Books - The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

You hear about a book because its get nominated for various awards, and educated readers you follow on social media are talking about it. You add said book to your to-read list. Said book continues to receive accolades as you continue to wait for the opportunity to obtain said book to read. Eventually, after almost a year, you get that chance and read the book.

In my experience, rarely does such book meet the outsized expectations it has by the time I get around to reading it. "The Undergound Railroad" is one of those few exceptions. Its a book that does so much, so incredibly much in a tight, highly readable package.

The story follows Cora, a slave on a cotton plantation in Georgia. In this respect, the novel reads as historical fiction, shielding no one from the horrors of slavery. Against that backdrop, the author presents the underground railroad as an actual railroad, with subterranean lines running across the U.S. in attempts to bring slaves to freedom in the north. Thus, the historical fiction is coupled with an element of fantasy fiction. Then, we get hints at alternative histories and political structures in South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Indiana; yet, all those alternate, fictional histories have echoes to true life experiences that may have occurred in some fashion (though not exactly the same) in other places and in other times.

The combination of literary genres made the book fascinating to read, and reflect on how it is constructed. At the end, it is a story of a journey, filled with triumph, but mostly sadness and tragedy. To read it is to undertake both a literary adventure, but also an emotional one, and I think that combination is what makes the book truly special.

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