Note: From time to time this site will include thoughts on a recently read book. My intent will not be to write a complete plot summary or background history of the book or the author. You can go to Google or Wikipedia and get that yourself. My goal will be to give you my impression of the book, i.e. the reaction of a "regular guy". What I mean by "regular guy" is that I'm not a professional book reviewer, a literature professor, a writer, or even a journalist. Most of the books I read are intended to be read for pleasure.
Uncle Tom's Cabin is certainly a well known book. Nearly everyone has heard either of the book, the author, or some of the many terms from the book that have become a part of our language. To my surprise, Uncle Tom's Cabin is believed to have been the best selling book of the 19th century. Although well known for its place in history, how many people today have read this important novel? I decided to get a firsthand account of this book.
A quick theme and plot summary (without giving too much away): The book tells the story of a group of black slaves in the pre-Civil War US South. It focuses on the cruelty of slavery with realistic accounts. The sufferings highlighted are not only to the physical body, but to the soul of an individual.
Having been previously familiar with the theme of the novel, the first thing I noticed was the unexpected elegance of the writing. Being from Connecticut, I have certainly been aware of Harriet Beecher Stowe, who was born and lived in Connecticut. She was a next door neighbor to Mark Twain in Hartford. However, I believe the power of her story in Uncle Tom's Cabin may have overshadowed the expressiveness of her writing. While Twain is considered one of the greatest American writers of all time, Stowe is known more for pulling at the heart strings of the country regarding a heinous issue of the time, rather than producing a quality piece of literature. I think Stowe's writing has not been given its due. I found it to be highly eloquent. (Note: Imagine me having the stones to criticize an author like Harriet Beecher Stowe! Yes, I feel strange about it, but hey; that's what we do on the internet.) Stowe was definitely able to produce the intended emotions in the reader, even centuries later. Her strong characters persist even today.
I can see why this novel is considered an all-time American classic. It was one of the most powerful books I have ever read. This novel should be considered as required reading for every high school literature class across the country. Beyond the obvious cruelty of being forced to labor as a slave, the book focuses on the breakup of the slave family. Accounts of babies being torn from the arms of their mothers are included, and husbands sent "down river" while their wife is left behind. The contrast between the kinder slave owners and the oppressive owners is stark. The writer details the frustration of the kinder slave owner that although against the practice of slavery, feels he is up against a system he can not change. The cruel owners intend to own the soul as well as the body of each slave they possess. It struck me that in the mid-19th century a woman author could have such a strong grasp on the concept of freedom at a time when woman still did not have full rights under the law.
The practice of slavery was the biggest black eye upon the history of the United States. It trumps shameful acts such as the continued legal discrimination of blacks right up though the 1960's, the treatment of Native Americans during the westward settlement of the US, and the imprisonment of Japanese-American citizens during WWII. In all these cases, the US government deviated from the tenets of our founding documents, especially the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution. In the case of slavery, it took the death of thousands of citizens during the Civil War, as well as all the strength of a great president to clean up the mess. Abraham Lincoln once commented upon meeting Harriet Beecher Stowe that she was "the little woman that started this great war!” For the good of the republic, thank God she did.
Uncle Tom's Cabin is certainly a well known book. Nearly everyone has heard either of the book, the author, or some of the many terms from the book that have become a part of our language. To my surprise, Uncle Tom's Cabin is believed to have been the best selling book of the 19th century. Although well known for its place in history, how many people today have read this important novel? I decided to get a firsthand account of this book.
A quick theme and plot summary (without giving too much away): The book tells the story of a group of black slaves in the pre-Civil War US South. It focuses on the cruelty of slavery with realistic accounts. The sufferings highlighted are not only to the physical body, but to the soul of an individual.
Having been previously familiar with the theme of the novel, the first thing I noticed was the unexpected elegance of the writing. Being from Connecticut, I have certainly been aware of Harriet Beecher Stowe, who was born and lived in Connecticut. She was a next door neighbor to Mark Twain in Hartford. However, I believe the power of her story in Uncle Tom's Cabin may have overshadowed the expressiveness of her writing. While Twain is considered one of the greatest American writers of all time, Stowe is known more for pulling at the heart strings of the country regarding a heinous issue of the time, rather than producing a quality piece of literature. I think Stowe's writing has not been given its due. I found it to be highly eloquent. (Note: Imagine me having the stones to criticize an author like Harriet Beecher Stowe! Yes, I feel strange about it, but hey; that's what we do on the internet.) Stowe was definitely able to produce the intended emotions in the reader, even centuries later. Her strong characters persist even today.
I can see why this novel is considered an all-time American classic. It was one of the most powerful books I have ever read. This novel should be considered as required reading for every high school literature class across the country. Beyond the obvious cruelty of being forced to labor as a slave, the book focuses on the breakup of the slave family. Accounts of babies being torn from the arms of their mothers are included, and husbands sent "down river" while their wife is left behind. The contrast between the kinder slave owners and the oppressive owners is stark. The writer details the frustration of the kinder slave owner that although against the practice of slavery, feels he is up against a system he can not change. The cruel owners intend to own the soul as well as the body of each slave they possess. It struck me that in the mid-19th century a woman author could have such a strong grasp on the concept of freedom at a time when woman still did not have full rights under the law.
The practice of slavery was the biggest black eye upon the history of the United States. It trumps shameful acts such as the continued legal discrimination of blacks right up though the 1960's, the treatment of Native Americans during the westward settlement of the US, and the imprisonment of Japanese-American citizens during WWII. In all these cases, the US government deviated from the tenets of our founding documents, especially the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution. In the case of slavery, it took the death of thousands of citizens during the Civil War, as well as all the strength of a great president to clean up the mess. Abraham Lincoln once commented upon meeting Harriet Beecher Stowe that she was "the little woman that started this great war!” For the good of the republic, thank God she did.
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