"Uncle Remus," written by Joel Chandler Harris, is a collection of enthralling Southern African-American folktales. The book is a collection of stories told to a young boy named John by the imaginary figure Uncle Remus, an older African-American storyteller. These stories take place on a Southern plantation and contain animals such as Br'er Rabbit, Br'er Fox, and Br'er Bear. Harris captures the rich oral history of African-American storytelling with skill, preserving these narratives for a larger audience. The stories communicate moral lessons and the intricacies of human nature through Uncle Remus' captivating storytelling. The interactions between Br'er Rabbit and his opponents serve as allegories for numerous life problems, educating readers about wit, cunning, and resourcefulness. "Uncle Remus" is both a literary work and a cultural document, providing light on the complexity of post-Civil War Southern society. While Harris' representation of racial relations has received criticism, the relevance of the book resides in its preservation of these classic legends and realistic picture of a distinct cultural milieu. "Uncle Remus" by Joel Chandler Harris is a thought-provoking and historically significant work, providing readers with insight into the oral storytelling traditions of the African-American community as well as the cultural environment of the American South during that century.
I found this book to offer a piece of American history which has since been lost. The author meant to tell a tale based on life as it was in the late 1800's in the US. Great tales that were told by others and that the author himself simply repeated.
Unparalled story craftmanship
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 18 years ago
I have just finished this book. It was a delight. Uncle Remus is one of the most alive characters ever to be portrayed in literature. Now, this is coming from someone who has read Conrad, Doctorow, Carrol, D.H. Lawrence, Robertson Davies, and many other engaging storytellers. Somehow, Uncle Remus resonated with me across the 120+ years since it was written. The simple concept of a free slave mentoring a plantation owner's boy by masterful storytelling is pure magic and often heart-warming. For anyone young at heart, this book is a must.
Rough Going for modern readers, but....
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 19 years ago
Most people today know of how the White Georgian Joel Chander Harris was fascinated by the "rabbit stories" of Black slaves he met at a Georgia plantation in the 1860s, thus eventually leading to this book in 1880. While it's justly famous for the "Brer (brother) Rabbit" stories (BTW-Harris was not the first to record these tales from ex-slaves, Abbie Christensen did that in Port Royal, SC in 1874), it's mighty rough for the modern reader. For one thing, the "Negro dialect" used by Harris is almost incomprehensible to today's reader. Additionally, "Uncle Remus' views on education for Blacks (not in favor) and black advancement, as well as his occasional use of the "n-word" will make this tough to swallow in these PC times. One has to remember when this book was written and get past all that to see the actual beauty and importance of these tales. PS-Be warned that if you like the original edition with the wonderful illustrations of Brer Rabbit in overalls smoking a pipe and of the background scenery and other animal charachters, none of these charming illustrations appear in the Penguin version-just so you'll know.
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