Well, I did it. I finished this book and it didn't take me nearly as long as I would've thought. I have to say that I really enjoyed it, some parts (the dialogue) more than others (the pages and pages of anti-slavery politics) and come characters (Eva and Mr. St. Clare) more than others (Mrs. St. Clare). Repeatedly as I was reading I kept coming back to one thought: how much I wished I had read this book in college (not high school--those teachers would've skipped over too much of the book) under the direction of a professor who would've pointed out all of the nuances of the book that I am certain I missed. Let's face it, I read this book for plot, but I know that there's so much more to it than just what happened in the story. Well, if I am being honest, there's a lot going on in the story (multiple characters with the same name, place shifts, timing shifts, and so much political commentary it was hard to miss) and keeping up with the plot itself was a job all on its own. I feel certain that Stowe used this book as a way to voice her beliefs about the issue of slavery, that's a no-brainer. But, what I was surprised about was how often she voiced different view points on the slavery issue. Some of them really made me think. More than anything else I will take away from this book is the idea that no matter what happened to some slaves--no matter if they were beaten, separated from their families, verbally abused, physically neglected--their faith in God, Jesus, and a better life in the after-life never wavered. I am not so sure I would've felt the same had I been in their shoes.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
#9: Uncle Tom's Cabin
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I've never read it either. I'm surprised we didn't have to read it in college--maybe it's the intimidating length. I'm sure it has to be better than Moby Dick, my least favorite classic of all time. Thanks for the review--maybe I'll even get around to reading it one day!
ReplyDeleteI did it! I finished it too! I thought it was a terrific book -- compelling, thought-provoking, heartbreaking, and educational too. Thanks for inspiring me to read it. I'm just wondering about the Disney connection . . . Can you fill me in?
ReplyDeletePam, the Disney connection is strictly historical. One of our favorite shows at Disney is The American Adventure at EPCOT, which is a 35 minute audio-animatronic show depicting the birth of America. In the show, the struggle for black-whit equality is mentioned, as is Uncle Tom's Cabin. There's also a selection of letters from and to Stowe on display in the gallery that you can walk through prior to the show. Every time we see this show I am reminded of how I never read (well...now I have) this book. So, after being reminded again at Christmas, I decided that I was going to read this book. That's the story. And people don't think you can learn at Disney. Huh! You can, at the very least, be inspired! Congratulations on finishing this book.
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