A review by luana420
12 Years a Slave and Other Slave Narratives by Solomon Northup, Harriet Ann Jacobs, Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington, Harriet Beecher Stowe

5.0

A very well-formatted e-book collection of three slave narratives the most well-known abolitionist novel of all time. Well worth the price for a dark slice of American history. The titular tale of Solomon Northup can provide an interesting counterpart to the film's version of events (a version the majority of readers will no doubt be familiar with nowadays), showing readers a decidedly less visceral -- though no less harrowing -- take on the life of the kidnapped freeman. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, while mostly free from physical violence, is a chilling look at the particularly gendered terror female slaves had to endure. While perhaps a bit rosy-tinted and prone to repetition near the end, Up from Slavery by Booker T. Washington is an inspiring read, and a good choice to close out the anthology on. Lest ye deem me insensitive, let me trigger warn you right now: lulz coming up. Uncle Tom's Cabin is an often unintentionally hilarious, sometimes (surprisingly) gripping novel written with the finest of intentions, but unfortunately somewhat oversentimental and melodramatic at times.

I'm glad I went with Maplewood's collection of these narratives, as the file was very easy to navigate and contained very few editing mistakes. Worth the buck!