A review by veritygrahams
12 Years a Slave and Other Slave Narratives by Solomon Northup, Harriet Ann Jacobs, Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington, Harriet Beecher Stowe
5.0
This, I read via an Audiobook, and I have noticed that the delivery of an audiobook directly impacts my opinion. This one was delivered brilliantly.
Firstly, it’s a heavy story. If you’re not up for something like that, this isn’t for you. I found it heartfelt and engaging, despite it being very much told by the protagonist. This is something I rarely enjoy. The voice is strong though, and this probably due to the kind of story it is, the impact it had on the author (who lived through this), and you can feel that in every word.
One thing I really didn’t like was the chapter headings, or opening lines. They basically listed everything that happened within a given chapter, which I felt lessened the tension at times.
Firstly, it’s a heavy story. If you’re not up for something like that, this isn’t for you. I found it heartfelt and engaging, despite it being very much told by the protagonist. This is something I rarely enjoy. The voice is strong though, and this probably due to the kind of story it is, the impact it had on the author (who lived through this), and you can feel that in every word.
One thing I really didn’t like was the chapter headings, or opening lines. They basically listed everything that happened within a given chapter, which I felt lessened the tension at times.