Comments (117)

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Mar 24, 2024dtwedt503 rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
An inaccurate view of the underground railroad but worth reading.
Dec 15, 2023
Thoroughly engrossing and quite different in style from Harlem Shuffle. Whitehead's other books are firmly on my must-read list.
Sep 19, 2023
"It confused me when I first started the book because I had to open my mind to a retelling of a taught historical metaphor through a fictional lens. The story is compelling in the telling of slavery through the characters who fought and…
Sep 02, 2023SnoIsleLib_Teen rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
The Underground Railroad is a creative take on magical realism, demonstrating the impacts of racism at different years of America's history in one story. It follows a herculean protagonist's struggles of escape, not only from a horrifying…
Jul 31, 2023whitneyonline rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Wow... the ending took an unexpected turn that was rather bleak and sad. After all Cora went through she deserved happiness, so to watch her run fight struggle only to have such an ambiguous ending leaves one feeling down trodden. I am…
Jun 07, 2023blue_dog_41158 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
This book was very eye-opening. Even though it is a work of fiction, it taught me a lot about the horrors of slavery and the Underground Railroad. The suspense of knowing things that happened that the characters don't know makes readers…
May 31, 2023
Brutal. You want Cora to be safe and happy, but you also want to know what happens next, even though so far each setting has just opened up a new kind of horror. I did feel the comparisons to Gulliver's Travels.
Apr 19, 2023
Very eye opening, although it did trick me into thinking the underground railroad was actually an underground railroad.
Mar 14, 2023blue_falcon_2041 rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
The Underground Railroad is a historical fiction book that is based on the network of secret routes and safe houses that helped enslaved people escape to freedom in the 18th century. This book describes this as a literal railroad that is…
Oct 19, 2022ryner rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Since the age of eleven Cora has had to learn to defend herself and her small garden plot following her mother's disappearance three years ago from the Georgia plantation where they were both enslaved. When a young man approaches her with…
Aug 16, 2022rclane rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Setting aside the subject matter, which has enduring and critical importance, the structure of the emotional journey for readers is masterful and pulls one in quickly and deeply despite the bleak messaging... The blending of fiction and…
Aug 11, 2022
Great book and I learned so much more about what really went on. A must read!
Apr 06, 2022mko123 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This is a viseral, emotionally charged account of the slave system. It shows the demented hearts of the slaveholders and the brutal suffering experienced by even the youngest of children. I hope they make this into a movie. It would be…
Feb 19, 2022KDRG rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
This is the first book I have read by Colson Whitehead. It is a compelling story, emotionally very hard to read (especially the first 60 pages or so). I wouldn't have been able to stomach this story if it was a movie. It was however a…
Jan 12, 2022DBRL_LauraHH rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Although this is most definitely an alternate history, Whitehead weaves together hundreds of years of slavery and Black oppression in such a fascinating and impactful way. I really enjoyed the different perspectives of everyone involved in…
Dec 30, 2021esherbine rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
very imaginative fantasy that asks you to imagine slavery and race relations in the US from different perspectives; stuck with me
Nov 24, 2021
Guardian best 100 books of 21st C. steampunk magic realism.
Oct 21, 2021JCLJenV rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This novel should be required reading. Colson Whitehead tells the story of slavery and the history of mistreatment towards black Americans.
Oct 01, 2021fordmkd rated this title 0.5 out of 5 stars
This is not historical fiction. There was no actual rail system running underground. Other historical inaccuracies as well. Yes, slavery was horrible, but felt like the book was written with an agenda. Read about Harriet Tubman instead—-an…
Sep 25, 2021
This is one of the best books I have read in ages. Strong characters and an amazing story even if not totally historically accurate. Highly recommended. Lorraine Shore September 25, 2021
Sep 08, 2021dgiard rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Before the American Civil War, a group of abolitionists organized the Underground Railroad - a network of people, places, and routes designed to assist escaped slaves. The name "Underground Railroad" was a metaphor. In reality, it was…
Aug 09, 2021
Made into a series on Amazon Prime. Recommended by Marc Maron Podcast Aug 2021.
Jul 27, 2021
Quite a good story. I'd recommend it highly. I could have done without the science-fiction-y "subway train" literary device. I found it unnecessary and a little bit distracting. Whitehead could have simply elided from one setting to…
Jul 13, 2021severina2001 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Cora and Caesar, two slaves from a cotton plantation in Georgia, attempt to flee using the Underground Railroad. This is a devastating, brilliant, heartbreaking read. Cora's mother is the only slave who successfully fled the plantation…
Jun 29, 2021mlhadley1 rated this title 1.5 out of 5 stars
The charactors were not developed. Too much on the gory of the period like newspaper reporting. I did stick with reading it, some interesting commentary on the area of owning property, but nothing to really incourage others to read it.