Characters leap out of this book

Excellent varied narration that brought to life the authors wonderful fully rounded characters. I listened to samples of all other recordings, chose this one and was delighted from beginning to end

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3 people found this helpful

Essential listening

This book is outstanding on so many levels. First of all, 19th century literature can be dry and difficult to persevere with, but the story of Uncle Tom and the other characters in this book is so compelling I couldn’t wait for an opportunity to listen again. But more importantly, in an age where BLM shows us that prejudice is still live and kicking in western society, Beecher Stowe reminds us of the essential humanity of all persons, and shows the very ridiculousness of the concepts of slavery and white superiority. All of this done in a time when slavery was legal in the US. Her message still rings true today.

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Vivid narration

This is a fascinating book - the bestselling book of the 19C after the Bible. It’s inevitably dated as a Christian tract and abolitionist polemic that favored colonization (the return of former slaves to Africa). But it is beautifully read by Berneis who truly brings the characters to life. And at the end of the day, this book was beloved by many including Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. Highly recommended.

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black history

the reader is excellent at getting the different voices come through. the book ought to make anyone think about how low white folk can go, and how much we owe the black American community in terms of what we stole. we can never repay them, but we can try.

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A heart-rending tale of the injustice of slavery

Impossible to listen to without succombing to tears not only at the injustice, greed and horror wrought by some slave owners of the time but also for the beauty of relationship and compassion evident in the characters of Tom, Eva, Mrs Shelby and the Quakers.

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Powerful, tragic story of its time

This is a story that is hard to hear but it is so important that as long as the reader is constantly aware that the extreme racism of its language, story, characterisation and even, to some extent, its style, are all ‘of the time’ in which it was written, I.e. mid 19th century America. Also reflective of the world in which this story was created, is the omnipresent idea of a God and the externalisation of good and evil. Harriet Beecher Stow tells the story via the parallel journeys of several characters, either slaves or slave owners. At times I found it challenging to remember all of the different characters and their situations and the author’s voice and summation of their characters distanced me and even jarred. Again this is a reflection of the historical nature of the text, which I do recommend.

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Powerful story and writing

This was my third audio book and is one of the most powerful and dramatic pieces of writing I have ever heard/ read. The story is extremely compelling and well written. The performance was excellent, with a creative range of accents, which were easy to follow. Thoroughly enjoyed the book.

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This was a hard listen.

An example of man's inhumanity to man. But it still carries on. God save us all.

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A story for our times

A passionate critique of slavery driven by religious conviction and a careful and compassionate understanding of slavery, told as a powerful human drama.

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Compulsory reading or listening

For all of every nation. Essential for those that aspire to lead and those who lead now.
Superb narration🙏🏻

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