While strolling Barnes & Noble, I noticed I had nodding acquaintance with all the books on the summer reading list...except UTC. With all the modern references stemming from this book, I thought it was high-time I read about Little Eva, Eliza, Simon Legree and of course, Uncle Tom.
I did manage to read all 442 pages, but I can truthfully say I was amazed that this book sold 300,000 copies it its first year of publication. Considering it was 1852, that was a remarkable figure. I love to read, but I found this poorly written, tedious in parts and very sanctimonious.
It would be hard to escape the fact that the book is obviously about slavery. What I was amazed to find is that it dealt with many types of slavery: marital, economic and personal. The characters overcame their situations by flight, trickery, resignation and even death.
The author obviously had an axe to grind, as she managed to denigrate all Southerners, Blacks and just about everyone else, except God/Jesus. If she hadn't chosen to compose in such imperious tones, I think the story would have been even more compelling. In any case, it is still a chilling portrait of the American slave trade.
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