Washington Black

A Novel

De: Esi Edugyan

Narrado por: Dion Graham

ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW'S TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR • MAN BOOKER PRIZE FINALIST • “A gripping historical narrative exploring both the bounds of slavery and what it means to be truly free.” —Vanity Fair

Eleven-year-old George Washington Black—or Wash—a field slave on a Barbados sugar plantation, is initially terrified when he is chosen as the manservant of his master’s brother. To his surprise, however, the eccentric Christopher Wilde turns out to be a naturalist, explorer, inventor, and abolitionist. Soon Wash is initiated into a world where a flying machine can carry a man across the sky, where even a boy born in chains may embrace a life of dignity and meaning, and where two people, separated by an impossible divide, can begin to see each other as human.

But when a man is killed and a bounty is placed on Wash’s head, they must abandon everything and flee together. Over the course of their travels, what brings Wash and Christopher together will tear them apart, propelling Wash ever farther across the globe in search of his true self. Spanning the Caribbean to the frozen Far North, London to Morocco, Washington Black is a story of self-invention and betrayal, of love and redemption, and of a world destroyed and made whole again.

©2018 Esi Edugyan (P)2018 Random House Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Perfectly executed . . . Soaring . . . More than a tale of human bondage, it’s also an enthralling meditation on the weight of freedom, wrapped in a rousing adventure story stretching to the ends of the earth.” —Renée Graham, The Boston Globe

“Terrifically exciting . . . An engrossing hybrid of 19th-century adventure and contemporary subtlety, a rip-roaring tale of peril imbued with our most persistent strife . . . Discover what the rest of the world already knows: Edugyan is a magical writer.” —Ron Charles, The Washington Post

“Riveting . . . [A] towering achievement . . . Edugyan is one of our sharpest and deepest writers of historical fiction.” —David Canfield, Entertainment Weekly

Unexpected but Remarkable

Magical realism is not quite the description that fits but it is close. Though written as a traditional story narrative, there was almost a fantasy quality to the events and characters. I found that I was willing to accept the unreal plot and appreciate the visual quality of the writing. Sometimes difficult. The book was worth the effort.

Book of Wonders

This was a beautiful book. lt was sensitive and exciting at the same time. My only reservation was the accents attempted by the otherwise terrific narrator. Less is better with any accent.

Extraordinary narrator

What a voice. Amazing book with an incredible narrator, a chameleon of characters, full of suspense and pathos. Highly recommend this performance, both literary and vocal.

Like nothing I’ve ever read before

The first few chapters were so raw and gruesome, I found it difficult to continue. But i also felt obligated to continue, to listen and reckon with the violent history of white Englishmen (a part of my ancestry) associated with the African slave trade. As the story continued I found myself drawn to Wash and his experiences, the way he perceived the world and put together the pieces of others with little guidance and upbringing is a testament to the capacity of the human spirit, the yearning to understand, to know and to be known. This was a hard novel for me and I also found it deeply compelling. I imagine the learnings and processing of it will continue with me for some time.

Except for the ending

I really enjoyed this book. There was a question in my mind about how much time passes. It does not seem to match up but the story of a young slave and his incredible life is heart rendering

wow

Brilliant story. although I felt somewhat robbed at the end. it was a marvelous journey

Decent

the story is a wonderful bildungsroman but I fail to see the authors Ultimate point in writing it. at the end I saw that there was a freedom of mind and spirit that the author wanted to bring the character to beyond the legal freedom but in the end washington's struggle feels meaningless to me. Good and entertaining story, but the underlying theory falls flat.

Marred by narration

Entertaining, if inconclusive sorry. Narrator tries for, and misses a range of accents, which is off-putting throughout.

strong start

it was too hard to choke through the second half of this book... it has a great start but really starts to lose interest and direction at the halfway mark.

Where’s the next book?

Loved it, except for the end, I hope the author is working on a book continuing Wash’s story into adulthood.