The Known World by Edward P. Jones; 2004; 388 pages; Amistad Press, New York, NY; 0-06-055755-9; 5/2/09-5/7/09

I told someone earlier today that The Known World sucked, but I have since reconsidered that conclusion.  It is a good story, not told in the manner that I usually like to read something.  I like my books to run in linear fashion from the beginning to the end, chronological and all.  The Known World doesn’t do that, it reminded me of listening to someone who is a little tipsy trying to tell a story and remembering different parts of it as they go along.

This is the story of a group of slaves and free blacks in the days before the war of northern aggression.  It tells of their lives, loves, families, conflicts with one another and with whites.  There are a few whites also and some blacks who are passing as white, they are a wide and complex range of people.  I am not sure whom who be considered the main character as the story seems to be a stream that flows over and around the characters.  Most of the characters are very well rounded and most have merits to go with their flaws, but a couple of them I couldn’t really see anything good in them.  In conclusion I guess that I would say that I liked the substance of the story but not the style in which it was told.  RRr