Uncle Tom's Cabin

published	December 5th 1999 by Wordsworth Editions Ltd
binding	Paperback
isbn	1840224029 (isbn13: 9781840224023)
ebook
pages	480
setting	United States
description	Edited and with an Introduction and Notes by Dr Keith Carabine. University of Kent at Canterbury. Uncle Tom's Cabin is the most popular, influen...more [close] Edited and with an Introduction and Notes by Dr Keith Carabine. University of Kent at Canterbury. Uncle Tom's Cabin is the most popular, influential and controversial book written by an American. Stowe's rich, panoramic novel passionately dramatises why the whole of America is implicated in and responsible for the sin of slavery, and resoundingly concludes that only 'repentance, justice and mercy' will prevent the onset of 'the wrath of Almighty God!'. [close]
date added	02-01-07 edit book

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Jamie added it

06/11/08

ENGL 843F Post
Shades of Race: Miscegenation and the Race Question in Uncle Tom’s Cabin

In Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Stowe invites her readers to eavesdrop on a series of conversations regarding the fate of enslaved slaves after the abolition of the institution between Augustine and Ophelia St. Clare, two Northern cousins. Summarizing a contemporary argument over slave education, Stowe presents the prejudice and hypocrisy of Northerners who would want slaves to be educated but would not “take o...more

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Wellington rated it:

01/28/08

Read in September, 2005

Once again Kori, my real estate agent, finds a treasure. No we’re not talking about houses but she has given me some of the better leads on books and Uncle Tom’s Cabin surprised me with its story of slaves in Kentucky.

I remember reading in school how Uncle Tom’s Cabin cause quite a stir back in its day but never quite understood who Uncle Tom was. Uncle Tom was a slave in Kentucky (where supposedly slaves were treated better?) whose master was forced to sell him for the good of the pla...more Once again Kori, my real estate agent, finds a treasure. No we’re not talking about houses but she has given me some of the better leads on books and Uncle Tom’s Cabin surprised me with its story of slaves in Kentucky.

I remember reading in school how Uncle Tom’s Cabin cause quite a stir back in its day but never quite understood who Uncle Tom was. Uncle Tom was a slave in Kentucky (where supposedly slaves were treated better?) whose master was forced to sell him for the good of the plantation. Tom was basically the right hand man and had a head for business. Furthermore, Tom knew he was to be sold and decided to be sold for the good of the plantation.

He had the strength and resourcefulness to run away. Was he an idiot to be sold to another Master? Surprisingly, little of the story is focused on the decision but we get to see what kind of man is as the story continues. The story follows him as he moves south changing masters and learning more to trust the Lord.

In contrast, there was another slave to be sold with Tom - a young boy. His mother upon hearing this took off in the middle of the night with her son. With the help of some Quakers, she avoids a gang of slave hunters and attempts to find her way to Canada. She was to meet her husband there (yes both of them were slaves).

Her husband, George, like Tom, was resourceful and had a head for business. He developed some new method for processing hemp. His master however determined to not let a Negro have pride and immediately pressed George into doing the most menial and degrading services instead. An indignant George runs away.

The stories in the book are based loosely on true stories that Harriet Beecher Stowe heard in her day. Thankfully, there were no scenes of whipping like “Temptation of Christ” …. Yes, they were there but were mercifully lacking in description. There were lost of almost philosophical debates about slavery between characters. The characters pro-slavery were rather one dimensional to me. Harriet does attempt to appear objective but eventually pulls the reader to see the injustices of slavery.

Book was long but mostly easily to read. There are a lot of characters so one might consider taking notes. I really expected to read more monologues about the injustices of slavery filled with stock characters to speak the lines.
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Jessica rated it:

08/29/07

bookshelves: literature

recommends it for: history classes, Beloved fanatics

O.k. so I was supposed to read this in my high school a.p. class. I think my friend and I may even have taken turns reading parts of it, but it never really happened. But, this last semester I actually read it twice, because that's what my Amer. Romanticism professor suggested we do, and, to be honest I was kind of scared of him for a while...

But, here's the deal. It really isn't a great book. It started out as bed time tales for her kids, progressed to installments in a magazine, and the...more

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Kathy rated it:

11/22/07

Read in April, 2005

From a blog post I wrote in 2005:

The latest in our continuing series of the classics was Harriet Beecher Stowe's classic anti-slavery work, Uncle Tom's Cabin. What an amazing work it was/is. Originally published as a weekly series, the entire work was published in 1852 and sold an incredible 300,000 copies in a few years. It's actually never gone out of print at all.

Her stories of the lives of several slaves and their owners is extremely moving (though quite dramatic and simplistic in pa...more From a blog post I wrote in 2005:

The latest in our continuing series of the classics was Harriet Beecher Stowe's classic anti-slavery work, Uncle Tom's Cabin. What an amazing work it was/is. Originally published as a weekly series, the entire work was published in 1852 and sold an incredible 300,000 copies in a few years. It's actually never gone out of print at all.

Her stories of the lives of several slaves and their owners is extremely moving (though quite dramatic and simplistic in parts) and must have been outrageous for her day. She chides Northerners, Southern slave owners, "good" Christians and anyone who doesn't rail against slavery for their willingness to participate or even tacitly support the institution.

Stowe came from a family of preachers and there's a heavy Christian tone to the book. The most Christianlike characters are generally the slaves with their belief that God will save them, in this world or the next. An understandable belief because without it, why would anyone go on living? The Quakers are also represented well but the purest character is a young white girl named Eva who truly loves all of God's creatures without regard to status or color.

Probably everyone is familiar with the term "Uncle Tom" and it's clearly meant as derogatory. What I didn't know was that the original Tom was actually a noble character with a clear moral code and a devout belief in God. His character is Christlike in his willing to suffer for others and follow the will of God.

Simon Legree is another cultural reference - I always thought of it as being a really mean guy. I'm embarassed to say, I don't think I knew it was from this work. Legree is the ultimate bad guy and the only character who doesn't embrace the Lord by the end of the text.

Our group discussed what a powerful effect this publication had on the US society at the time. Abraham Lincoln actually said it was the book that started the war. We wondered if anything published today could trigger such a sweeping change in our world. We came to the conclusion, probably not.

I suggest to anyone that Uncle Tom's Cabin should be required reading material for us all....less

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Lori rated it:

03/22/08

Read in June, 2006

This is an awesome book, I will always remember it as one of the best books I’ve ever read, like Of Mice and Men, “East of Eden”. The characters are endearing. When I closed the book for the final time, I knew I would miss Eliza and Harry, Tom and little Eva, young George, and Emmeline and Cassy. Stowe spends extensive time developing each character allowing us to see how they think, speak and act in many situations. At times, this makes the book long but I didn’t mind.

The narrator s...more This is an awesome book, I will always remember it as one of the best books I’ve ever read, like Of Mice and Men, “East of Eden”. The characters are endearing. When I closed the book for the final time, I knew I would miss Eliza and Harry, Tom and little Eva, young George, and Emmeline and Cassy. Stowe spends extensive time developing each character allowing us to see how they think, speak and act in many situations. At times, this makes the book long but I didn’t mind.

The narrator speaks to the directly to the reader periodically, which is interesting, that does not happen often in novels.

So what makes it so great? It is the story of personal power overcoming insurmountable odds. Cassy crafts a genius plan to make her situation better. Tom’s character is probably unrealistic in is life as a slave but I wanted to believe that someone could stand up in the face of tragedy so I kept reading. I don’t like books if the stories seem too far fetched, too unbelievable. This is the story of a group of people, some of who I named above, whose lives intertwine. They are thrown together by the curse of slavery, not because they want to become friends. Their circumstances force their relationships. The setting is pre-Civil War American, in the North and the South. I saw a unique perspective of slavery from the slave’s perspective as well as from the slave holder’s perspective, both good and evil men.

It amazes me that Stowe wrote this book in 1852 (Civil War ended in 1865), while our nation was in the midst of slavery. To speak about something after it has ended, after everyone is on your side is an easy thing, but Stowe wrote “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” when people vehemently disagreed with her. Slaves were being killed, bought and sold; families were torn apart, while Stowe’s book became a best seller fueling the nation with controversy over the emotional issue of slavery. I’m sure there were those who wanted Stowe and her book to die. It is a courageously written book.

447 pages...less

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Ellis rated it:

02/15/08

Read in February, 2008

This book had more sympathetic/helpful white people in it than any other slavery-based book (all nonfiction so far) I have read yet. I don't know if that is because it was written by a white woman, if it was because so much of the book was set in Kentucky rather than the Deep South where the situation for slaves was so much more desperate, or if it was because the story was fiction. It makes you wonder what the situation was really like. I know that all white people weren't Satan, but the lif...more

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Sarah rated it:

06/08/07

bookshelves: released

Read in January, 2007

I normally like Harriet Beecher Stowe's style of writing but the other stories I've read were written for fun. She made a comfortable living as a writer of boys adventure novels (under the pen name "Christopher Crowfield") and was a neighbor and mentor of Mark Twain. Uncle Tom's Cabin had a definite political agenda and while it proved to be a significant and influential story (as well as a best seller) it is a flawed story.

Harriet Beecher Stowe was inspired to write Uncle Tom's Cabin ...more

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Yezmin rated it:

05/28/08

Read in May, 2008

Wow! This book changed my life. It taught me about true Christianity. Tom will definitely continue to be one of my favorite fictional characters always. His story of struggle and compassion for his fellow sufferers is amazing. He was as resilient as one can get. One of the most memorable lines for me in this book was when he refused to whip another slave and for that the slaves in turn beat him half to death. His slaveowner kept trying to break him down and kill his god, but Tom refused. ...more

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Colleen rated it:

02/15/08

Read in February, 2008

While Harriet Beecher Stowe was clearly adept at creating vivid characters and compelling, emotional scenes, I had some problems with the book both structurally and stylistically. Whereas I thoroughly appreciate her attempt to expose slavery for the evil that it was, the pace of the book slowed considerably as she left off her early characters and makes one character (St. Clare) so central that he overwhelms the narrative and slows it down. The irony is that he is clearly the voice of Stowe/cons...more

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Brooke rated it:

04/25/08

Read in January, 2000

I know, I know, it's a monumental artifact in American history, and the catalyst to the spread of the abolitionist movement to the masses. I totally appreciate the historical and cultural significance of this book. No question.

But seriously, y'all? This book SUCKS as a piece of literature. For real. I just can't get past how bad the writing is--the reason why I'm such a voracious reader is simple: I read books for aesthetic pleasure. That's it. I really don't give a shit about anything beyon...more

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Jim D rated it:

06/05/08

Read in January, 2008

recommended to Jim D by: It was on the list of books for my class.
recommends it for: People who would like to read about the history of some issues in slavery.

To start off this book was about a slave and his journey through owners. It also had a couple side parts with others escaping to Canada. This book was all around not too bad. First of all my rating on the book was mostly because it is not my type of book and i had to read it. This decreased the appeal of the book. I did like some major parts of this book. One part i didn't really like was how this book got too religious. There were parts that didn't really make sense with my religious views and ...more

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Gina is currently reading it

08/21/07

bookshelves: currently-reading

Read in August, 2007

recommends it for: history buffs, or if you like old literature

I've wanted to read this book for a long time, and have had it waiting since Christmas 2005. Harriet Beecher Stowe lived next door to Mark Twain in Hartfort, CT, although I didn't take a tour of her house when I visited Mark Twain's. I recently took a long train ride, and got half way through the book during the trip. It's a long, interesting, sad book. Difficult to accept that although it is fiction, she was describing the actual situation in the US as the time she was writing. It has been said...more

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Russell rated it:

01/12/08

Read in June, 2006

I've heard about this book for years and remember people mentioning it in high school--though for whatever reasons none of my teachers used it in their reading schedules. Melissa received a copy several years back and had begun reading it off and on. Once I was done with Crucial Conversations i picked up Uncle Tom's Cabin just to glance at the first couple pages. It turned into 30 pages and then we were competing for the book until I checked out another copy at the library.

I really liked this ...more

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Elizabeth rated it:

07/30/08

Read in February, 2008

This is a great book. Just look at the impact it had! I believe Lincolns cooment to Ms. Stowe uppon meeting her was "So this is the little lady who wtrote that book that started this war!" Yes there are some weaknesses in the book. However, as this was written to bring to surface just how wrong slavery was, is. Also, to give a clear voice to those without one. She can be forgiven for a few weak linkings in the narrative.
And for the record Uncle Tom is the perfect Christ figure. His ...more

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Loni rated it:

05/17/08

Read in April, 2008

I was hesitant to begin and honestly even to finish this book. Through it's fame, I had known somewhat of it's conclusion. I assumed it was going to be a very sad read. However, I discovered Stowe to be very considerate in her relation of the horror around which this book revolves. It was not at all a depressing read. I found it quite the contrary. Though tragedy is plentiful, true to the relation of the times, I found the story uplifting and inspiring.

Uncle Tom's Cabin is a magnificent...more

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Tara rated it:

09/17/07

bookshelves: collegereadinglist1994-1998

recommends it for: no one

So, have you heard about the rumor that Abraham Lincoln, when meeting Harriet Beecher Stowe, shook her hand and said "So, this is the little lady who started the war."? I read this book and the first thing that came to my mind was "who in their right mind would start a war because of this idiotic piece of propagandist idiocracy?" That being said, Harriet Beecher Stowe has a very well developed imagination, but she obviously didn't know much about slavery. I was a bit offen...more

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Ariel rated it:

06/06/08

bookshelves: school

Read in May, 2008

Uncle Tom's Cabin was the popular sensation in the 1800s. It was the most popular novel of the century, and even more people saw minstral play adaptations called "Tom Shows."

I was a bit reluctant to tell my friends I was reading this book because it's racist. I don't just mean that Stowe is buying into our power + privilege = racism formula to advocate abolition--she certainly is. But she also is explicitly racist, too. Animal metaphors, calling black folks little woolly heads....more

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Janel rated it:

03/01/08

Read in February, 2008

This was on my Meridian list of 100 must reads. I'm glad I read it as I've visited Harriet Beecher Stowe's home a few times in my life, and have of course heard of the influence this book made on our country's history.

I have not read any reviews on the book or studied it in school, so can only go off of my own interpretations of it - I was surprised at the differences in races that Stowe felt were inherent despite her compassion for the treatment of black people. I also was surprised at so...more

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Nicole rated it:

02/26/08

bookshelves: currently-reading

Read in December, 2007

Uncle Tom's Cabin was written in the late 19th century and often reads like it...but actually reading the very book (after so long reading about it) that in many ways set into motion the abolitionist sentiment that began the Civil War makes for fascinating (and often, sad) reading. It's a truism that Lincoln stooped down to HBS upon meeting her and proclaimed, "So you're the little woman who started this great war!" This book is in many ways difficult- it's probably the most famous ant...more

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John rated it:

(review of isbn 0486440281)

08/18/07

Read in November, 2003

recommends it for: History readers, race relations readers, classics readers

It’s kind of funny that “Uncle Tom” became a slur when that character was a noble, brave man who stood up for his beliefs, even against whites who would do him the worst harm. I guess most people who use that epithet never bothered to read the book, or perhaps never finished it. Its action peeks early on with a chase scene across a half-frozen lake, and it meanders very badly after that, more often dealing with moral dilemmas or the evils of slavery and bigotry than actually in telling an ...more

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