The Underground Railroad in Wednesday Evening Book Discussion Group

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Aug 09, 2017 Jessica rated it really liked it

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I mean in no way to imply that this book isn't a great read or take away from the value of having millions of people read it - but what I can't wrap my head around with this one is why is it such a "thing?"

Remember Roots? Beloved? Kindred? Uncle Tom's Cabin? The Known World? (etc., etc., etc.,...) All of them are equally interesting, well written, and important. (Honestly though, IMO, Beloved is better, but I don't expect anyone to ever surpass that one.)

So why has this captured such massive me I mean in no way to imply that this book isn't a great read or take away from the value of having millions of people read it - but what I can't wrap my head around with this one is why is it such a "thing?"

Remember Roots? Beloved? Kindred? Uncle Tom's Cabin? The Known World? (etc., etc., etc.,...) All of them are equally interesting, well written, and important. (Honestly though, IMO, Beloved is better, but I don't expect anyone to ever surpass that one.)

So why has this captured such massive media attention? Is it that we have an aversion to reading anything labeled a "classic" or that's older than a couple of years? Is it bang-up publicity and placement by Doubleday? Is it that we gave it this nifty genre name of "neo-slave narrative?" Is it simply the Oprah seal of approval?

I don't know. I do know that while I assumed the Underground Railroad would be the focus, it plays a much smaller part in the overall story than I expected and feels like little more than a literary trick to advance the plot. Allegory noted, it is probably my least favorite part of the story.

The characters, however, are so well-developed - and the story is so insular - that it's difficult not to get emotionally involved. It's an intense character study of a very few folks, and while there are other players, most of them serve simply to teach us something new about our heroine.

While I realize everyone is sticking to the "slave narrative" genre with this one and despite the dangers of labeling the story "mythology," (different discussion...) I'm going to say that Colson has written a nearly textbook "hero's journey." I can't remember the last time I read one that used a female heroine so well or so pointedly. This certainly isn't an "adventure" book in the traditional (ie: pleasurable) sense but it is difficult to ignore the arc exists.

So now that it sounds like I'm just critiquing all over the place - I couldn't put it down. I was completely hooked (one lull about half way, maybe.) The writing is done so well throughout you almost miss the really lyrical stuff: "It was work, but the moon made it okay." And sometimes you might even take in some pretty powerful observations as a simple matter of course: "...but observing the monstrous system firsthand GAVE HIM THOUGHTS HE DID NOT RECOGNIZE." (emphasis mine.) Wow, right? Yeah.

Most importantly though, the story doesn't end when the book does. It's not a cliffhanger (like another book I read recently where the author just decided to stop writing,) but it isn't complete. It engages the idea of moving beyond where we are left off. We don't need a sequel to tell us how things "end" - we just need to deal with the realization that it's still only the beginning. ...more

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Feb 08, 2017 CHRISTOPHER FOLEY rated it really liked it · review of another edition

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May 18, 2017 Woodbury Public Library added it

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