Monday, 21 October 2013

Book of Negroes

The 'Book of Negroes' by Lawrence Hill
While I agree that book burning in itself is a horror - King of the acts to silence the general populace, preventing free speech and one's expression of thought - only the covers were burned. It can be considered offensive, for the author, at least. But the actual text was untouched, meaning that the act of book burning was only a form of rebellion against the title itself. I have so far read the first three chapters of Lawrence Hill's work, and find the title surprisingly appropriate.
Yes, it may be offensive to some, but 'Somebody knows my name' is not an accurate fit for the contents of the novel. titles are aimed to be riveting, and to catch your attention immediately, and this one does. But unlike too many works, it is a perfect fit for Lawrence Hill's work, and I don't think it should be changed. I don't think any other name would be appropriate for the text, as they would only sumarise small exerts of Aminata Diallo's journey.

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