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thegreatburbank's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
If there is any section of this book that I think more people should be required to read his Letter to His Master
bkgunderson's review against another edition
5.0
This is a powerful autobiography of a man who would not be kept down. It is really powerful to hear him talk about the desire to learn to read and the power it unleashed for him. I also think the description of the change he felt when he decided he would never be whooped without striking back again is compelling. Civil rights struggles wrestle with the idea of violent or non-violent resistance and both have practical hang-ups. As an individual, Frederick Douglass decided that he would not be a passive sufferer of beatings any longer, and it seems to have also changed his demeanor and attitude before situations got to the point of him getting assaulted.
wheeinswife1662's review against another edition
4.0
This memoir was so informative and engaging! For a book written in the 1800s, there was little to no rambling, and Douglass clearly narrated his journey from slavery to freedom. He explains very well the techniques that slaveholders used to brainwash their enslaved workers. Overall, I really enjoyed it!
plumpaperbacks's review against another edition
I know this is an important book, and slavery is an important issue. However, this book was not my cup of tea. Not only is it nonfiction, it’s also an autobiography, and I can count how many of those I’ve read on one hand. By default, I’m just not interested in books that I *have* to read, especially when I have to analyze along the way. The only thing this book had in its favor was that it was easy to read. I’m thankful for that, since all too often curriculum books are dense. Otherwise, I’ve got nothing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Racism, Violence, and Slavery
audreylee's review against another edition
5.0
With this one little book, our school systems could provide a clear and concise example of what it meant to be enslaved. The writing is simple yet beautiful and tells of the traumas of slavery in a stark way without the glorification of violence which seems prevalent in much of the fiction available on the subject. I repeat, this would be the perfect way to teach pupils about life under slavery by a gentleman who was born into it, grew up in it, fought to leave it, and did his best to assist others on their way to freedom.
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