Roots - interesting, but not a must-read

Roots by Alex Haley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Having recently watched the 1977 TV mini-series "Roots" for the first time, i decided to read the Alex Haley book upon which it was based for Black History Month. Because of what Roots attempted to do, and the influence it and the series had, i wanted to give this book more than 3 stars. But . . no. The book Roots was billed as a work of history and research when it was first published. It in fact is a work of historical fiction which is loosely tied into Alex Haley's oral history. I think that its' aims were high, but it falls short.

I respect and embrace the many things Roots tried to accomplish. It gives the reader a raw view into the slave trade of the 18th century and how it brutalized and exploited people. It gives glimpses into the sophisticated and ordered culture of the African peoples, which were incorrectly portrayed by white Europeans as savage and primitive. It reminds us of the historical link each of us have to our roots and ancestors. It gives a glimpse into life in America as a slave, both first generation, and after many generations of slavery. I suspect that the picture painted does not even come close to actuality, but it nevertheless tries. All in all, Roots presents an interesting story, and perhaps is representative of many experiences of slavery in America. But by today's historical research standards, it should probably be considered a work of historical fiction rather than researched history. The author himself said as much years after it was published, amidst fallout from criticism and even lawsuits related to the contents of the book.

It is easy to find critiques and exposés on the internet with some simple searching. Please search and read if you want to know more. As a story, this is a good one, but not a great one. It is probably on par with the level of TV miniseries of the time. I think that much of the acclaim and awards garnered were due to the breakthrough of this subject matter into the mainstream public consciousness, and I suspect it was controversial at the time (1977). But as a book, it is a bit too long, and not well enough written for me to recommend it as a must read. If you want more details than the series provided, it is a good source. But read it knowing it is largely historical fiction that is tied to some real history.

Also, related to real history in the book, the method used to "timestamp" the narrative using historical events that were "overheard" or relayed word of mouth as they happened came off as simplistic, unrealistic, and downright annoying by the time the book ended. I think a better method could have been used to accomplish this. My $0.02

View all my reviews