The Known World

I have just read The Known World by Edward P. Jones. It impressed me, but I was disappointed as well. I am curious what other readers think. I will post my short review below.

Maybe my expectations for this book were too high. I had difficulties finishing it, while I really like the theme and the authors' style of writing. I adore those half realistic half magic images and the book is full of them. I also like what we call in Dutch "kroniek", the fact that a story expands itself over many generations. Perhaps there are too many characters in the novel, which makes it difficult to follow. I often thought : I wished that this story about this person would continue, instead of "jumping" to again somebody else. That was a pity, because there were moments when I started feeling the impact of slavery and the social conditions in which these characters live. For example I have never felt so clearly how frightening freedom can be, as when Moses sends his wife away into "freedom". You just feel how enormous the world is, if you have always lived on a small plantation and have never been able to make your own choice. Therefore I am not sorry to have read it. It makes me curious to read Edward Jones' short stories. Maybe the talent of this author can reveal itself better in the form of short stories than in a novel? Because, to be honest, for me this was a collection of short stories, presented as a novel. Some beautiful, others a bit tedious, but many stories, and not a novel.
brusselsbook | Oct 21, 2008 | edit | flag

>1 brusselsbook:, 2 brusselsbook: Browsing through the Deep South posts I read yours. I'm in the middle of reading various books about the South and the American Civil war; I think I'll give The Known World a try.