Helpful Score: 1
This was both more entertaining and more graphic than I was expecting it to be. I expected some kind of dry, fact-by-fact account of an event in the history of the U.S. Instead, this book brought Nat Turner to life for me. The author states in the foreword that he had very little to draw from when creating the novel; therefore, he took liberties.
I have no idea why this novel (fiction, mind you) is labeled "racist" by so many. I found myself caring for Nat and although not condoning his actions at the end of his journey, most certainly understanding them. I thought Styron dealt fairly with both, complex sides of Nat: a caring, religious-minded, genuinely good person and the man who had simply had enough of the blatant unfairness of his own life and the lives of fellow blacks. (I don't say slaves because there are examples of injustices to freed slaves appearing throughout the book). I almost screamed with rage at one point in the book because of the injustice Nat had to endure at the greedy hands of a so-called man of God.
Injustice and unfairness happen to everyone, some of us more harshly than others and on a larger scale. I think this is what makes this novel so appealing; every human being can relate to that. I think Styron's ultimate message to humanity was excellent, too, and a lesson for us all: don't condemn all of one race because of a few individuals.
I have no idea why this novel (fiction, mind you) is labeled "racist" by so many. I found myself caring for Nat and although not condoning his actions at the end of his journey, most certainly understanding them. I thought Styron dealt fairly with both, complex sides of Nat: a caring, religious-minded, genuinely good person and the man who had simply had enough of the blatant unfairness of his own life and the lives of fellow blacks. (I don't say slaves because there are examples of injustices to freed slaves appearing throughout the book). I almost screamed with rage at one point in the book because of the injustice Nat had to endure at the greedy hands of a so-called man of God.
Injustice and unfairness happen to everyone, some of us more harshly than others and on a larger scale. I think this is what makes this novel so appealing; every human being can relate to that. I think Styron's ultimate message to humanity was excellent, too, and a lesson for us all: don't condemn all of one race because of a few individuals.
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