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Uncle Tom’s Cabin

Harriet Beecher Stowe

Start date: July 1, 2016

Finish date: July 31, 2016

Why we're reading this: July 2016 Old School Classic Group Read
[close] July 2016 Old School Classic Group Read

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Jun 22, 2016 Melanti rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, group-reads, 1001-books, e-book, classics, 2016, whispersync

This is a book with a TON of historical significance, but it manages to tick me off or annoy me in several different ways.

First, the pro-abolition propaganda was a little too overt and intrusive for my tastes. I know that is what this book is known for - but instead of being supported by the plot/story, in places it took the place of the plot/story.

Second, the pro-abolitionist message was helped along by the extreme religiosity of the book. And while religiosity isn't exactly unknown in books f This is a book with a TON of historical significance, but it manages to tick me off or annoy me in several different ways.

First, the pro-abolition propaganda was a little too overt and intrusive for my tastes. I know that is what this book is known for - but instead of being supported by the plot/story, in places it took the place of the plot/story.

Second, the pro-abolitionist message was helped along by the extreme religiosity of the book. And while religiosity isn't exactly unknown in books from this era, this is way too over the top for my tastes. All the good characters are Christian (and good because they're Christian) and the atheist is nearly demonic. And the whole plot is driven by the saintly Christ-like Uncle Tom (view spoiler). I am not a fan of over-the top Christ characters

Third, Stowe was quite racist. She didn't want to put an end to slavery because it was wrong. In fact, she seems to reinforce it in several ways. But she wants to put and end to it because it's abused. Of course, she comes to the conclusion that it's inevitable that abuse occurs, due to human nature, and thus it has to be ended - but she seems as concerned for the slave-holders' souls as she is for the human rights of the slaves.

I also noticed that she repeatedly portrays most of the darker skinned characters as childish, innocent, or unable to fend for themselves in the big bad world that is freedom. There's a few slaves with the intelligence to make a go of it in the big bad world - but, if you notice, these are the lighter-skinned, bi-racial characters! So, in effect - light skin = smart, dark skin = childish.
(view spoiler)

Maybe I was kidding myself, but I wasn't expecting a book credited for starting the US Civil War to reinforce so many negative racial stereotypes.

The heavy handed propaganda, I could forgive, as I could the heavy handed Christian aspects. But I have a really, really hard time forgiving the racism.

If it weren't for the book's historical significance, I'd give it 1 star, but it was the right book at the right time, so I'll give it an extra star.

But for me, as a modern reader, I find the autobiographical slave narratives to be a lot more compelling than this contrived piece of propaganda. ...more

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Oct 31, 2010 Barbara rated it liked it

Shelves: english-literature

This is not the book I expected it to be. I thought it would be a revolutionary book about slavery. Maybe it was in its time. Now the religion in the book gets in the way. Ok in America in that time (and still) religion is very important ans seeps out every now and then, but here it got on my nerves. I got the feeling that slavery isn't that bad to bear if you have religion and belive in redemption through Christ. Slavery was still a thing that was wrong but more because it was wrong for the sou ...more

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