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Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave, Written by Himself (Bedford Series in History and Culture) |  | Author: Frederick Douglass
Creator: David W. Blight
Publisher: Bedford/St. Martin's
Buy Used: $7.16
as of 9/10/2010 19:06 CDT details
New (36) Used (65) from $7.16
Seller: Pre-OwnedBooks
Rating:  8 reviews
Sales Rank: 1642
Media: Paperback
Edition: 2nd
Pages: 188
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.4
ISBN: 0312257376
Dewey Decimal Number: 973.8092
EAN: 9780312257378
ASIN: 0312257376
Publication Date: December 25, 2002
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
This second edition of Douglass's Narrative reprints this classic document together with speeches and letters, all in a volume designed for undergraduate students. An extensive introduction places the Narrative in its historical and literary contexts with annotations on needed background.
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 8
Great Edition July 17, 2010
David (Newport News, Va USA)
We had to read this in 11th grade when I was in high school. Like many people, I just skimmed it and now I regret the decision so I decided to try it again. This is a fantastic edition. First, to hear about slavery in America from a former slave's own words is powerful. Many times we just hear slavery was horrible and that's it. This narrative makes it personal. You see an individual and what has happened in his personal life and that always makes it more real. Secondly, the reason why this edition is so fantastic, is the footnotes that it provides. It tells you who the people in the narrative are and even points out mistakes that Douglas made which makes it more authentic for me. I literally read this in a few hours as it is a short book but I have gained much from the exercise.
Powerful Testimony May 24, 2010
conjunction
This is a brief life story, written in 1845, by an ex-slave. At the time of writing he was technically an escaped slave. He later had his freedom bought for him by some English people.
Douglass is a very intelligent, brave and resourceful man and he describes slavery in Maryland, a state supposedly kinder to slaves than the deep South.
Apart from the horror of the living conditions and treatment, what stands out for me is his denunciation of the Christian society which the slaveowners subscribed to. This is in the Appendix, which I think some editions don't have. (The Penguin does). According to Douglass the more pious they were, the more likely to be cruel. I hasten to add Douglass himself was a Christian too. Towards the end of the book is a long quotation from the New Testament about Philistines and hypocrites.
It's powerful stuff.
Essential American Classic April 22, 2010
Bill R. Moore (New York, USA)
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is one of the few books that every American should read and is also essential for anyone even remotely interested in American history, African Americans, or slavery's sad story. It is a fine piece of writing in itself and also of immense historical value - a true American classic.
The most obvious aspect is of course autobiographical. American literature has a long, prestigious autobiographical tradition, and this is one of the best entries. Douglass' account of his life is profoundly moving and immensely thought-provoking. He begins with his first memories and carries his story all the way to what was then the present. Needless to say, the inside look at slavery from a slave's perspective is the most valuable part; there are numerous such narratives, but this is surely preeminent. The story is heart-wrenching, vividly and unforgettably detailing humanity's inhumanity; we see what it was like to be a slave in regard to everything from food, clothing, and shelter to labor. Many of the incidents are almost painful to even read; actually living through them - or even being alive when such things happened - is now thankfully unimaginable. Douglass gives several examples of physical cruelty, but the most harrowing stories may well be those of psychological torture and simple denial of basic human feelings, as in the heartless breaking up of families. Such things are inherently moving, and this would be one of the most emotional works ever if it were fiction, but the stunning fact that it is not makes it all the more meaningful. The dread weight of its truth is particularly shocking when we realize that Douglass came from one of the areas where slavery was least harsh. The horrors here related are thankfully long past, but such books will always be immensely valuable as reminders of just how cruel people can be - and have been quite recently. We must never forget, lest they happen again.
Douglass in this way is more representative than individual, and he indeed took it on himself to speak for all slaves. The book was in this sense propagandistic and did its job better than anyone could have expected, laying slavery's evils bare to many who were previously unaware or unable - possibly unwilling - to believe. It was an abolitionist milestone and had a real effect in moving slavery toward its end. Yet Douglass' story is extremely interesting in itself; indeed, in many ways he was the spiritual successor of Benjamin Franklin, founder of the American autobiographical tradition. Franklin practically invented the American dream by showing how hard work and perseverance could raise one from humble beginnings to wealth, fame, and acclaim. Douglass had infinitely worse circumstances yet managed to rise far above them - not only teaching himself to read but becoming a genuine autodidact, not only escaping slavery but becoming a noted abolitionist, orator, writer, black leader, and racial authority with world fame and reverence. Few stories are more inspirational, and the work is thus on top of everything else the best kind of self-help book. Douglass unforgettably shows that it is possible to overcome even the most adverse circumstances and gives a good idea of how to do so.
One must not neglect to mention that, incredible as it is, Douglass is a premier prose stylist. Considering his circumstances, the fact that he was able to write at all is amazing; anyone would make great allowance for poor or even semi-literature writing. In fact, though, Douglass is a top-level writer; this is not only one of the very few autobiographies that is true literature but simply great writing per se. The writing is simple in the best sense; Douglass truly embodied Jonathan Swift's good style definition: "Proper words in proper places." He is admirably clear and concise. That said, he works himself up to a rhapsody when appropriate, reaching near-lyrical heights; the passage where he compares himself to the free is one of the most affecting and best-written I have seen in the hundreds or thousands of books I have read. That Douglass' Narrative has this totally unlooked for virtue in addition to all others is thoroughly impressive.
Simply put, anyone who has not read this should do so as soon as possible; few books are more important or memorable. Douglass is an American giant, and this is his enduring fame's base. No one who reads it can forget it, and that may be the highest praise of all.
Fredrick Douglass February 22, 2010
Christina (NM, USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Amazing.
Inspiration for your life regardless of the kind of trials you face.
Highly recommended.
The Rest of the Story July 7, 2007
Robert W. Kellemen (Crown Point, IN United States)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
In the classic slave narrative genre, Frederick Douglass' narrative of his life brings to life, in all its horrors, American slave society, and one slave's life-long protest against it.
When we read Frederick Douglass in his own words, he is less the radical and more the reformer than we've been led to believe. He is also more the Christian statesmen and less the Christianity critic than we might imagine. Douglass' oft quoted comments about Christianity had much more to do with a righteous critique of distorted Christian living practiced by white masters than with any critique of Christianity or of Christ. In reality, Douglass, like so many enslaved African Americans before and after him, saw in Jesus a Savior they could identify with--a suffering Savior.
Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction , Soul Physicians, and Spiritual Friends.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 8
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