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The Underground Railroad
- Narrated by: Bahni Turpin
- Length: 10 hrs and 43 mins
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The Underground Railroad
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Summary
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, 2017
National Book Award Winner 2016
Amazon.Com Number One Book of the Year 2016
Number One New York Times Best Seller
Cora is a slave on a cotton plantation in Georgia. All the slaves lead a hellish existence, but Cora has it worse than most; she is an outcast even among her fellow Africans, and she is approaching womanhood, where it is clear even greater pain awaits. When Caesar, a slave recently arrived from Virginia, tells her about the Underground Railroad, they take the perilous decision to escape to the North.
In Whitehead's razor-sharp imagining of the antebellum South, the Underground Railroad has assumed a physical form: a dilapidated boxcar pulled along subterranean tracks by a steam locomotive, picking up fugitives wherever it can. Cora and Caesar's first stop is South Carolina, in a city that initially seems like a haven. But its placid surface masks an infernal scheme designed for its unknowing black inhabitants. And even worse: Ridgeway, the relentless slave catcher sent to find Cora, is close on their heels. Forced to flee again, Cora embarks on a harrowing flight, state by state, seeking true freedom. At each stop on her journey, Cora encounters a different world.
As Whitehead brilliantly recreates the unique terrors for black people in the pre-Civil War era, his narrative seamlessly weaves the saga of America, from the brutal importation of Africans to the unfulfilled promises of the present day. The Underground Railroad is at once the story of one woman's ferocious will to escape the horrors of bondage and a shatteringly powerful meditation on history.
Critic reviews
"Luminous, furious, wildly inventive." ( The Observer)
"Hands down one of the best, if not the best, book I've read this year." ( Stylist)
"Dazzling." ( New York Review of Books)
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What listeners say about The Underground Railroad
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Hoops
- 02-06-20
Superb and challenging storytelling
I was both desperate and disappointed to complete this audiobook. It was hard to tear myself away from this enthralling story, I just had to know what was going to happen next. And then, when I reached the end, what can I possibly listen to next that will match this literary masterpiece? As you follow this story (as a white privileged listener) you cannot fail to be struck by the horrors and sheer cruelty of slavery and white supremacy. As I watch the news, with the death of another young black man at the hands of white American police, you have to wonder how much has really changed. Some progress yes, but still so far to go. I'm also struck by the dignity consistently portayed by the main character and those who fight injustice. The narration is excellent.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Dohm64
- 10-01-21
Aggressively Sad, Beautiful & Painful
The horrors of slavery and anti-Blackness have never been more painfully and poetically described.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- RoMay
- 21-09-22
Goosebumps
Anger and sadness when listening to this but yet a very important part of African Americans gruesome past.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Antonio Konitsiotis
- 03-02-17
Powerful storytelling
incredible acting and an amazing and heart wrenching story means this is a must. Especially poignant with the rampant bigotry and racism some factions of politics want to spread in the world.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Lorraine
- 31-05-18
Brilliant
Thought provoking, well written and beautifully read. A journey of emotions. Worth reading. Great story.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Stephen reid
- 01-03-21
Fabulous story
I was absolutely riveted to this story and how the cruelty of man against his fellow human is harrowing all in the pursuit of money.. There are many victims in this story and like nowadays the pursuit of money and power keeps individuals shackled to their own chains be that of race, colour ,class ....
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- C. Davies
- 21-09-17
Excellent reading of unforgettable book
This is a very powerful story that was read with great intensity and clarity. Thanks
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kindle Customer
- 23-11-22
Deeply affecting
I've known about slavery in the American South all my life, but never engaged emotionally until listening to this book on Audible.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sue
- 03-01-17
Powerful, epic, a real look into inhumanity
Listening to this is obviously a struggle, the content of slavery is not something that can be trivialised so be warned.
While Colson Whitehead did not get into much character building, the focus on the underground railroad itself is detailed and descriptive. The protagonist Cora serves as a good barometer in understanding the level of horror that many African Americans faced hence the writer does not seem to concentrate on creating emotive backgrounds for each character.
Nevertheless, the terrifying incidents leave the listener empathising with the characters as it reflects the lack of safety and constant fear they had to face. It is a rollercoaster listen, starting off slow but still horrifying, culminating in more and more terrible situations. The performer is a little stagnant at times probably because it reads more as a factual piece than autobiographical.
A 21st century tribute to the generations who have suffered.
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5 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- ReadingFan
- 01-03-17
All they hype is justified
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Yes I would but not all. Some delicate souls will be put off by some of the graphic content.
What did you like best about this story?
I felt the author didn't cheat history. The content felt authentic. The cruelty was authentic. This book is so apt for the times we live in.
Which character – as performed by Bahni Turpin – was your favourite?
All of them .
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
The massacre neare the end
Any additional comments?
In my opinion this is a really good book and really worth your time. Ditch xfactor/dancing with the stars and tune into some real quality.
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2 people found this helpful