Elizabeth Ammons

My English teacher said we should keep this book and be proud of the fact that we have read it! Well, I own it for precisely that reason -- I knew I would be proud of the fact that I read it!

I definitely fall on the side of the critics ... I think Harriet Beecher Stowe was a racist, which I wasn't expecting. I would be interested in reading journal articles from the Catholic perspective from that time, because the Christian martyrdom aspect of the novel confused and disturbed me. There's a whole religious aspect to the novel that I was not aware of and I'm definitely interested in learning more about that.

Adrianne… (altro)

A somewhat confusing read because of its "dramatix mix of anti-slavery and white racism" (Introduction by Jean Fagan Yellin, page XXVII) I nevertheless enjoyed the story, the characters, the dialogues and the drama of the book. It is clear that the book has been written more than 150 years ago and we probably have to read it with that fact in mind in order to to enjoy it. I had read a children's version many times before but have now read the full text. And I found it much more profound ànd shocking at the same time. But I cannot but admire Harriet Beechers Stowe's language and storytelling skills which made me so interested in all her characters, even though I knew the main events already.… (altro)

How do you rate a classic? It's certainly a difficult task. Do you rate by the enjoyment? The significance of the novel? Uncle Tom's Cabin is definitely significant. It did, after all, persuade many Americans to see the wrongs of slavery. This novel is an important piece of literature which will help readers understand life in the 19th century. Now, that's not necessarily slave life. Stowe uses methods to manipulate her audiences into joining the "abolitionist" side. A great intention, yes, but was ignoring the brutal harshness of slavery and replacing it with lovable, pious, charitable, "impressionable", slaves who are described more like docile pets than humans really the right method? Who knows. Stowe achieved what she set out to do.

The modern reader who ignores the novel's conventions as 19th century conventions might find Uncle Tom's Cabin a little bit of a bore and often "corny" at times. The novel is also notorious for its sentimentality, so don't be surprised when you witness every character crying at everything. It's a mopey piece! The characters might not appear very convincing to the modern reader. I often felt like I do when watching a decent play with terrible actors. Everything seems forced, overly dramatic, and way too long.

Overall, don't read this for enjoyment or pleasure. Read it for what it did for America.… (altro)