Great story and writing. Beautiful and expressive language reminscent of Pride and Prejudice when the art of conversation was an art.
However, the audio book is read by Lou Gossett Jr and he reads so fast and slurs some words, I found it very hart to listen to. I gave up after a few chapters.

I was not prepared for the power of Solomon Northrup’s story. Though I've read about Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Nat Turner, and Sojourner Truth, I'd never read an actual slave narrative before. And I'd never heard about Solomon Northup. Nor the fact that slavery had come to such a wretched state that even free African-Americans from the North were being kidnapped and enslaved in the South — so much so that New York passed a law in 1840 “to protect the free citizens of this State from being kidnapped, or reduced to Slavery.”

Not one to typically make “everyone should” statements, I will simply say this: I have never before felt as privileged to be reading a book as I did whilst reading Twelve Years a Slave. It was like with every page I read, I was honouring Solomon Northup. I hope many more read the story of this remarkable man.

One of the things that so captured my attention about Northup’s story is that, unlike Frederick Douglass who was born a slave and began his education while a slave, Solomon Northup was born a free man, educated as a free man, worked as a free man, married and had children as a free man — and then, after living freely for over thirty years, he was kidnapped and thrust into a life of slavery. As Douglass himself wrote regarding Northup’s story: “It is a strange history, its truth is stranger than fiction.”

Just a few months after being rescued, Northup published his personal account in 1853, selling 30,000 copies in just a few years. But then, it fell into obscurity for nearly 100 years until Sue Eakin and Joseph Logsdon published a reedited version in the late 1960s.

If you’re not used to reading books written in the 19th century, it can take a little time to accustom yourself. But trust me, it is time well spent. And, if you’re concerned that it will be “too hard” to read because it relates harsh details of slavery, know that Northup has an amazing ability to speak honestly while still being reserved.

Good for: readers who like stories with complex plots and worthy protagonists; readers who "hold these truths to be self-evident;" readers who want to be better informed about slavery and American history; history and lit teachers looking for a "new" book to share with students.

Best read with others, so you can discuss it.

First time I've written about a book. This one read like fiction; unfortunately it was all too true. Mr. Northrup has woven the details of his slavery into such wonderful, well-paced account it reads BETTER than most fiction. I reveled in his descriptive vocabulary; there are many college graduates today who are not any where near as well-spoken as this man. What an amazing man he must have been. It is hard to believe that this book is not required reading in every school nationwide. It is also surprising that this didn't have more impact on the defeat of slavery. I don't know how widely published it was when written, but I felt it told the truth about the "peculiar institution" as some called it during that era. When something is so morally reprehensible that it has to be referenced by an alternate name, you know it needs to be stopped. I'm thankful that I live in the US, and am ashamed of this and other racially related instances in our past; thank goodness that he was convinced to share his personal history in order to enlighten future generations.

Literate, articulate and excruciating in detail, Mr. Northup’s saga of enforced bondage to various white masters stands as a shining gem in the crown of black literature about this era. He outlines just how terrible his days were and how dreadful his nights, when slaves dared not oversleep no matter how fatigued they were from the day’s toils. Rarely did a day pass without a whipping, unless the slaves were under the yoke of a kind master.

Unlike Frederick Douglass’s similar account, Mr. Northup goes into painstaking detail, naming names and places, all the while showing a shrewd view of human nature. There are no good blacks and evil whites; there are decent and indecent people among them both. Whereas Mr. Douglass maintained that a white master who was religious was a particularly terrible nemesis of the slave, Mr. Northup stresses that even among the pious there were those who were gentle towards their property, who knew how to win the loves of those underneath their yoke.

If anything, Mr. Northup is quick to blame slavery—the sin rather than the sinner—under which both white and black men suffer, one that teaches young white children to practice and delight in cruelty and makes it impossible even for church-going, compassionate men to see anything other than moral rectitude in an immoral system.

It is a sobering and harrowing account of a bygone age and one that continues to leave its stain upon the current age. (If you think racism doesn’t exist in America, try listening to a white person complain that white privilege means travelling in a limo instead of on a train.)

I was amazed at the memory of names, places, dates and events in the life of this man. Not only that, he was able to weave these snapshots into a captivating story that was hard to put down. Not many writers have this ability when using factual information. It's hard to believe that it was written well over 100 years ago. Also, it's hard to believe that many of the attitudes of human beings haven't changed in that time. There are still those that strongly believe in slavery, since it still exists in many nations of the world.

What an incredible, profound, truly moving account of the real-life tragic events! The book had been published in 1853(!) and yet, when I started reading it I couldn't put it down. The author's incredible intelligence, attention to detail, his philosophical stance - all this contributed to truly remarkable book. I watched the movie - it's good as an illustration to the book. However, the movie skipped on the last part, the escape back to freedom - how the author was helped by so many good people, and what was involved, including the court proceedings and other documents appended to the book. Actually, as I was reading the Chapter 21 and on, my heart was racing! Highly, highly recommended.

This is an absolutely amazing story of a NY-born freeman who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in the deep South and after 12 years managed to regain his freedom. It was published in 1853. It not only tells of the indignities that he went through but of the suffering of so many others that were treated so horrifically.

There is no way that I could have seen the movie as the horrors described in the book would have overwhelmed me. Also, the verbal written descriptions are truly worth reading.

I finally stopped reading it because the brutality was pretty distasteful. I didn't need it on EVERY page.

A very interesting book. A look into the life of a slave from a first hand account.

Man's inhumanity to man will never cease to amaze, astound and sicken me. Having said that, an amazing account of one man's resilience, unending hope and faith in God during our country's darkest days.