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The Underground Railroad

Colson Whitehead

Start date: February 1, 2017

Finish date: February 28, 2017

Discussion: Monthly Bonus Reads

Why we're reading this: February Bonus Read- Black History Month
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Oct 22, 2017 Josh Caporale rated it liked it

The Underground Railroad has picked up a lot of hype within the last year in the literary world and while Colson Whitehead wrote five novels previous to this one, this has proven to be his biggest break. This is perhaps the most noteworthy book recommendation from Oprah's Book Club (2.0) since Wild by Cheryl Strayed, won several prizes including the Pulitzer Prize, and was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize this past year. Between this and the fact that it was the selection that a book club I a The Underground Railroad has picked up a lot of hype within the last year in the literary world and while Colson Whitehead wrote five novels previous to this one, this has proven to be his biggest break. This is perhaps the most noteworthy book recommendation from Oprah's Book Club (2.0) since Wild by Cheryl Strayed, won several prizes including the Pulitzer Prize, and was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize this past year. Between this and the fact that it was the selection that a book club I am taking part in chose this as this month's read, I took the opportunity to pick it up and read it. I wish that it was the most amazing thing I read during the year, but unfortunately I only thought it was okay.

This novel follows a slave named Cora, who lives on the Randall plantation in Georgia, alone since her mother left her to seek freedom. While any slave is in a terrible situation, things get worse when James Randall dies and the plantation is left to his brother, Terrance, to take care of. His vicious nature can be seen through one such action that he took against a slave that tried to escape (let's just say it was graphic). Cora learns about the Underground Railroad through another slave that arrived from Virginia named Caesar and the two, along with a friend named Lovey, take a trip northward toward freedom. Unlike the real Underground Railroad, which was a trail that the slaves walked to get toward freedom, this is an actual Underground Railroad that operates like those we are far more familiar with in the literal sense.

Of course, Cora is being hunted down by slave catchers that are looking to return her to where she came from, specifically Arnold Ridgeway. She presents an even greater target when she hurts and kills a young white boy while trying to escape. Throughout the story, we follow Cora on her quest for freedom and at the same time ask the question of what freedom truly is, when does one officially become "free," and then there is the topic of the American dream in the context of this given time and place.

The Underground Railroad has its powerful moments. Colson Whitehead does his best to present us each of the characters in the text, especially those that are crucial to the plot at hand, and sends powerful messages as far as what it means to be free.

A powerful line about the Declaration of Independence and what America is read:

"Her plot was a shadow of something that lived elsewhere, out of sight. The way poor Michael reciting the Declaration of Independence was an echo of something that existed elsewhere. Now that she had run away and seen a bit of the country, Cora wasn't sure the document described anything real at all. America was a ghost in the darkness, like her." (180)

There are so many questions that come with what America's foundation truly is and especially in the case of America's black citizens, whether or not this applies to everyone is really put into question. Freedom is very much an illusion for many, but this is especially true for the black slaves that are not even viewed as 100% human, take the last name of their slave owner, and are on their own as far as figuring out their birthday is concerned. Since they are not taught to read, this makes the situation even more difficult.

What I had issues with was the pacing of the story. I can see where a novel starts in the middle, looks back, and looks in different directions in order to give us the reader more information as we go along, but this novel seemed very jumbled and gargled. In some instances, there would be mention of an event that took place ahead of what was happening in the here and now and then they would return to this here and now. While I can understand how most of the novel is being told through Cora's journey, I wish that there was a little bit more of a solid story for each of the characters. In many cases, it seems like while we are given information about each of the characters and they begin to tell their story, these stories are not always finished efficiently. I felt as if the surface can have been scratched a bit more.

I feel that this is a well-written novel and Colson Whitehead has a great idea with what it is he is writing. As far as the finished product goes, I felt it was just okay and it would be worth checking out once it makes it way to paperback or at a lower price. I may consider rereading it on a future occasion, for the concept is really intriguing, but it did not hit the high expectations I truly desired. ...more

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Feb 12, 2017 Jeanne rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-2017, historical-fiction, african-african-american

I read The Underground Railroad for several reasons, but partly because the high school I graduated from was planning to bring Colson Whitehead and Andrew Ayden in as speakers, causing a controversy that FOX News and Breitbart got involved in. (My school has decided to go ahead with Seminar Day.)

I'd feared Underground Railroad would be sort of silly – based on the descriptions of plot I'd heard – but it is thoughtful, engaging, and beautifully written, as makes sense given that it won a National I read The Underground Railroad for several reasons, but partly because the high school I graduated from was planning to bring Colson Whitehead and Andrew Ayden in as speakers, causing a controversy that FOX News and Breitbart got involved in. (My school has decided to go ahead with Seminar Day.)

I'd feared Underground Railroad would be sort of silly – based on the descriptions of plot I'd heard – but it is thoughtful, engaging, and beautifully written, as makes sense given that it won a National Book Award. It is also a disturbing book, as makes sense given the book's focus (slavery). I had difficulty putting it down.

Part of what I liked about Underground Railroad is Cora, the character from whose perspective the book is largely told. She tells her story in a somewhat understated manner, which one reviewer called "distancing." To me, her story is told as that of someone who recognizes the injustice of her experience – slavery is [only] a sin when whites were put to the yoke, but not the African. All men are created equal unless we decide you are not a man (p. 182). She is a character who grows, initially described as "mad" and housed in Hob with the other "strays" and rejects; nonetheless, she learns to read and makes wise observations about her world.

While this is a book about slavery and race, it is also a book about being seen, seeing oneself, and finding courage. Caesar asked her to run away with him because he recognized that he couldn't do it without her (p. 234). Unlike the other slaves on the Randall Plantation, he saw she knew the preciousness of what little she called her own. Her joys, her plot, that block of sugar maple she perched on like a vulture (p. 231).

In some ways, this book is a rewriting of Gulliver's Travels. Caesar described Gulliver as rov[ing] from peril to peril, each new island a new predicament to solve before he could return home. That was the man's trouble, not the savage and uncanny civilizations he encountered – he kept forgetting what he had (p. 237). That seems to be a good description of Cora's journey, too.

My least favorite parts of the book were those that felt most staged (e.g., South and North Carolina). In these sections, especially, the towns felt stilted and unreal. Throughout the book, however, characters in the foreground were well-characterized. Even Ridgeway, the slave catcher, was sometimes likable (or less unlikable). Whitehead also wrote short portraits of some of the other characters from their point of view as transitions between states, which allowed us to see them from other, fuller perspectives.

Although Underground Railroad often seems to paint whites as evil and blacks as good (and there are many despicable whites in this book), Whitehead complicates his story of race. Cora was rejected at the beginning by the other slaves, as her mother had run away. Some were as hard and unforgiving as many of the whites. On the other hand, Cora was transported from state to state, hidden, and supported at great personal cost by some whites. She came to respect them and what they risked for her.

Ultimately, while this is a beautiful book, it is a challenging one, as it eschews a simple story. For that I'm grateful. ...more

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Aug 10, 2016 Suzy added it · review of another edition

Shelves: found-community, historical-fiction, listened-to, mia-book-tours, pulitzer, magical-realism, slavery

Feb 2017: This may have won the National Book Award, but unfortunately it is not for me. Even though it's important to tell the story, the book is too grim for me and the characters/story did not engage me. Other books about slavery that I've read recently suited me better - Homegoing and The Invention of Wings as examples.

Update Oct 2017: I decided to give this another try given all the positive reviews, encouragement from friends who really liked it and, well, it did win the Pulitzer! I did fi ...more

9 likes · Like · see review