Edward P. Jones
The Known World (2003)
Author: Edward P. Jones
Genre: Historical Fiction
Plot Summary:
The Known World is the story of Henry Townsend a free black man in 1850's Virginia who owns a plantation and owns slaves.Henry runs the plantation with the help of his mentor William Robbins. Everything seems to be fine and functioning well until Henry dies and his wife Caldonia is left to run the plantation on her own. Without Henry things on the plantation start to fall into chaos. The story actually starts out with Henry's death but then goes on to tell the story of Henry's life and the stories of the lives of many of the people who surround Henry.
Geographical Setting: Virginia
Time Period: 1850's
Appeal Characteristics:
The book is very character driven, every character even ones who only show up for a few pages have their entire back story told. The plot line of the book isn't linear but this is done so that the reader can see into the future and past to known the entire life of a character. None of the characters are static, they all do good and bad things and the reader sees everything they do. The novel deals with all aspects of slavery, the reader sees slavery from the perspective of the slave, the black owner, the white owner, the sheriff, and the slave catcher (poor white and indian). The novel uses a lot of folktales and fantastical images. Each chapter of the novel moves from one character to another compelling the reader to keep reading in order to find out what will happen to the characters. There is not a great deal of historical detail (descriptions of dress, houses, etc) but there is historical accuracy in characters mannerisms, social customs, and the way characters speak.
Read-alikes: Gabriel Garcia Marquez' One Hundred Years of Solitude uses the same non-linear story-telling that Jones does, and also includes aspects of the fantastic is his novel.Toni Morrison's Beloved also uses non-linear story-telling and deals with the effects of slavery. Ernest J. Gaines' The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman follows an African American woman from slavery to the time of civil rights and uses traditional folk tales to tell the story. William Faulkner's book Absalom! Absalom! deals with characters in the antebellum south and looks at the destructive qualities of southern life and the southern character. Some People, Some Other Place by J. California Cooper tells the life of African Americans during the Great Depression, but looks at all the members of the community, and has aspects of the fantastical.
Red Flags: There are some graphic scenes of violence and there is repetitive use of the 'n' word.
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