Uncle Tom's Cabin: Reader Response

            From across a number of books review sites, such as Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Goods Read, Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin is viewed as average to excellent. Each of the websites’ ratings systems place the novel with 3 and ½ to 4 and ½ stars. The majority of reviewer, from all three of the websites reported having a favorably experience with the novel, and would recommend it to others. The reviewers who gave lower ratings did so due to unsatisfactory physical qualities of the novel, instead of their disapproval of the book itself. According to J Cravens, a Goodreads reviewer, who gave the novel 5 stars respectively, “The story, its delivery and its characters turned out to be nothing like they have been portrayed over the years. . . [But] a powerful call for justice and equality. . .” (Goodreads). Cravens’ rating and review represents the high reader trends because it displays the high expectations that readers inflict on the novel to view it as a masterpiece of literature. Utente, a 4 star rater and reviewer from Amazon, states, “[The novel is] definitely worthy of classic status. . . Mrs. Stowe deftly develops the character with complex view of slavery. . .” (Amazon). Her statement further goes on to say she took off a start due to technological reasons. The rating corresponds with the trend in which certain properties of the book provided a lower rating. A 5 star rater and reviewer yearningtoread, from Barnes and Noble, said, “. . . Please, I beg you to read this book. I laughed, I cried my eyes out, I went numb with fear and hatred, I was captivated” (Barnes and Noble). The review corresponds with the fact that those who rate higher and have a postive experience with the novel a likely to recommend it to other readers.

            Based on the comments I have read, I do agree with them. The story is a complex and bluntly honest telling of slavery and the urge for justice and equality at the time, like Cravens stated. The story is truly worthy of being a classic novel because of the complexities Stowe managed to weave into characters and their viewpoints, like Utente stated. And overall the book should be urged by others to read. It carries you through an emotional rollercoaster, keeping you strapped in and captivated the whole time, just like yearningtoread said. I agree with these comments because I’ve had them myself. They took the words right out of my mouth.