The Known World by Edward P. Jones Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Known World
Book Review: unique and unforgettable
Summary: 5 Stars
As we move further and further in time away from the experience of slavery all that is left are archetypal depictions. These archetypes serve as the replacement for living memory. They are also so prevalent that they become desensitized substitutes for reality. The brilliance of Jones' novel is that it reshapes the archetype and thus forces the reader to confront slavery anew.
Jones adopts the ethos and assumptions of the time as the point of view of his narration and presents it with a mournful irony. We view slavery with a 19th century journalists eyes but one with a tragic sense of resignation and despair. The reader never escapes this crushing narrative technique. The style which produces the book's haunting mood makes it a transcendental work about human cruelty and indifference in all epochs.