“Progress is excruciatingly slow when it comes to matters of race in America.”
And talk about slow progress…When I read The Underground Railroad, I couldn’t help but imagine the agony of being trapped in the North Carolina attic in the middle of summer, where Cora is confined for months “between departure and arrival, in transit” pondering her so called journey to freedom (p. 178).
I found this part of the book very moving, thoughtful, and well written. I think we suffer a national form of PTSD, a certain bondage, because of our history of slavery. I would like to see a novel of alternate history with the premise that we’d never had the horrific institution.
@PlantMom, probably not quite what you had it mind, but Orson Scott Card wrote a very interesting book called Pastwatch: The redemption of Christopher Columbus. The premise is that scientist have learned how to observe the past and then one day they realize that they can also change the past. One of the scientists becomes obsessed with the idea of changing Christopher Columbus’s actions so that we can have a world where slavery never happened. (It’s been a long time since I read it, but I think the fact that there is plenty of slavery in the rest of the world is ignored.)
I also thought the Anne Frank section of the book was lovely. The wife reluctantly doing the right thing. Cora taking comfort in almanacs. The lonely husband flummoxed as to how to get Cora back on the road…
I live in North Carolina and could not imagine living in my attic in the summer. I can’t even imagine living in my house without air conditioning.
It always make books more personal for me when they are set in an area I know. I’m sure the role of North Carolina in both books influenced the emotion and sadness I felt reading the books.
Here is the narrative Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs, who was one of Whitehead’s models for Cora. The pdf is the full book–186 pages–but if you scroll to p. 106 and read the next ten pages or so, you will see the inspiration for Cora’s story, as Harriet tries to survive hidden in an attic in the sweltering heat, with a peephole through which she can see activity down in the street: http://hoodmania.com/incidents.pdf
I know it doesn’t end well for Caesar and his family in Virginia but I prefer to think the elderly lady just hadn’t prepared well for her death. Thinking she had time, maybe she hadn’t taken the necessary steps to grant freedom to Caesar and family. (I say this as someone who desperately needs to update my will. I am embarrassed to admit how long it’s been, and I don’t embarrass all that easily.)
The backstories in The Underground Railroad become more-than-a-few too many (and then one too few) for me. Too often a backstory pulled me away from the narrative; I understand that Whitehead uses those backstories to add depth to the lives of the slaves and the history he tells. However, at some point, my reaction became no, no, no - move on. I don’t mean the backstories of major characters (Caesar, Ridgeway, …) but rather almost everyone Cora meets along her way (or so it seems), such as Ethel’s husband, Ethel, and so on. On the other hand, I wanted backstory on the child accompanying Ridgeway and found it sparse, if I remember correctly. (I had to return the book to the library so am fuzzy on the boy’s name. Henry?)
And speaking of Ridgeway - just kill him already. He’s still alive at the end of the book, right? Geez.
Harriet Jacobs’ account of her period of hiding is really extraordinary, @Mary13.
I had not heard of Jacobs until recently. My son who has connections with the Philadelphia theatre scene told me that a group called the New Freedom Theatre there is planning to do a show about her.
I was struck in the NPR interview how Whitehead said he wanted the boot to reboot every 60 pages. It seemed like an odd way to plan a novel.
Yes when you talk about how there are only x number of plots - it’s clear that this one is “The Journey”. Very much like The Odyssey and Cora finally gets home at the end. At least we hope so.
Starting today with a frivolous comment: I usually read on the kindle, but I bought The Underground Railroad and Underground Airlines at a bookstore because I had a gift card. Even though they don’t fit in my purse, I can’t adjust the font, and I keep accidentally touching words on the page to find the definition , it’s been nice to hold a real book for a change. Most of all, I realized how much I missed cover art. I really like the covers of both these books, and I must have run my fingers over the raised black letters and railroad tracks of The Underground Railroad one million times.
Second thought of the morning: I would love to hear feedback about the books from some of those who posted at the beginning of the thread and who may be out there lurking…@nottelling, @bgbg4us, @psychmom, etc.
Yes, where are you other guys? Even if you didn’t manage to read both books, we’d love to hear what you think about either one of them.
I always read tree books. Someone mentioned not realizing Ben Winters was white. If you read the book on an electronic device, you don’t get to see the author picture, I guess??
I’m glad Cora’s travails take place in “states” other than Texas. I also admit to having a good laugh over Texas’ secession from the United States in Underground Airlines.
I have something petty to mention, but it bugged me when I read it in Underground Airlines. Why did Victor’s car have a cassette player? Did I miss something? Was it a really old car? I was okay with it until the story mentioned using a cell phone. I don’t think phones would have advanced to the cell phones era while car stereos still had cassette players. Seemed like a strange thing to not advance in technology. The other thing that bugged me in Underground Airlines was when some of our same Presidents (Franklin Roosevelt, Truman and Johnson) were mentioned in the story’s post Civil War history. I don’t believe with such a big change in our US history that we would still end up with the same Presidents. If you are going to change history in your novel, then change it.
I’m firmly in the e-book camp; love my Kindle. I’m pretty sure a large part of that “love” came after moving out of 3 houses in the space of 5 years. I’ve kept/stored many children’s (tree) books for future grandchildren, especially picture and early reader books, but otherwise, not so many.
I also laughed at the Texas secession. And Victor’s car was pretty old, I think.
I think there was a mention of why but I don’t remember what exactly. It had to do with refusal of countries to trade with the U.S., maybe? The mention of Presidents - I didn’t notice so much till it hit Johnson and he’s from Texas but it seems Texas seceded at that point and not earlier.
Martha was a loving mom but perhaps a bit lackadaisical. I can’t say I’ve ever known anyone who put an eight-year-old in a booster seat, though I know they are recommended for kids past toddler age.
, it’s been nice to hold a real book for a change. Most of all, I realized how much I missed cover art. I really like the covers of both these books, and I must have run my fingers over the raised black letters and railroad tracks of The Underground Railroad one million times.