books about slavery that focus on black people we STILL have to read about how white people felt about everything. Funny how black people in the reverse situation barely get a crumb of empathy in their role in this book.
The information about lower and middle class enslavers was interesting though. But I just found it super hard to finish with the authors writing style. Also, they seem very cold to the idea of slavery. Like they spent so much time detailing how enslavers felt about themselves and portrayed them as people just trying to get by. However, he is so unconcerned with actual slaves and just brushes past them.
In books about slavery that focus on black people we STILL have to read about how white people felt about everything. Funny how black people in the reverse situation barely get a crumb of empathy in their role in this book.
cucumberedpickle's review against another edition
4.0
Drags on and it is almost as if Oakes is ambivalent about the act of slavery. I am well aware that this is a book about the SLAVEHOLDER. However I think a little compassion is warranted. It does shed light on certain false stereotypes of the slave holding classes but I found that it dragged on, was dry, and it was a good book to help you fall asleep.
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