Uncle Tom’s Cabin (Collins Classics)

Harriet Beecher Stowe

May 2012 · Sold by HarperCollins UK

About this ebook

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‘One thing is certain, – that there is a mustering among the masses, the world over; and there is a dis irae coming on, sooner or later.’

Viewed by many as fuelling the abolitionist movement of the 1850s and laying the groundwork for the Civil War, Harriet Beecher Stowe’s sentimental and moral tale of slaves attempting to secure their freedom was one of the most popular books of the nineteenth century. Centred round the long-suffering Uncle Tom, a devout Christian slave who endures cruelty and abuse from his owners, Tom is often celebrated as the first black hero in American fiction who refuses to obey his white masters. With other strong protagonists such as Eliza, a courageous slave who flees to the North with her son when she learns that he is to be sold, Beecher Stowe highlighted the plight of southern slaves and the breaking up of black families. Not without its controversy, more recent criticism has suggested that the novel contributed negatively to the stereotyping of the black community.

Ratings and reviews

This book was a bit of extremes for me. I was really excited to read for myself the book with such historical significance and understand why and how it impacted our country in such a dramatic way. At the same time, I was lukewarm about the story line and the writing from a literary perspective. The writing style was uninspiring for me and too melodramatic throughout, and I struggled to read through the "slave grammar". But, the book ended in a big a-ha moment with the final chapter. What a direct "call to action" directed squarely at the reader! It was there that I understood how this book was so affective at spurring the country to take action. She did an amazing job at building up the characters, creating emotion about the injustice and then concluding with a direct and personal call to action to the reader. It took a few years to percolate, but certainly had it's intended effect. In the end, this was not my favorite read, but I am really glad I read it nonetheless.

Amazing book,One thing is certain, - that there is a mustering among the masses, the world over; and there is a dis irae coming on, sooner or later.’

Such an historical story. Showed the heart and souls of people if the time.

About the author

Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811–1896) was an American abolitionist and author of more than 20 books, including novels, three travel memoirs, and collections of articles and letters. Her novel Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852) was a realistic account of life for African-Americans under slavery; it reached millions and became influential in the United States and United Kingdom.