The Known World

Rating:
Summary: Phenomenal
Review: This is a masterful, powerful piece. I enjoyed TKW thoroughly. There are constant shifts from present to future tense, so that the reader already knows what fate ultimately befalls each character before the end of the book. I love how Jones weaves together numerous storylines, thereby creating, "The Known World."

Rating:
Summary: No surprises here for a multicultural reader
Review: The tragedy of this Edward P. Jones novel is slavery, period. And the woeful tale of this set of characters is subject to yet another version of the American saga which presents one more twist of the knife in the heart of humanity.

How could a black man, a former slave, bought out of slavery by his formerly slave parents, an only and most prized son, emulate his former slave owner and become a master of his own race, a slave owner?

Well it happened. And this story originates in Virginia with interjected references to the descendants of its characters who will finally live in freedom and make an in-road into the leadership of coming generations.

If anyone has read the works of Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, David Bradley, John Edgar Wideman, they know of the many other voices of the black man's story in America. And if one reads Edward Jones and becomes fascinated by his revelations, let me advise you that his skills replicate those of other black authors also of this time who have written before him.

In fact, for all his notice in the world of literature, Jones is not the writer that his predecessors who still live and write are. His writing is rather disjointed in comparison.

But if Jones' work and subject matter so move you, springboard from this book, if it is pivotal to you, and read Wideman, Bradley, Morrison, Walker, and saturate yourself in an even greater understanding of the legacy of slavery in this nation now in its 21st century.

Truly, while reading Jones' work, even the start of Moses' time in the wilderness, a private and sensual freedom from his Master's control, recalls to mind the stories found in Walker's "Meridian" and Morrison's "Song of Solomon" with the rich tribal mysticism of those African slaves so recently from another continent. Those characters, too, isolate themselves into the wilds and seek rejoinder with their African past, in most primitive expressions not unlike that which Moses executes and his fellow slaves witness in secret.

Most poignant in this novel, of course, is the shocking reality of the continued brutality to the black freeman, who once free, having labored long to buy his way out of slavery, is subject to the whim of roving speculators, those scum of the underworld who trade in human flesh beyond the hand of justice.

The ironical death of the black slave master, Henry Townsend, and the quandry into which his educated wife Caldonia is thrown seems so unlikely. But one has only to remember the blue vein society of blacks who "passed" and their stories of class systems against their own race as revealed in the short stories of Charles W. Chestnutt, particularly the story, "The Wife of His Youth", to realize that Henry Townsend's widow and her upper crust friends lack the strength of character to free their slaves; their people and their weakness is only human, though inhumane.

The corruption of owning others is copied by Henry Townsend who eventually lives free, but remains as the best friend and surrogate son of his former white master, William Robbins. He rejects the example of his own flesh, his father Augustus, and enters into the money-making proposition of owning those of his own race so as to prosper and reach a gentleman's status, as high as he can go in the ranks of free blacks.

Henry's first slave, Moses'plan to seduce the grieving Caldonia and come to be the surviving master, shows his personal deception. He has been a slave, the foreman of the Townsend slaves, and believes he can rise out of his slave ranks to those of master via marriage. Another fool he, another dupe to the wicked deception that is integral to slavery.

There is a powerfully tragic tale to be told in these pages. Don't let them be the last that you read about this subject. Read the works of other black writers of our time and LEARN.

Rating:
Summary: Complex and Illustrative
Review: The hand-full of genes that determine a person's skin color are nothing compared to all the genes that give us a common human nature. Skin color was a local adaptation to the environment, facilitating the optimum balance of folic acid and vitamin D. This book, while fiction, illustrates the commonness of our natures. The genetically-provided ambition for status, money, and power (assisted by our impressive abilities to rationalize) operates at different levels for us all. Add in the levels of competition, and the scarcity of opportunity in that society, and the room for complexity emerges. A central part of this book concerns a man who's freedom is purchased by his parents when he is a child. This free-black Henry finds his path to "bettering himself" lies through the purchase and domination of slaves of his own; he rationalizes he will be "the best master". The many ways slavery and status can play in such a fluid situation is well illustrated by the interplay of plot lines throughout this story. It is the interplay of the variations that makes this book superb.

Rating:
Summary: partial review, i am only halfway through the book
Review: This is for those of you who may start the book, and become a bit confused about the people, and their interrelationships. The hierarchy between master and slave was confused even more when "color" did not always apply. I have found it sometimes difficult to understand, as the author writes in a dispassionate voice. I also intend to follow the author's narrative to the end. I would suggest that you do as well; Mr. Jones' research appears to be excellent.
Mr. Jones' book is part historical research, and part fiction, both parts are well worth reading, and make a more complete novel.
I am not sure if this is appropriate in this review, if so, amazon will tell me so, but, I keep thinking that someone who reads this should also read The Bondwoman's Narrative by Hannah Crafts...if you should, great, if not, read this book as it stands by itself

Rating:
Summary: DO NOT PASS GO IF YOU DON"T READ THIS BOOK!
Review: If you are going to read one book this year, this should be the one. Edward P. jones is a meticulous researcher and a wonderful storyteller.

In a manner which is neither demeaning nor judgmental, Jones brings the world of slave owning blacks to life. This is not the first novel of an angry young man, but rather the wiritng of a mature scholar who has adapted his work to fiction quite nicely.

A must read!

Rating:
Summary: beautiful at times but strangely removed
Review: The Known World has at its center the wonderfully complex question of who is master and who is slave among the various range of characters that make up this intricate novel--free blacks who own slaves, free blacks who do not, black slaves, poor whites, rich slave-owning whites, Native American slave "patrollers", light-skinned blacks who can pass for white, husband or wife, etc. The complexity of the situation is matched by the complexity of the presentation, as the novel moves freely and often seamlessly between time and place. This is not a book to read, therefore, while you "multi-task" or as you nod off to sleep--it requires the reader's full attention. The story will frequently spin away from the main narrative, sometimes for a few lines, sometimes for several pages, sometimes even longer in the one section I thought overly digressive. While I thought at times the author switched time and place too often too closely, for the most part this was a highly effective and haunting structure.
This is a beautifully written book, with carefully crafted sentences and characters revealed as often through slight, small acts as through more lengthy poetic descriptions. At times, as with the digressions, the reader might wish for less full language, but such times quickly pass.
The characters themselves are vividly portrayed and fully so--there are no easy or cheaply shallow characterizations. Good and bad are not, forgive the construction, as clearly black and white as one might have seen in a less skillful, less ambitious work. Sympathies can often shift for the reader, which some may find disconcerting but which I found more true to life and much more interesting.
My one complaint about the novel is that is is strangely, for its subject matter and its events, lacking in emotive impact. Part of it is probably that the fluid back-and-forth structure, together with the multitude of characters and settings, combine to frequently remove the reader from a real sense of intimacy with the characters, despite the poignant situations they encounter. And the closing few pages, while horribly tragic, have been telegraphed in tone if not in deed for so long that they are somewhat anti-climatic in terms of their emotional impact on the reader. This may be a single flaw, but it is a major one and perhaps even one that will cause some readers to not bother past the first third of the book. I went back and forth myself as to whether the short-term impact of the many flash-forwards or backwards (which was often lingeringly sad) was worth sacrificing a greater, more powerful sense of emotional connection. In the end I decided yes, though just, perhaps mostly because it's so refreshing to come across something different. The imposed sense of distance can make the book seem slow going, but anyone who reads it will find it ultimately if somewhat palely rewarding.

Rating:
Summary: An informative read
Review: "The Known World" explores the dynamics of race, class, love and justice is an environment where former slaves become slave owners. At first thought, one might ponder how could a slave obtain his freedom and then become a slave owner? Well, people do what they know. In this novel, Jones does an excellent job of demonstrating how slavery was one of the few means of accumulating wealth and status for many free blacks. It provided a promotion - of sorts - from the lowest rank in the slavery institution to the one just above it. Although black slave owners were able to accumulate greater wealth than some of their white counterparts, the fact of their race returned them to the lowest level of a society where race trumps wealth; where the color of your skin over-ranks every other aspect of your life. This dual existence is skillfully rendered throughout the novel as the characters' lives unfold and intertwine. Jones further exhibits his writing talents by creating a non-linear story that uses character interaction to move the story along instead of a chronological rendering of events as they unfold. This is a complex method of storytelling perfected by very few and managed very well by Jones.

So why, I'm thinking, did I initially rate this book a three? As I write the review it becomes clear that it's a better book than that. The fact of free black people owning slaves is an excellent topic to explore. Although I struggled early on with the text, I was determined to finish the book simply because I had not read any other covering the topic. While I knew that a few free blacks owned slaves I have never read much about it. The novel is well researched, informative and fresh . . . all of which warrants a four rating. The fact that I found the narrative voice dull and absent of any distinctive rhythm is the only thing that kept this novel from a perfect five star rating. It required a bit of persistence to finish the novel but it's worth it.

Rating:
Summary: Truly a Book for Every Thoughtful Person
Review: *****
The Known World was unique among fiction books I have read in the last twenty years or so. It was a thoroughly enjoyable read. I would not call it an easy read, because it was some work to keep track of all of the different characters, but nevertheless, so very well worth it. Despite the work, it was entertaining. Like other reviewers, it kept me up at night, and kept me reading.

The book caused me to wonder how I would behave had I the same cultural background as the various characters in the book---the white slave owners, black slave owners, the black slaves. I had always thought before that I "of course" would be against slavery, would fight for rights for all races, and absolutely never do anything so repulsive as to own slaves. I wondered how anyone ever could! The Known World opened my eyes to how this could happen, and how easily one of those slaveowners---black or white---could have been me. Or how easily I could have been a slave. It also provided insight into the psychological world of the slave. All of this was done by showing, not telling, so the reading was more of a powerful emotional experience rather than an intellectual experience.

What made this so different for me is that I picked this book soley upon the Amazon reviews and rankings. I had no inherent interest in American history or race relations or the Civil War era, but this book GOT me interested. I think that the only person who would not enjoy this book would be the person who is not open or interested in challenging themselves, not interested in thinking, or afraid to find out about or explore the dark side of the human experience.

Because of the complexity of the book, as far as the feelings of the characters, the layers of meaning, and the strong impact, I know that I will read this book again and again, and am therefore glad that I spent the money to get it in hardback. It is well worth the money, and is a beautiful "rough cut" book. I have thought about its message again and again since reading it; I would call it haunting, thought-provoking, disturbing, and honest.

Rating:
Summary: Truly enjoyable
Review: I am nearly finished reading this novel but felt compelled to share my experience with the vivid world created by Mr. Jones. The writing is so rich and the sentence structure so simple. Several times I have reread a passage, impressed by the impact of the word selection. Mr. Jones has developed a seamless style of putting the reader at three places in time -- all within the same paragraph. And this book is packed with quirky, nuanced and sometimes endearing characters. It shows that the author really understands the small things that make people tick. In addition, he tackles so many deeply complex topics without telling the reader what to think. Since the best work should have flaws, this is a work of art whose perfection lies in the juxtaposition between its intricate details and occasional bumpy prose. But in those bumps the reader is able to pause and reflect on the true brilliance of this simple, thought-provoking novel. I highly recommend this book.

Rating:
Summary: More Hype than Hope
Review: Again, like the Emperor of Ocean Park, critics annoint a mediocre book. I don't know why they do it. Most readers I've met said that it was interesting. That's about it. And it seemed to be split down the middle among black and white readers--meaning an equal number on each side didn't think it was that great. I would have thought that black readers would have all hated it. But it looks like some, like my wifes black female friends, are so saturated with romance books that when anything with meat comes along they will embrace it.

I was impressed with the Faulkner-esque creation of a mythical Southern county. But the images and themes really don't set me afire beyond that. Maybe people need to take a deep breath, and mayb we need to make this one of those times where the critics are wrong. Usually, weingore them and buy truly silly books, but some times, we are right on the money. This is one of those tims (like the Emperor of Ocean Park).