"A black man had owned them, a strange thing for many in that world, and now that he was dead, maybe a white man would buy them, which was not as strange."
The Known World was published in 2003 and Edward P. Jones won the Pulitzer Prize for the novel in 2004.
The setting is Virginia in the 1800s. The subject matter is difficult to accept- the bizarre (but apparently true) idea that there were some African-American slave owners. The story involves the outcome of this scenario, but also so much more than that. Jones manages to create one of the most lyrical, detailed, emotional stories I have ever read. By interweaving the history of slavery, the deep emotions and personalities of many characters, and a message of overcoming what you thought you could never overcome, The Known World will stay in my top ten favorite books for a long time.
The long list of characters can be confusing at times, but I fell into the novel and could not put it down. Sometimes, just when I had forgotten about one character, they would reappear unexpectedly and play a role in another chapter and another character's life. I learned to not focus so much on the names, but the overall feelings of each character and what they added.
The Known World took me to places I had never thought of. He begins with the shock value of an African American slaveholder with a bustling plantation, as well as the reality of the violence and racism of the time. He holds the reader's attention all the way to the end with not an ounce of boredom in between.
Also by Edward P. Jones:
All Aunt Hagar's Children (2006)
Lost in the City (1992)
2 comments:
I liked the fact that you included a quote at the beginning. Doing that for every review will give your readers a sense of the tone and style of each book. I noticed that there is some information on this book on the NPR site (including audio files): NPR The Known World
This book sounds really interesting. I have been looking for a good non-fiction book lately. Your blog is very well written and easy to navigate. Your images add a lot to your text. I enjoy being able to read the title of the book and then look at the cover. I have really enjoyed reading your posts.
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