Roots Paperback – 21 Jan. 1994

Read good read

I got caught by the story when as I child I had watched a quite famous TV series, and the earliest opportunity I wanted to read also the book.The book tells us the story of a young African boy Kunta Kinte. He was born in Gambia (West Africa) in the middle of 18th century and he is just 17 when he's taken by slave-drivers and brought to America on one of those dreadful ships you could find so frequently on that route in the period. Once arrived he's sold to a cotton plantation owner. From that point on, Kunta story goes through a series of terrible events: the humiliation of getting a new name (Toby), the overall nullification of its own identity and then physical pain: a foot cut away after an escape attempt, the whipping. Despite the ordeal, Kunta stands out and tries to resist: he doesn't answer to the name the have given him, and speaks by himself in his own language, and when he finds some respite in the marriage with another slave and in the birth of his daughter Kizzy, he tries to pass on his story to his little girl. He goes around the plantation telling the child the name of the things he sees around in his own language. And little Kizzy learns and when she's separated by her family as a punishment for having helped a fugitive slave, it will will her turn to pass on to her child the same stories her father had taught her. And as the family grows, each new child is told the story of an African boy called Kunta Kinte. And so generation through generation the story of Kunta Kinte arrives to one of his great-great-grandchildren: Alex Haley the author. He's always listened to the stories of his family told by his grandparents and great-uncles. And having started a career as a writer, he begin his research, based on just the few words passed on in the family. His journey will lead him to Africa where with the help of a "Griot" (an old sage knowledgeable about the history of the country/village/families) he manages finally to track back the origin of Kunta Kinte.I particularly loved the pages describing Kunta's life before his capture. The reconstruction is very detailed and accurate and it really looks like you're there in the middle of the village watching Kunta and his friends running around. And it's incredible how the pages talk to the reader about Kunta's feelings. You really can feel the range of sentiments running through Kunta (from joy to despair) and your heart goes to that poor boy. But what I found most striking is the force that over the years kept the family linked to their origin, like a light in the darkness. The family history is always there guiding the future generations as they find their own way through life and from that history they get the strength to move ahead: a powerful message!

I found a copy of this in a book sale but the old version I bought was too disappointed to read. This is not an original edition but it's a lovely quality book. The story is still gripping and powerful. No matter some of the research might have been discredited , it doesn't effect the story or the importance that this history be acknowledged and addressed. Very powerful. I would highly recommend the book and the TV series.. The original and 2016 remake are available in Amazon. For a small charge.

As a story, Roots really draws you in. It's an emotional tale of man ripped from his country and his family and brought to America as a slave. I was really drawn to the character of Kunta Kinta and Alex Haley has written an exciting, sometimes tragic, sometimes heartwarming, story of his family ancestors. I wanted the book to be true, but from the first few pages, I began to get suspicious that the book couldn't possible be all true. How could the dialogue be so specific if Haley never mentions that he found any diaries or that sort of thing? He obviously couldn't, as the African tribes didn't write diaries. I checked it up on Wikipedia and sure enough I discovered that much of Roots is made up. While the basic story is based on Alex Haley's family history, the rest is really fiction. For me, this was hugely disappointing. Had the book been presented as historical fiction, more like Little House on the Prairie, (also based on Laura Ingalls Wilder's life), I think I would have preferred it, than to be mislead to believe that the whole story is true. Obviously, the book is still powerful. While many of the details may have been created by the author, the experience of Kunta Kinte and the other characters was definitely an experience that many Black Americans shared as slaves in the Old South. But knowing it is supposed to be true and it really isn't, is a bit annoying.Another thing that really annoyed me, was Haley's way of indicating what was happening in the wider world at the time, his way of presenting all the great historical moments (like the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, etc...) This dialogue, where characters would tell what news they had heard or read, was obvioulsy contrived. No slaves (or anyone at that time, actually) would have spoken about those events the way Haley has them spoken about. It sounds rediculous.And it seems that Haley didn't do his research well here, either, but rather relied on what he had learned in high school, no matter how inaccrate. For instance, in the book the slaves are all talking about how Lincoln (before he is elected President) is going to free them. But anyone with a little knowledge of Civil War history, knows that Lincoln never said such a thing. He had no intention of freeing slaves and was hardly an abolitionist. There were other Presidential canditates who were much more likely to free the slaves. If the slaves had their hopes on anyone, it would have been Seward or Chase, not Lincoln. Lincoln was a dark horse when he was elected at the Republican convention. He was hardly known outside of Illinois. I doubt any slaves were speaking about him the way they did in this book. It doesn't make sense. And there are many other mistakes, as well. It is very poor history.But no matter these points, at the end of the day, it is a great story. I couldn't put it down. The parts that take place before the Civil War are much more detailed and better written, then the parts after. Unfortunate really, as I would have liked to know more about his family's experience during reconstruction, but nonetheless, I was hooked, and was really sad to see the story end. For anyone who wants to learn about the Negro experience in America, this book is a must read. I would definitely recommend.

Hands down one of the best books I have ever read. It is actually a good year or more since I read this book but unlike other books that have come and gone this book has stayed with me like no other.The first hundred pages deals with the birth and life of Kunta Kinte until he is captured. These pages are essential to understanding the enormity of the new and horrific life awaiting Kunta in the plantations. The chapters dealing with the boat trip to America made me feel physically sick by times but I couldn't turn away. Alex Haley did a masterful job of describing the horrific life on the Plantation and of creating well rounded characters that by the end I felt I knew like close friends. Yes this book is a very tough read by times but I cannot recommend it highly enough. Also, I know that to some the size of the book coupled with the small writing might be a bit off putting but please don't let this bother you - it is such a great story that by the end you will actually be wishing for a just a few more pages!