The Underground Railroad

This is one of those times that I actually appreciated the time jumps. It was satisfying to get to see what happened to Cora's mom and what was going through Caesar's mind when he picked Cora. Gruesome realities of slavery are on display throughout, so just be sure that you're up for the journey when you dive into this.

I did not feel like I had the ending figured out at all. After so much bad crazy stuff happening along the journey, I could not say that I was certain if Cora was going to survive in the end or not. Good execution on Whitehead's part through this book.

I would recommend this one for sure, but just be prepared with the Underground Railroad being a literal train under the ground. That threw me off quite a bit because the rest of the book is so heavily based in reality. So I think as long as you're prepared for that, you'll find this to be a good one to read.

I know I am late to the party in reading The Underground Railroad! I wanted to let some of the hype fade in the hope of not being overly influenced and then disappointed. I think my scheme worked - I certainly did enjoy the novel.

I hadn't previously realised the nuances of various American states attitudes and laws concerning slavery and black people's place in society. Whitehead's device of Cora journeying to a number of different states allowed me to see far more than the South=slavery, North=freedom divide that I had imagined from previous Civil War novels I have read. I was impressed by his research and the authenticity of the locations and scenes described. As historifical fiction, The Underground Railroad does a fantastic job of bringing this era of American history to life.

I wasn't convinced at first by the imagining of the Railroad itself as a real railway network. However as the novel progressed I could appreciate the idea more and felt that it did fit well within the story. My only lasting gripe is that I didn't think Cora was a real a person as she needed to be. Surrounding characters were more strongly defined and, for me, Cora often felt like a shadow or a space than a genuine woman living through these experiences. We are told a lot about her thoughts and aspirations, but I thought the woman herself was kept too distant and aloof.

Overall though, The Underground Railroad was an interesting and very readable novel. It depicts a place and time I thought I knew, but in such a new way that I realised there is still a lot more to learn. Well derserving of its hype!