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heyheybooks's review
5.0
A very readable account of Douglass’ life in slavery and his path to freedom, in his own words. I’m definitely interested in reading more about him and his later life, as this was written before slavery was abolished.
holmesstorybooks's review
4.0
“You have seen how a man was made a slave; you shall see how a slave was made a man.”
This is the incredible story of Frederick Douglass' education and subsequent escape from slavery. This is very easily read, considering how antiquated it is, and I fully believe that is due to Douglass' writing.
He is honest, humble, vulnerable and desperate to live a life he feels he deserves. When he wrote of his isolation, of his loss, of his hunger for freedom, for respect, I felt every moment.
Interesting that there were times in the text that I felt had certainly been touched by white editors. A mention of so-and-so's house (the finest house in Baltimore) and his masters number of horses, the condition of the stables and I knew.
I didn't care about horses or houses. I wanted Douglass' life, but instead I'm having to read about what white editors in 1845 considered important. I admire editors a lot and think they do a very necessary and unnoticed job, but I felt like these editors tampered with his work.
Of course, Douglass' words still often came through, ringing out like a bell in the darkness. But every once and a while I would pause and ask myself what a different this book would be if white people had left it well alone.
We're so lucky Douglass survived and even luckier this book also survived.
This is the incredible story of Frederick Douglass' education and subsequent escape from slavery. This is very easily read, considering how antiquated it is, and I fully believe that is due to Douglass' writing.
He is honest, humble, vulnerable and desperate to live a life he feels he deserves. When he wrote of his isolation, of his loss, of his hunger for freedom, for respect, I felt every moment.
Interesting that there were times in the text that I felt had certainly been touched by white editors. A mention of so-and-so's house (the finest house in Baltimore) and his masters number of horses, the condition of the stables and I knew.
I didn't care about horses or houses. I wanted Douglass' life, but instead I'm having to read about what white editors in 1845 considered important. I admire editors a lot and think they do a very necessary and unnoticed job, but I felt like these editors tampered with his work.
Of course, Douglass' words still often came through, ringing out like a bell in the darkness. But every once and a while I would pause and ask myself what a different this book would be if white people had left it well alone.
We're so lucky Douglass survived and even luckier this book also survived.
cherrycola's review
5.0
Douglass writes of his life in slavery with such a visceral sense of despair, and his skill with the quill is undeniable. As you read and find yourself caught again and again at Douglass's utter mastery of language, you can't help but think of the dozens and hundreds and thousands and millions of his brothers and sisters whose brilliance would never be realized, and would die in total anonymity. The theft of slavery feels so raw and sore.
Everyone should read this. It's short.
Everyone should read this. It's short.
irismessenger's review
5.0
Re-read 2019: Absolutely fantastic. I definitely didn't have a developed reading comprehension the first time I read this, because I gave it three stars. This is the best Slave Narrative we have read in my Slave Narrative and The Novel class this semester. He is an excellent writer, and I can't wait to read the other works by him that are on our syllabus.
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