Wednesday, April 20, 2011

"The Book of Negroes" - Lawrence Hill

I'd like to say I'm "enjoying" "The Book of Negroes", but enjoying a tragic story seems like odd phrasing.

I must say I feel somewhat guilty that the main character is not having "as bad" a life as I imagined when picking up the book.  I read "Roots" (Alex Haley) many years ago, and watch much, if not all, of the mini-series on TV as a young teen.  Much of the shock I'd expect to experience in "The Book of Negroes" is a little lessened by the intense shock I felt from "Roots".  I'm about 3/4 of the way through the book, and am very much entranced by the story and want to find out the ending, but am somewhat surprised not to be as shocked by the deplorable conditions on the slave ships (I was definitely disgusted and appalled the first time I experienced these recollections in "Roots"), and find my self awaiting more sorrow and agony, even though when I walk through what this woman has been through it is horrendous (abduction, watch both parents murdered, confinement in a hell ship, witness to rape/attempted rape/murder/beatings/whippings, experienced rape/attempted rape, abduction of children, being sold/bought/escape, mislead/lied to on a grand scale, loss of husband for decades long periods...) I doubt I'm even listing all horrible events.

I'd highly recommend the book, particularly if you haven't been pre-calloused by "Roots".

I'm guessing "Roots" retains a higher "horror-score" as I read the book, all made more real on the small screen.  I clearly remember the whipping of the Levar Burton character (Kunte Kinte), which comes across much more strongly in images than text (to be fair, I read the book years after the mini-series) - the severity and near-death of the whippings seems out of alignment with my reading-interpretation of the word (usually in the context of a "whipping" from a parent in more recent times).

No comments:

Post a Comment