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Known World C (Hardcover)

by Edward P Jones (Author) "The evening his master died he worked again well after he ended the day for the other adults, his own wife among them, and sent..." (more)

4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (73 customer reviews)

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Product Details

Hardcover: 388 pages
Publisher: Amistad (Aug 7 2003)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0060557540
ISBN-13: 978-0060557546
Product Dimensions: 23.1 x 15.5 x 3 cm
Shipping Weight: 681 g

Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (73 customer reviews)

Amazon.ca Sales Rank: #373,638 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

From Publishers Weekly

In a crabbed, powerful follow-up to his National Book Award-nominated short story collection (Lost in the City), Jones explores an oft-neglected chapter of American history, the world of blacks who owned blacks in the antebellum South. His fictional examination of this unusual phenomenon starts with the dying 31-year-old Henry Townsend, a former slave-now master of 33 slaves of his own and more than 50 acres of land in Manchester County, Va.-worried about the fate of his holdings upon his early death. As a slave in his youth, Henry makes himself indispensable to his master, William Robbins. Even after Henry's parents purchase the family's freedom, Henry retains his allegiance to Robbins, who patronizes him when he sets up shop as a shoemaker and helps him buy his first slaves and his plantation. Jones's thorough knowledge of the legal and social intricacies of slaveholding allows him to paint a complex, often startling picture of life in the region. His richest characterizations-of Robbins and Henry-are particularly revealing. Though he is a cruel master to his slaves, Robbins is desperately in love with a black woman and feels as much fondness for Henry as for his own children; Henry, meanwhile, reads Milton, but beats his slaves as readily as Robbins does. Henry's wife, Caldonia, is not as disciplined as her husband, and when he dies, his worst fears are realized: the plantation falls into chaos. Jones's prose can be rather static and his phrasings ponderous, but his narrative achieves crushing momentum through sheer accumulation of detail, unusual historical insight and generous character writing.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From AudioFile

This remarkable novel, winner of the PEN/Hemingway Award and short-listed for the National Book Award, deserves all the acclaim it has won and then some, especially in this flawless rendition. The story is set in antebellum Virginia, in the morally complex world of prosperous free blacks who aspire to all the liberties of white citizenship, including owning slaves. Kevin Free's narration is so accomplished that when a woman character speaks, you utterly forget that she does it through a man's voice. He gives each character color, personality, and heft, without ever vamping or straining for effect. The novel bears comparison with Trollope and Faulkner, and Kevin Free's performance of it is in the same league. B.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Inside This Book (Learn More)

First Sentence
The evening his master died he worked again well after he ended the day for the other adults, his own wife among them, and sent them back with hunger and tiredness to their cabins. Read the first page

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Customer Reviews

73 Reviews

5 star:		(41)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(4)

Average Customer Review

4.1 out of 5 stars (73 customer reviews)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Know thyself, Jun 7 2005

By	William Beardsley - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Known World: A Novel (Paperback)

Likened to Jackson McCrae's BARK OF THE DOGWOOD with its themes of race, THE KNOWN WORLD did not initially pique my interest. Fortunately, both books deal with the subject in a new and exciting manner. Read on: Slavery is one of those topics that present day Mississippians may shy away from as a matter of principle. There is the ever-present refrain to "get beyond" race and tout the positive aspects of the New South, the mantra that is often used by both black and white Southerners. I'm not one who believes it, but I did have the crusty misconception when I began THE KNOWN WORLD that there wasn't much more I could learn on the subject of slavery and its effects, both then and now. However, Eudora Welty's photograph on the book's cover helped peak my interest and after the first chapter I didn't need any more encouragement to continue. THE KNOWN WORLD is an entirely surprising testament to why no one, black or white, should refuse to constantly revisit the roots of the here and now.

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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not Much New in the Known World, Jul 17 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: The Known World: A Novel (Paperback)

With all of the broughaha sourrounding this much ballyhooed book, I was expecting something special, something exciting to read. I am predisposed toward stories of the plantation South and especially of the plight of those slaves who tried to find comfort through freedom.

Plotwise, however, was little new for the reader to find. Yes, the hero of the book was, for the first half of the book, a Black plantation owner, named Henry Townsend, during the pre-bellum South (in a no-longer-existing county in present-day western Virginia). His slaveholding IS, indeed, a shock to his father, Augustus, who had paid for their free status. Moreover, Henry's treatment of his slaves is interestingly reallistic in that it is modeled on that of his white backer, William Robbins. (He could not have bought slaves without Robbins.)

But this is where the novelty ends. The slaves as usual bicker amongst themselves. ALL White men have eyes for Black women. Only one of the Black women is very strong of mind and heart. The local constabulary is all white and mostly trash. (The one Chrokee displays no behavior of his culture. And the Sheriff is a very God-fearing and fair man who has married a Quaker woman.) Indeed, the extreme hate of Blacks ingrained in a few of the deputies is so strong that one of them sells a free Black into slavery after eating the papers that certify Augustus's freedom. Explanantions for why the deputies (it wasn't the Sheriff's brother, which another reviewer suggests) were motivated to undertake this deed, which surely would deliver them a severe penalty, are left wanting.

The writing style was also not exciting or new. The story bounces back and forth through time and across characters. And while it is not diffcult to follow, the bobbing and weaving did little to excite me. And, moreover, the authors tendency to give WAY too much info on the future disposition of some of the characters was downright annoying.

Needless to say, it was a tough read that only got tougher as the book moved forward. You will not leave the book feeling uplifted either. It is a statement of repression both of slaves and of women during the pre-bellum South. It read as Jones had to write this book to meet a contract obligation. I am quite surprised it won him a Pulitzer.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Do we really know?, Jul 31 2007

By	maya j (Quail Crossing) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: The Known World: A Novel (Paperback)

The Known World is a literary masterpiece. In beginning the book, you wonder how hard it will be to read in the manner of mid-19th century country/slave vernacular, but in page after page, the language just flows, and there is no denying the language is painting a picture of who these people are. There are numerous characters, yet they are so vivid in their representation, it is impossible to get confused as to who did what. Some of the characters you love, and of course, others are just repugnant. As I read The Known World, I felt I could actually hear the singing in the field, smell the smells of the slave barracks, and see the humid, torrid heat of the southern countryside. It's not a typical story about slavery. Former slaves owning slaves is a part of our national footprint I don't think has been written about much. Now, thanks to Edward P. Jones, we possess a manuscript of an amazingly enlightened view of this old world phenomenon. In addition, Edward P. Jones' writing is so eloquent and fluent in the nature of "this world", you wonder if he could have actually lived it. It is a beautiful story that, although sad, is also compelling and makes you feel smug and small in the scheme of this "Known World".

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Most recent customer reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Good story - confusingly written
In my opinion, as a pereson, I hope, of "average" intelligence: I would really have liked to finish the book. Read more

Published on Oct 28 2007 by J.S.

5.0 out of 5 stars I know this much is true
THE KNOWN WORLD tells the story of a little known practice in history-the owning of slaves by black masters. Read more

Published on Mar 15 2006 by Sharon Blech

2.0 out of 5 stars Only flashes of brilliance
I definitely agree with the readers who found this novel a little tedious to get through. Parts of the book were truly inspirational and moving, but for me it didn't make up for... Read more

Published on Aug 20 2005

5.0 out of 5 stars Strength of Spirit
"The Known World" is strong and heartbreaking at the same time. Set before the Civil War, the book is about a black slave owner. Read more

Published on Jul 11 2005 by Dylan Westwood