 "A confusing cast of characters" | 2009-10-14 |
| - Reviewed By User: ANYLPCKMZJI59 |
Although Jones has done a terrific job of explaining the story of slavery within slavery's own race, his character list is too complex and lengthy. At times I felt as if I were completely lost due to the fact that there were so many different characters. There is a list, in some of the books, that contains the complete set of characters. It explains who each character is briefly.
Often times I got confused with the female characters. Some of the female characters played the same role as other female characters, but were married to different male characters that barely played a role in the storyline.
"The Known World" is an amazing book to read. Since it tells of the story that no one knows in history, it makes the book more enjoyable to read. Even freed African Americans owned slaves during the slavery years, and this can be quite startling.
Jones tells the story in such an insightful way that it gets heavily excited just to pick up the book. I highly recommend reading this book. |
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| "The Known World" | 2009-10-08 |
| - Reviewed By User: A28SIPTRYDIFL8 |
| This book is written from a different point of view that is refreshing to read. It is a little difficult to follow because there are so many names and it jumps into the future and back to the past randomly. However, this makes it a delightful read and informative in a perspective that is often negleced by writers. Good job! |
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 "An intricately woven tail of life during slavery" | 2009-10-06 |
| - Reviewed By resqgeek |
| This rich, complex novel transports the reader through time and space to the last decades of slavery in America, and sheds light on the lives of blacks (both slave and free) living in Virginia during this period. The story is roughly centered around the plantation of Henry Townsend, a free black man, his family, and his slaves. (That there were free black men that owned slaves is a bit jarring, but upon reflection, probably not terribly surprising.) However, this book is painting a much larger picture, and the brush strokes sweep in a wide cast of characters, black, white, Native American, rich and poor. The prose is lyrical, prone to sudden and dramatic asides, and the threads of the various stories weave around each other to form a rich, detailed cloth. This is a book you don't so much read as experience, and it truly provides the reader with a deep appreciation for the hardships and trials of life for blacks in the South during slavery. A remarkable book that does much to shed light on this dark piece of American history and to show how the institution of slavery served to corrupt an entire society. |
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| "The Known World--Edward P. Jones" | 2009-09-09 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2Z29SYVMICJ47 |
The Known World by Edward P. Jones is an inspired work of historical fiction intended to shine some light on the connotations of slavery in the United States during the 19th century.
The story sets out with Henry Townsend, a slave on the plantation of William Robbins, working as an apprentice shoe and boot maker under the tutiledge of Timmons, also a slave on the Robbin's estate. Henry becomes even better at the craft of making shoes than the man teaching him. This skill is not lost on estate owner William Robbins who begins to take Henry along on his business and social visits to the many wealthy inhabitants of Manchester County, where Henry builds up a reputation among them as a skilled bootmaker . These happy customers begin spreading the word around about Henry's expertise causing Henry to accumulate money on his own. His owner, Masta Robbins, puts some of Henry's money in the bank for him; while Henry hides the rest by digging holes in the ground and burying the money out back where he stays with his parents.
Henry continues to make fine shoes after his parents Augustus and Mildred buy his freedom from William Robbins. The money allows Henry to take on a wife, Caldonia, and get a place of his own. On this place Henry buys his own black slaves to work the land and becomes a successful free black farmer in Virginia.
When death comes suddenly upon Henry, his wife Caldonia struggles to maintain their growing estate. She is looked upon as royalty among the other blacks who are in poverty. The story expands from here as the author introduces a myriad of characters and their personal impact on one another.
Slaves buy their freedom from their owners if they are lucky to save the money somehow. This is done separately one at a time as one may buy a product at a store; more like people dealing in material commodoties , rather than human lives. When a Father and Mother buy their freedom, their children are left on the estate of the Master where they just lived. Children must be purchased in seperate transactions and are not included as "families." This was new to me.
Jones gives a voice to black women and their experience with slavery in this work as well. The woman are given roles of power and influence over others as educated teachers and property owners with considerable wealth and slaves of their own.
For many, thoughts of black slaves during this time in history have often been isolated by poverty and beatings; Jones changes that concept with his discriptive dialogues of American plantation life. I recommend this book highly as an important treatise on the social workings and mixtures of cultures in the history of our country.
Charles Hamilton Sr, Former Executive Director Northwest Teen Challenge, author of From Darkness To Light and A Step Of Faith.
[...]From Darkness To Light |
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| "Incredible" | 2008-04-24 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1ZFDUYMU9I858 |
| This is one of my all time favorite books. Nonetheless, the content is very serious and very real. It is a page turner, well written, and full of character development. It explains a lot about the institution of slavery. The in depth explanation makes it easier to understand why it was so hard to stop slavery. |
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 "Difficult writing style but good in the end" | 2008-03-05 |
| - Reviewed By User: A9PEF4OW95LQS |
| I have to admit I put it down, then didn't pick it up again for a few weeks. Mr. Jones writes beautiful, intricate prose but it's not easy to get into. The complex characters are brought to life well. I hated many of the characters, loved some, and couldn't help but laugh at others. Difficult one to get but if you can stick it out I think worthwhile. |
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