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All Souls' Rising (Haiti Series #1)

4.05 of 5 stars 4.05 · rating details · 388 ratings · 58 reviews

In this first installment of his epic Haitian trilogy, Madison Smartt Bell brings to life a decisive moment in the history of race, class, and colonialism. The slave uprising in Haiti was a momentous contribution to the tide of revolution that swept over the Western world at the end of the 1700s. A brutal rebellion that strove to overturn a vicious system of slavery, the u...more

Paperback, 560 pages

Published November 9th 2004 by Vintage (first published October 3rd 1995)

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Dec 19, 2012 Mathieu rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Madison Smartt Bell has written a mind-blowing book which is a precise and researched telling of the Haitian revolution that drove the French out of the island. But this novel's strength lies more particularly not in its historical accuracy (which is flawless) but in his writing qualities. Smartt Bell writes like if we were dreaming. Everything has a kind of vaporous, sluggish, cotton-like quality and, as such, everything, even the most atrocious deeds, such as the opening scene of a crucified p...more

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Jan 18, 2009 Susan rated it 5 of 5 stars

One of the best historical novels I’ve ever read. It’s about the Haitian Revolution—this is the first volume. There are multiple points of view among the white and black people of Haiti. A French doctor comes to Haiti to visit a sister who’s married a Haitian planter and about whom he’s concerned. Dr. Hébert, who becomes involved with a mulatto woman and has a child with her, who’s captured by the rebels and learns about medicinal herbs from Toussaint L’Overature, is the “touchstone” character,...more One of the best historical novels I’ve ever read. It’s about the Haitian Revolution—this is the first volume. There are multiple points of view among the white and black people of Haiti. A French doctor comes to Haiti to visit a sister who’s married a Haitian planter and about whom he’s concerned. Dr. Hébert, who becomes involved with a mulatto woman and has a child with her, who’s captured by the rebels and learns about medicinal herbs from Toussaint L’Overature, is the “touchstone” character, the one whose sensibilities are most like those of today’s readers. It was a brilliant decision on Bell’s part to have a white man who was not a Haitian colonial (with economic interests in plantations and slave labor) as an observer/participant, one who is of the same class as the planters (without their interests) but is able to accept human beings on their own merits. I understand he continues through the next two volumes of the trilogy. There is also third person narration that focuses on different characters, increasing Toussaint who was already old by Haitian slave standards, a Christian, and from a well-run plantation where slaves were not grossly mistreated. There’s some first person narrative by an African named Riau who remembers his homeland (Toussaint was born into slavery in Haiti) and who moves between Toussaint’s group and some more militant and violent groups. The first person narrative is Bell’s attempt, largely successful, to “get inside the head” of the rebels, in the form of an individual who’s intelligent enough to have some insight into the choices the rebels have.
Bell provides ample historical material for the reader to understand the context of the only successful black revolution. It takes place during the unsettled period following the French Revolution. There exist in Haiti at the time not only the same groups of whites there were in the US during slavery (the upper class, who owned land and for whom the institution of slavery is critical and the middle class whites who were traders and shopkeepers and had other jobs and professions and whose wealth did not derive from the land), but political groups as well, those conservatives who supported the king (largely the plantation-owning class) as well as various revolutionary supporters. So to some extent French politics played out in Haiti. There was one governing official who deported those Frenchmen who disagreed with him back to France as traitors, and in some cases to the guillotine. There were also black rebels who were loyal to the king.
There’s a year-by-year summary of historical events in an appendix—needed since most readers in English are not very familiar with Haitian history. There’s also an excellent glossary that allows Bell to use French and Creole words in the text because all of them are explained in the glossary. That allows him to initiate the reader into the Voodoo religion and Haitian traditions among whites, Creoles, mulattoes and blacks) as it touches on the events in the novel. It’s extraordinary how successful he is leading readers to understand the multiple points of view. Neither side is monolithic in its interests and values and both the rebels and the white defenders are complicated and changing coalitions of individuals and groups with various motivations.
Bell’s narrative also moves back and forth in time, with the novel actually beginning as Toussaint is moved to a secure prison in France in 1802. The events, though, of this first volume mainly take place between 1791 and 1793.
I already have the second volume…
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Feb 24, 2011 Nick D rated it 1 of 5 stars

Nasty, brutish and long. I pine for the days when crucifixion was the climax of a narrative, not the opening gambit, as it is here. I understand what the author is trying to do, I think, and I write as someone with great affection for the historical epic, Les Miserables, for example, or Zhivago. And it is impossible to address revolutions past without acknowledging that they tend to set the devils free. This book lacks either the immediacy of Hugo or the sweep of Pasternak, which is understandab...more Nasty, brutish and long. I pine for the days when crucifixion was the climax of a narrative, not the opening gambit, as it is here. I understand what the author is trying to do, I think, and I write as someone with great affection for the historical epic, Les Miserables, for example, or Zhivago. And it is impossible to address revolutions past without acknowledging that they tend to set the devils free. This book lacks either the immediacy of Hugo or the sweep of Pasternak, which is understandable, since very few books achieve that, but the structure and focus are also problematic. The first third of the narrative begins in what was apparently the most gruesome phase of the Haitian rebels (with a prologue that details slaveholder brutality). spending its time with a few characters who could have taught the Aztecs something about cruelty. The following parts tend to follow the intricacies of colonial and rebel politics. That need not be fatal; after all, the maneuvers of the Jacobins, the Spanish and even the English, not to mention the divisions on the other side between Africans, Haitian-born blacks and mulattos, makes for constant intrigue, if one can follow the twists. French soldiers and rebels both wound up fighting for the Spanish at one time or another, and the leaders of the rebellion at one time apparently offered to send their soldiers back to the plantations in exchange for their own freedom -- only to have the obstinate planters reject the proposal. The fundamental problem, though, aside from the unremitting violence of the opening section, is the characters. Too many of the men seem either to embody either historical figures or historical types (the French soldier, the mulatto, the African slave) or historical figures. Both seem manipulative. There is a doctor one of whose functions seems to be to place the story at key historical and narrative points. The women fare especially poorly, with the joylessly adulterous Isabelle Cigny and Claudine Arnaud, whose madness seems too convenient to the story at key points. The black women fare even worse, serving the plot rather than humanity. A sweeping view of history is a fine thing, but it does require that real humans occasionally appear. (less)

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Jun 11, 2010 Joan Colby rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the first of Bell’s trilogy on the history of the Haitian insurgency. It is shocking in its frank descriptions of the abuse of slaves and the terrors of the insurrection. Bell interweaves the social structure of 18th century Haiti into his tale portraying the Grand Blanc plantation owners who supported the ancient regime, the Petit Blancs consisting of artisans, adventurers and so forth most of whom were supporters of the French revolutionaries, the mulattoes who were generally freemen,...more This is the first of Bell’s trilogy on the history of the Haitian insurgency. It is shocking in its frank descriptions of the abuse of slaves and the terrors of the insurrection. Bell interweaves the social structure of 18th century Haiti into his tale portraying the Grand Blanc plantation owners who supported the ancient regime, the Petit Blancs consisting of artisans, adventurers and so forth most of whom were supporters of the French revolutionaries, the mulattoes who were generally freemen, often educated and wealthy, sometimes owning slaves themselves, but constrained by law from voting or of any political recognition, and finally the black slaves who outnumbered the whites 10 to one, the large proportion of whom were born in Africa and who imported their animistic beliefs into what became Haiti’s primary religion: Voudon. Of this latter, Bell gives a good understanding of how the Voodoo rituals induced mass hysteria that led to some of the most egregious behaviors toward the white men.
Toussaint L’Overture is a main character, among other historical figures, and is seen as a moderate who preferred to petition and negotiate with France rather than resort to bloody warfare. He, however, had little control over the leaders of the slave contingents, most of whom had been overseers on the plantations and therefore versed in brutality. Bell inspires the reader to reflect on the nature of man’s sadistic impulses, regardless of race or station. We commonly describe such activities as bestial, yet I can think of only one species that enjoys tormenting its prey: cats. The political intrigues replicate those that occur throughout history. Haiti was France’s principal territory and source of revenue from sugar and coffee. France, therefore, gave serious consideration to the colonies misfortunes and dispatched ministers to attempt to mediate. While King Louis had issued edicts guaranteeing certain rights to the slaves, they were seldom followed, and the French Revolution put paid to any accommodations the royalists may have contemplated.
The novel has various protagonists: the main ones being Dr. Hebert, a recent arrival from France who has come to seek his sister; Riau, a runaway slave; Arnaud , a Grand Blanc plantation owner; and Toussaint himself.
Bell’s depiction of the era is authentic and riveting; one can hardly put this book down, though often the descriptions of unspeakable actions make reading on almost unbearable.
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Jun 20, 2010 Alison rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: history buffs that enjoyed both "The Wide Sargasso Sea" and "Hostel."

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This is a lush, rather dreamy novel of Haiti's revolution and well-worth reading if you like your history through a character-driven and lyrical lens. Bell's history is solid, which occasionally makes the suspension of disbelief necessary for his flights of fancy (e.g. the evil conspiracy of the wealthiest white landowners to engineer the slave revolt in order to silence to forge an alliance with the lower class whites and further inconvenience the recently-enfranchised mulattoes seems a little...more

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Apr 01, 2013 Eddy Allen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arts-and-historical

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Mar 01, 2010 Dergrossest rated it 5 of 5 stars

I don't know that I have ever read anything as shockingly disturbing as this story of the early phases of the Haitian slave revolt of the late 18th Century. Told from the perspective of an intrepid French doctor, a savage creole planation owner, his insane wife, a rebel slave from Africa and Toussiant Louverture, the black Haitian George Washington, the breakneck pace of this novel never lets up even for a moment while it moves from the unbelievable routine atrocities committed by the unrelentin...more

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Jan 13, 2012 Shomeret rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, around-the-world, my-reviews

I thought that the sympathetic viewpoint characters anchored the narrative. Other readers may find the viewpoint changes difficult to follow. I didn't have this problem, but I did find the appended Chronology of Historical Events useful. I had hoped for more voodoo content, but finding out about the political factions during the revolutionary period was educational.

I do have to say that the novel is extremely violent. The author does illustrate the motivations behind the violence, and I did not...more

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Nov 04, 2009 James Murphy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A gripping yarn. A good read. An unfamiliar story well told. Getting into historical fiction this good, this well written and presented, can be satisfying. And it was with that satisfaction and enjoyment that I read this novel by Bell, the first of his I'd tried and the first novel of his trilogy about the revolt ending slavery in French colonial Haiti. I was already interested in the history. Earlier in the summer I'd realized I had no real understanding of slavery in the South and had subseque...more

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Jan 30, 2011 614(life) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Very interesting novel documenting the rise of Toussiant L'Ouverture during the Haitian Revolution. I remember reading this book every night before I went to bed during grad school year one. I am always so grateful that someone took the time to create and record an in-depth reality for one of the greatest stories on earth. I actually got to meet the author at the Haitian Studies conference this past November, he was a bit of a different duck and wasn't overly social. I guess that's to be expecte...more

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Oct 27, 2010 Djrmel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: z2010-read, historical-fiction, fiction

Perfect balance of character/story/setting, this is a book that tackles a big event (Haitian slave rebellion) and brings it down to a very human size. The story is told through all the various points of view that brought about an incredibly bloody and deadly event, which in a lesser writer's hand would feel like padding. But Bell takes the time to let each character not only establish their link to history, he also makes them three dimensional enough that even the "villains" of the story have th...more

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Oct 03, 2012 Marlène rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: american-literature, historical-fiction, haiti

Répression, représailles, contrôle, vengeance, colère, pouvoir, exemple, folie, cruauté pure... la violence est partout. Elle rythme la narration des soulèvements des peuples de l'île qui deviendra Haïti.
Le soulèvement des esclaves dans les plantations de Saint Domingue n'est pas le seul mouvement intéressant, carrément fascinant, de ce roman historique aussi complexe que le sujet dont il s'inspire. Car il y a aussi l'opposition des royalistes et des républicains, des "grands blancs" et des "pet...more

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Dec 20, 2007 Abby rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: someone who knows more about the Haitian revolution than me

Shelves: fiction

I generally find historical fiction to be a "lite" way of learning real history, material I can read before bed but still retain the lesson.

I know just as little about Toussaint L'Ouverture and the Haitian slave uprising now, however, as I did when I began this book, and I'm more confused. The book is well written, if extremely graphic and gory. It's told from the viewpoints of a maroon (run-away slave) and a somewhat unbelievably sympathetic French doctor (who is not from Haiti and is therefor...more

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Aug 15, 2007 sydney rated it 3 of 5 stars

Historical fiction about the first years of the Haitian Revolution, told from the perspectives of several different characters. Interesting to read because Bell does a good job of filling in historical information (an introduction giving the backdrop of events leading up to those in the novel, a chronology of events, a glossary of Creole terms and historical figures referenced in the book). He also tells the story from the perspective of a few very different players in this history--a maroon (es...more

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Sep 26, 2012 Gregory rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

Incredible historical fiction about the early years of the Haitian Revolution. The story is told with a handful of characters...black and white, free and enslaved, rich and poor. Some of the chapters that dealt with the start of the revolt featured descriptions of the most vicious and savage violence I could ever imagine, told with a surgical coldness. Not for the faint of heart.

I have no comment on the historical accuracy but I will say that every time I did follow up research online to learn...more

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Feb 20, 2012 Tom Wilda rated it 4 of 5 stars

I found this novel about the slave revolt in Haiti very interesting. I read it after hearing an interview with the author. One of the things that I remember him saying is that while it is a work of fiction, he did extensive research and the acts he described were acts that happened during the revolt. So be warned, there are some extraordinarily cruel and barbaric scenes.

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Aug 03, 2009 Kristina rated it 4 of 5 stars

I came across this book by way of the Boondocks cartoon strip. The first line of the theme song is, " I am The Stone That the Builder Refused." Catching, no? I had no idea what it meant until my husband bought me Smartt Bell's Trilogy. Now I know, and knowing is half the battle.

All Soul's Rising (first book of the trilogy) was a nice surprise. Dirty, gory, rank and at times just brutal, Smartt Bell sluiced out an absolutely meaty piece of prose here. As one glimpses the tale through each charact...more

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Dec 26, 2012 Andrea rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, favorites

"ASR" has everything - pure substance and hard content written with rhythm and grace. M.S. Bell has taken the historical novel to an ultimate point of evolution and created an original masterwork. The nightmarish events are never hidden, but seem to be filtered through a buffer zone of detached observation. The language is also highly hypnotic, and the result is like watching horrific imagery in a dazed state. For all this restraint, the novel is never sterile - a living pulse runs through it an...more

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Feb 11, 2012 Shelly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

This historical fiction novel about Toussaint L'Overture's life in leading the slave rebellion in Haiti is both gruesome and intriguing. The staunch descriptions of the reality during the time period are eye-opening to say the least. However, its a must read for anyone seeking an in-depth description of perhaps the only truly successful slave revolution in history.

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Mar 09, 2010 Gary Quien rated it 4 of 5 stars

A riveting account of the violent slave uprising that gave birth to Haiti. The social conditions on the island--which was at the time one big plantation--and the aspirations of the leaders of the rebellion, who were inspired by the events then unfolding in France, explain much about the historic evolution of the nation of Haiti and its current condition.

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Oct 30, 2009 Adam rated it 2 of 5 stars

I like the story and the way the author combines the stories of a variety of very different and complex characters and viewpoints, however there were many times in the book when I questioned why I was reading the book as there were many points in the novel that seemed unnecessarily droll and monotonous.

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Feb 09, 2012 Kathleen rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is not an easy read; it is full of the most horrific accounts of the violence that was widespread throughout Haiti during the uprising. However, it is an important read and you will finish the book with an more in-depth understanding of the slaves' revolt against the most immoral masters.

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Oct 04, 2010 Lydia rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, history, paperback

I would suggest that anyone reading this book also read "The Black Jacobins: Toussaint L'Ouverture and San Domingo Revolution" by C.L.R. James. The James book gives the history of the Haitian revolution, but "All Souls Rising" gives more a sense of the human toll the revolution took. Using the physician Antoine Hebert's search for his married sister, Smartt Bell steers the reader through the lives the landed gentry (slave owners); mixed race persons; the darker slaves and rebel and military lead...more

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Aug 12, 2009 Julie rated it 5 of 5 stars

really gripping historical fiction. i almost had to stop a third of the way through because the violence was so graphic and intense (what can i say, i'm sensitive), but i just couldn't give up on the characters. i've already ordered the next in the series.

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Nov 13, 2011 Linda rated it 2 of 5 stars

A confusing mayhem that no doubt eventually explains the revolution in Haiti (but not by the end of book 1). What is abundantly clear is that there is much more diversity in torture and cruelty than I was aware of before reading this book.

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Apr 11, 2011 Larry Rogers rated it 4 of 5 stars

"All Soul's Rising" is the first novel in a trilogy about the birth of the Haitian Republic. It is well written and is a good introduction to Bell's work. Toussaint L'ouverture is, of course, a main character, but there are many others who serve to introduce a story that is both hopeful and, ultimately tragic. It's interesting that French revolutionaries, intent on freeing Europe from the chains of tyranny, were so capable of maintaining tyranny in the Indies.

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May 20, 2010 Titilayo rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

the prose was eloquently written. the glossary and historical timeline in the rear came in handy. i was engaged from beginning to end. in fact i had to force myself to stop reading the book so i could stop being consumed by it. a month before the earthquake i decided to read madison smartt bell's triology. i read the farming of bones and as soon as this book became available i drove into it. i think i'm in love with haiti

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Dec 27, 2012 Anne Strobridge rated it 5 of 5 stars

Which is larger, the depths of our capacity for atrocity or the heights of our capacity for compassion? This is the book to start the discussion with.

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May 15, 2013 !Tæmbuŝu marked it as to-read

Shelves: contemporary-fiction, haiti, ebook-available

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Jul 12, 2012 Julie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: race-class, war-genocide

Beautifully written and incredibly powerful, but almost painful to read because of the dark subject matter.

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About Madison Smartt Bell

Madison Smartt Bell is a critically acclaimed writer of more than a dozen novels and story collections, as well as numerous essays and reviews for publications such as Harper’s and the New York Times Book Review. His books have been finalists for both the National Book Award and the PEN/Faulkner Award, among other honors. Bell has also taught at distinguished creative writing programs including th...more

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