Roots: The Saga of an American Family

by Alex Haley

One of the most important books and television series ever to appear, Roots , galvanized the nation, and created an extraordinary political, racial, social and cultural dialogue that hadn’t been seen since the publication of Uncle Tom’s Cabin . The book sold over one million copies in the first year, and the miniseries was watched by an astonishing 130 million people. It also won both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. Roots opened up the minds of Americans of all colors and faiths to one of the darkest and most painful parts of America’s past.

Over the years, both Roots and Alex Haley have attracted controversy, which comes with the territory for trailblazing, iconic books, particularly on the topic of race. Some of the criticism results from whether Roots is fact or fiction and whether Alex Haley confused these two issues, a subject he addresses directly in the book. There is also the fact that Haley was sued for plagiarism when it was discovered that several dozen paragraphs in Roots were taken directly from a novel, The African, by Harold Courlander, who ultimately received a substantial financial settlement at the end of the case.

But none of the controversy affects the basic issue. Roots fostered a remarkable dialogue about not just the past, but the then present day 1970s and how America had fared since the days portrayed in Roots . Vanguard Press feels that it is important to publish The 30th Anniversary Edition to remind the generation that originally read it that there are issues that still need to be discussed and debated, and to introduce to a new and younger generation, a book that will help them understand, perhaps for the first time, the reality of what took place during the time of Roots .

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Classics, Historical, African American, Africa, Race

899 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 17, 1976

About the author

Alexander Murray Palmer Haley was an American writer. He is best known as the author of Roots: The Saga of an American Family, and of The Autobiography of Malcolm X, the latter of which he wrote in collaboration with Malcolm X.

Reviews

[Nandakishore Mridula · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book long, long ago: came across it while going through a book list here on Goodreads, and suddenly felt the urge to post a review.

Dear Kunta Kinte,

We are separated by time, space and culture. Throughout your largely tragic life, you would never have imagined that your story would ever be written, let alone read by a bookish teenager in far-away India, for whom slavery till that day was only a fact learned from school textbooks, mucked up to pass hated history exams. However, Mr. Kinte, you would be pleased to know that reading your story, penned by your descendant Mr. Alex Haley, changed his whole outlook. He suffered with you, Mr.Kinte, as you lay chained up in the dark and dank hold of the slaving vessel: he felt the searing pain as your foot was cut off as punishment for trying to run away: he choked back the bitter disappointment, along with you, when your master told you that the money you had saved up was not enough to buy you freedom (namely, that you were too poor to pay for what you were worth!)and he suffered the agony of separation with you as your daughter was sold off. And that teenager hung his head in shame as he thought of similar atrocities perperated by his forefathers in the name of caste.

Mr.Kinte, that day the boy took a vow never ever to insult the dignity of another human being; also not forget these crimes against humanity, lest they be repeated.

Mr.Kinte, I am that boy. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for the lessons your story taught me.

Yours sincerely,
Nandakishore Varma.

[Ebookwormy1 · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was astonishing to me - particularly the narrative of Kunta Kinte's life. This is why I read! What an amazing description of African culture and the rights of manhood. Then, the horrible violation of slavery and the cross-cultural experience of an African joining slaves who were predominately born in the United States. Sounds silly, but though I've read many books on slavery, none have dealt with the differences among slaves themselves and how growing up as a slave shaped how African Americans thought and interacted both with whites and with newly arrived Africans. I could understand why Alex Haley is the best-selling African-American author to date.

I wanted to give this book a 5. But, two things prevented me from giving it the highest rating.

First, when the book moves away from Kunte Kinte into successive generations, while it has engaging moments, something of the brilliance was lost. This was strange to me. After reading the book, I did some research on Alex Haley and Roots, and discovered that there were allegations that Haley plagiarized from Harold Courlander's "The African", published nine years before Roots (It seems the passages in question were concentrated in the life of Kunta Kinte); after Courlander sued Haley an out of court monetary settlement from Haley to Courlander was made, though Haley seems to have maintained innocence in the matter. Could it be that the brilliance of the book came from Courlander's work? I don't know and have requested "The African" from inter-library loan in order to investigate further. Margaret Walker Alexander filed a similar suit, but hers was dismissed. The legal actions of both Courlander and Walker were resolved in 1978. This was two years after the publication of Roots in 1976, and one year after a national television miniseries boosted sales and interest in 1977. I will also hunt down Walker's book.

Secondly, the genealogical work behind the book has come into question. This wouldn't be a problem, except that the final chapters present the genealogy as factually verified by the author in an attempt to place the work firmly in the historical fiction genre. In addition, these final chapters uphold Haley's lineage as a kind of beacon for all of African descent who "don't know who they are." This could have been done in the realm of fiction, without the assertion of fact, but it wasn't.

I was very disappointed by these revelations. I felt mislead, even betrayed, by Alex Haley. However, I must concede that even with these faults, the book is a wonderful read that opened up new doors of thought to me and shaped my thinking in new ways. For that, I am grateful.

--

As a follow up, I have also confirmed that Haley plagiarized from Margaret Walker's book, Jubilee, an absolutely fabulous book written by the first African American woman to earn a PhD. I would highly recommend this book. In addition, reading both "The African" and "Jubilee" helped me to see a little more of what Haley was getting at with writing Roots.

Now that I understand his perspective better, I can see that Roots definitely had an agenda. Black Power connected with "Africanism" and Islam, which is probably also represented in "The Autobiography of Malcolm X". Note the following when you read it:

1) The extremely compelling portions on Africa have been criticized as current social anthropology as opposed to history.

2) There is an emphasis (lacking in Courlander's "The African") on Islamic belief, as opposed to voodoo/ various animistic beliefs being the religious and cultural grounding of the African community. The conquest of Northern Africa by Arab Muslims is completely ignored by Haley as if Islam was indigenous to Africa which it was not. There is also complete disregard for the prevalence of Christianity in Africa from shortly after the life of Jesus Christ (including, for example the Church Father, Saint Augustine (of Berber origin). The spread of Christianity was through conversion, not conquest, and it far pre-dated the transatlantic slave trade.

3) Christianity is covertly proclaimed as the "white man religion," used by slave traders to stomp out cultural identity and practices that might lead blacks to gather up enough confidence to start a successful rebellion. While this idea may have had some acceptance by the uneducated of the time, it is non-sensical given the historical record.

4) Apparently, the book kicked off a ton of travel to Africa, during which African Americans found they were not embraced as Haley alludes they would be. Also, many believe Haley's documentation of his trip to Africa is entirely false and that the groit he met and all the officials involved were coached and eager to see Haley be successful in generating interest in their country.

5) All of these things would be forgivable IF Haley had merely written a work of fiction. We would suspect authors had their own ideas, agendas and perspectives. But, the intro and those last chapters are horrifically misleading. It's almost like he believed his own press! And the IDEA that he was going for is powerful, that Africans were stripped of their roots by the slave industry and that this has been harmful to them. But how this played out in the events around the book reveals the strong motives he had for both personal gain and promoting these false perspectives (and African Islam/ Black Power as the logical fulfillment/ salvation to such a paradigm) to facilitate growth of these movements.

6) Some of the quotes, references to Haley lead me to believe he wasn't a very nice person... not that anyone wants to say that outright, but it's there. It certainly appears he was looking to a black Muslim identity for wholeness, salvation, and power. Hopefully, he found peace with God and others before he died.

Also, regarding Jubilee specifically, I recognized one paragraph in the first chapter that I'm pretty sure was copied verbatim. The main character, Vyry (and her mother, Sis Hetta whose death opens the book) seem to have 'inspired' Haley's character Kizzy. But, as obvious as that was, perhaps the biggest thing Haley lifted from Jubilee was the idea to write about one's descendants and that such knowledge was important for the coming generations. Walker's dedication communicates this intention with less dramatic flair than Haley's claims about flying the globe, roaming through records, and finding groits who harbor verbal testimony of his ancestors, all while the oldest and last of his relatives is dying.

I would still recommend Roots, but I thought these observations might be helpful in positioning the work within its proper historical context. For more information on my investigations pertaining to Roots, please see the conversation in comments on this review. Although many of those that originally discussed the book with me are no longer on Goodreads, I think you can follow the discussion and track my primary sources if you would like to know more. Enjoy!

The Autobiography of Malcolm X, Alex Haley, 1965

Jubilee, Margaret Walker, 1966
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The African, Harold Courlander, 1967
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Also from Goodreads discussion below this review:
Roots: Philip Nobile “The Village Voice” February 23, 1993
After Haley’s death, his private papers were released and reviewed by Philip Nobile, who published a definitive article in 1993. Nobile’s article details specific problems with Haley’s account and includes numerous primary sources. I was able to order this article via the periodicals department at my library. It was photocopied by a library that owned the magazine copy and sent to my library. It cost me $1.

Also from Goodreads discussion below this review:
10 Big Lies about America, Medved, 2008
Big Lie #2: The United States is Uniquely Guilty for the Crime of Slavery, and Based Its Wealth on Stolen African Labor
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

A new book has been written that I prefer to Roots. A generational narrative that spans from Africa to America and back, see
Homegoing, Gyasi, 2016
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Maede · Rating 5 out of 5]

مدت‌ها بود کتابی نخوانده بودم که اینطور من رو تحت تاثیر قرار بده. که باهاش زجر بکشم و گریه کنم و خوشحال بشم و هشتصد صفحه رو با کتاب زندگی کنم

شاید براتون پیش اومده باشه که فکر کنید پدر پدر پدربزرگتون کی بوده و چطور زندگی می.کرده. اگر خوش‌شانس باشید، شاید کسی اسمش رو به یاد بیاره یا جایی نوشته شده باشه. خانواده‌ی الکس هیلی داستان اجدادشون رو سینه به سینه برای هم گفتند و داستان انقدر زنده موند که به کتاب تبدیل شد. داستانِ کونتا کینتهی آفریقایی که به بردگی گرفته شد، به آمریکا اومد و یکروز برای دخترش از زندگی گذشته‌ش تعریف کرد. کونتا هرگز فکر نمی‌کرد که این داستان برای همه‌ی بچه‌های خانواده گفته میشه و در آخر هم کسی مثل من، ۲۱۶ سال پس از تولدش، اون رو می‌خونه

الکس هیلی، شیفته‌ی این تاریخچه‌ی شفاهی میشه و دوازده سال تحقیق و سفر می کنه تا اون رو به شکل کتاب در بیاره. کتابی که از کونتا و زندگیش در گامبیا شروع میشه و یک قبیله‌ی آفریقایی مسلمان رو نزدیک به دو قرن پیش تصویر می کنه. بعد با درد بردگی و سفر هولناک چهارماهه‌ از آفریقا به آمریکا با کونتا همراه میشی و مدت طولانی ای رو در امریکای قرن ۱۸ و ۱۹ همراه با برده‌های سیاه می‌گذرونی. خواندن این کتاب مثل این می‌مونه که به جای اینکه تاریخ رو با یک سری عدد و رقم و اتفاق و جنگ بخونی، درونش زندگی کنی

در این مدت کتاب‌های زیادی در رابطه با سیاه‌پوستان آمریکا خواندم و می‌تونم بگم ریشه‌ها عمیق‌ترین و تاثیرگذارترینشون بود. با این وجود، اگر تحمل داستان‌های طولانی و با جزئیات ندارید یا به تاریخ علاقه ندارید، این کتاب برای شما نیست ولی اگر دنبال یک سفر تاریخی طولانی و پر تلاطم، گاهی دردناک و گاهی شیرین در طول دو قرن هستید، ریشه‌ها دقیقاً همون چیزیه که احتیاج دارید

کتاب و صوتیش رو می‌تونید از اینجا دانلود کنید
Maede's Books

۱۳۹۸/۵/۱۵

[Michael Finocchiaro · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was only 8 when Roots came out and my family being of the average, racist variety in Florida at the time, we did not watch it on TV in 1977. In the meantime, I did a lot of work to unroot that racism I was brought up with and read widely: Alice Walker, Toni Morrison, Toni Cade Bambara, Zora Neale Hurston, Malcolm X, Ralph Ellison, etc. but until now, some 43 years later, I read Roots by Alex Haley. It was a moving experience, particularly the middle passage of Kunta Kinta from La Gambia to 'Napolis which I found particularly horrifying. In the coda, Chapter 120, Alex Haley says that he purposefully took a freighter along that same route, sleeping in the hold, nearly naked on a wooden plank. Hardcore. Now, there were several lawsuits, one of which Haley lost, for plagiarism of parts of Roots. This did bother me a little bit, but it didn't take away from the narrative.

Roots is the story of Alex Haley's family from his ancestor Kunta Kinte who was captured in The Gambia in West Africa and enslaved in Virginia. It is grueling and violent and definitely a critical read for understanding the history of slavery and the horrors of being considered less than human. The first third of the book is a gorgeous description of life in Africa for the young Kunta. Then we follow his life in America as a slave followed by that of his daughter Kizzy, her son Chicken George and his son Tom - all ancestors of author Alex Haley. The horrors of slavery are laid out in plain view and anyone that reads this and does not come away with a sick feeling in their soul and a total lack of sympathy for "rebels" and other mythology panderers for the "lost Confederacy" has not really read the book. There was absolutely nothing redeemably about slavery and no moral reason whatsoever to defend its many, many waves of abuse. The Civil War was indeed about slavery at its core regardless of what the racist revisionists wish to say.

I felt that the 1977 Roots was a bit dated watching a bit of it now 43 years later. However, I would highly, highly recommend the 2016 version from the History Channel. It was riveting and beautifully shot. It takes some liberties with the text, but they are interesting diversions and interpretations and do not detract or demean Haley's work. My French-born son who was largely unfamiliar with the history of slavery other than the recent George Floyd outcry was moved deeply by this show which he also admitted was education. His statement "Slavery was really shit, dad" pretty much sums it up.

My rating of all the Pulitzer Winners: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

[Tahera · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember watching the mini series of this book on TV around the same time we were studying about early American history in school. I finally got my hands on this book a few years back when a friend lent it to me and since she was clearing her bookshelf I was more than happy to keep the copy...I still have it! A gripping and gritting portrayal of the story of a tribal prince, Kunta Kinte, who is snatched from his homeland of Africa and thrown into a nightmare of slavery in America and how not only he, but his subsequent generation of descendants fight against odds to keep their identity as well as the story of Kunta Kinte alive. A must read!!!

[Duane Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Magnificent. The epic chronicle of a family through many generations of cruelty, hardship and suffering. But it's much more than that really; it's the history of slavery in America. What happened to the characters in this book happened to millions of others and it's a story that needed to be told and Alex Haley did a masterful job of telling it. Roots should be required reading in high schools because all of us, regardless of age, race, or gender should understand this history. You can't tell the history of America without telling the history of slavery. We can still feel it's impact on our society still today.
4.5 stars

[Julie G · Rating 3 out of 5]

I opened the cover of this book with eagerness and excitement. In fact, I informed my family I was finally reading Roots and I would be out of commission for the week!

I was then greeted by 192 pages of some of the dullest prose I have ever encountered.

Dull and monotonous writing. Zero character development. The exotic locale of Africa reduced to sand and thorns, with a few cardboard cut-outs of Africans standing around.

Then, on page 192 (out of 900), conflict finally creates the true beginnings of a story. It is here, despite the conflict being the horror of abduction leading into a lifetime of slavery, where I finally realized I needed to let go of my desire to experience any character development and submit instead to Haley's true gifts, which are research and story-telling.

The story, from roughly pages 192 to 853, is often compelling. I have read many works of fiction and some non-fiction from this time period, and this book obviously contributes a completely unique perspective. In particular, I appreciated Haley showing slavery as not only an evil and despicable practice, but an absurd one as well. And, Kunta Kinte's observations, as an educated and Muslim African amongst slaves who had lost their heritage, their religions, and their families were absolutely thought-provoking and often heart-breaking.

Yet, when the finally-interesting story shifts again, to the first-person narrator at the end, I felt it was really the final blow for me. Left in the hands of a more capable writer, the ending, where Haley reveals his process and research, could have been fascinating. It was not, and the final pages, where he discusses the death of his father, made no cogent sense to me and had no connection to the rest of the story.

I applaud the incredible scope of this book and its huge cultural, ancestral, social and spiritual contributions, but I really struggled with the writing. If you happen to be reading this and feel similarly, I would highly recommend both Margaret Walker's Jubilee and Toni Morrison's Beloved as far more literary works which deal with slavery and its lasting impact on fully developed characters.

[Debbie W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my top 5 favourite reads!

[مجیدی‌ام · Rating 5 out of 5]

*بدلیل پیشگیری از قاطی شدن راست چین و چپ چین از گذاشتن نقطه و ویرگول معذورم*

طلسم شکسته شد و من این کتاب رو تموم کردم
برای ریویو نوشتن نسبت به این کتاب باید خیلی وسواس به خرج داد چون کوچک ترین غفلتی باعث میشه در حق کتاب نامردی صورت بگیره

خیلی سربسته و بدون اسپویل اگر بخوام بنویسم
این کتاب داستان زندگی هفت نسل از یک خانواده آفریقایی تبار هست
که مسیر زندگی این خانواده از خود افریقا آغاز و در امریکا پایان پیدا میکنه
با اینکه کتاب حول محور برده داری و فروش برده نوشته شده ولی
در کتاب به موضوعاتی همچون جنگ داخلی امریکا و جنگ جهانی اول و حتی جنگ جهانی دوم هم اشاره هایی شده
هرچند کم
اتفاقی چون مبارزه لینکلن برای پایان دادن به قانون برده داری
ذره ذره گُر گرفتن آتیش جنگ داخلی امریکا
و شاید ده ها اتفاق مهم دیگه که الان حضور ذهن ندارم

برخلاف اکثر کتاب ها که شروع جذاب و یا پایان خوبی دارند ولی در میانه های داستان ضعیف هستن
این کتاب
با پیش بردن هر فصل همچنان جذابیت خودش رو به شکلی متفاوت زنده نگه میداره
پیش نمیاد که خواننده احساس کسالت و یا یکنواختی کنه
کتاب انگار برای هر سلیقه ای چیزی در آستین خودش داره

این ریویو رو بیشتر از این کش نمیدم
فقط توصیه میکنم این کتاب رو بخونین
برای داشتن درک بهتر نسبت به یکی از سیاه ترین دوران تاریخ بشریت
برای درک زورگویی
برای درک غم
برای درک ناامیدی
و از همه مهم تر برای درک آزادی..............................

[Tea Jovanović · Rating 5 out of 5]

Knjiga, a potom i serija, koje smo mnogo voleli... Kako bi bilo lepo kad bi se neko setio evergrin naslova i ponovo objavio ovu knjigu... Pre nekoliko godina sam nabavila originalni box set serije pa mogu da uživam u njoj kad god poželim... Makar nešto... :)

[Cherisa B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal history of seven generations of a black family, from its roots in The Gambia to late 20th century America.

The description of the savagery of the Middle Passage was the subject of a plagiarism lawsuit, by a historian against the author, but the telling of it is so powerful and sorrowful that it should be part of the education around race we need.

Haley moves us through the generations and it’s painful how the disruptions occur- kidnapping, sales that ripped children from parents, never knowing what happened to those left behind (both family and reader left in the dark).

A fantastic and rich tapestry in the American story.

[*TUDOR^QUEEN* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this back in the seventies and haven't re-visited since, but recall it being a very good read.

[Maziyar Yf · Rating 3 out of 5]

خطر فاش شدن داستان
حکایت عجیبی ایست ، داستان آمریکاییان آفریقایی تبار ماجرایی ایست که چندان به آن پرداخته نشده

حکایت مردمانی ایست که در آفریقا مثلا در کشور گامبیا سرگرم زندگی خود بودن و احتمالا هم از وضع خود راضی بودند . در آن سرزمین پسران به همان روشی زندگی می کردند که پدران و پدربزرگ های آنها در گذشته روزگار خویش می گذراندند . در آن سرزمین هیچ وقت هیچ جیز عوض نمی شد . پسران به همان سنت و روش پدران بزرگ میشدند ، کشاورزی می کردند ، حیوانات را اهلی می کردند و هنگام رسیدن به سن بلوغ ، آموزشهای لازم برای ازدواج و بچه دار شدن را فرا می گرفتند و پا در جای پدران خود می گذاشتند ، در همین حال در اروپا و آمریکا انقلاب صنعتی در حال گذار بود و مزارع بسیار بزرگ در جنوب آمریکا نیاز به نیروی کار داشتندو چه کسانی بهتر از آفریقای های قوی وساده ؟
خلاصه ، قهرمان داستان ما از روستای خود دزدیده می شود وجهت انتقال به آمریکا به کشتی فرستاده می شود ، کتاب به صورت کامل دوران سخت اسارت در کشتی را بیان می کند ، خواندن این سختی ها برای خواننده بسیار سخت و طاقت فرسا ست ، شپش ، بیماری ، انواع شکنجه ، دریای خشمگین تنها بخش کوچکی از بدبختیهایی هستند که سیاهان باید تحمل کنند تا به آمریکا برسند ، قهرمان ما یا کینه کوتا سپس به مزرعه دار بی رحمی فروخته می شود ، او چند بار دست به فرار می زند اما هر بار دستگیر میشود ، عدالت از نوع آمریکایی بسیار آسان است : بخشی از کف پای او را میبرند که دیگر نتواند فرار کند .
جوان نگون بخت باید در مزرعه کار کند و فکر آفریقا و خانواده را از سر بیرون کند ، دوستان او دیگر سیاهانی هستند که به طریق های مختلف توسط ارباب استثمار یا به فارسی مورد بهره برداری ( البته بهره برداری جنسی نه ، چون ارباب مخالف قاطی شدن خون سیاهان و سفید پوستان است ) قرار می گیرند . جوان یا کینه کوتا دارد کم کم آمریکایی می شود ،به جای کوس کوس ، ساندویچ گوشت می خورد و می تواند انگلیسی صحبت کند ، در راستای تمدن آمریکایی او ازدواج میکند و بچه دار می شود ، دختر او کم کم بزرگ می شود اما سیاهان هیچ گونه حق مالکیتی ندارند ، حتی بر بچه های خویش . ارباب مالک همه چیز است دختر را زمانی که 15 ساله است به ارباب دیگری می فروشد ( از این جا به بعد شرح داستان کینه کوتا تمام می شود و ما دیگر هیچ اطلاعی از زندگی او نداریم ، قهرمان جدید کتاب این دختر یا کینزی ایست ) .
ارباب جدید اعتقادی به خون سیاه و سفید ندارد ، او در پی لذت است و همان شب اول به کینزی – برده جدیدش تجاوز می کند ، این کار را بارها تکرار می کند ، کینزی از ارباب بچه دار می شود ، اسم بچه اوجرج است ، ارباب جدید با این که تجاوز می کند اما زیاد آدم بدی نیست ، او خانواده را زیر بال و پر خود می گیرد و به جرج کودک اجازه می دهد که علاقه ارباب را دنبال کند : خروس بازی . جرج کم کم یک خروس باز حرفه ای می شود و یک رابطه حرفه ای با ارباب که پدرش هم هست ایجاد می کند ، جرج ازدواج می کند ( نسل سوم از خانواده کینه کوتا) و بچه دار می شود ( نسل چهارم ) . جرج دارد پول جمع می کند که خانواده خود را از ارباب بخرد و آزاد شوند اما به همراه ارباب اشتباه مهلکی می کند و در یک شرط بندی هر دو می بازند ، ارباب ورشکسته می شود و جرج بدبخت !
ارباب مجبور میشود جرج و خانواده او را بفروشد ، جرج به انگلستان فرستاده میشود و بخشی از خانواده هم به ارباب جدیدی فروخته و بچه های کوچکتر از والدین خود جدا و به همراه مادربزرگ خود پیش همان ارباب می مانند ( البته این روش هنوز هم در آمریکا رواج دارد – مثلا دولت ترامپ لب مرز بچه های پناهندگان غیر قانونی را از خانواده جدا و به کمپی دیگر می فرستد )
.خانواده نیاز به سرپرست دارد از بین شش فرزند جرج ، تام سرپرست خانواده و رابط با ارباب جدبد می شود ، مطابق معمول تام ازدواج می کند و بچه دار می شود و این داستان تا هفت نسل پس از کینه کوتا ادامه پیدا می کند تا خود آقای آلکس هیلی نویسنده این کتاب متولد می شود ، بزرگ می شود ، از یکی از بستگان ماجرای جد بزرگ خود (کینه کوتا ) را می شنود ، برای جستجوی ریشه های خود به آفریقا می رود ، بالاخره دهکده و قبیله خود را پیدا می کند .

ایده نویسنده کتاب بسیار درخشان است اما نتوانسته ایده ی خود را قوی و اثر گذار اجرا کند ، برای مثال شاید 80% کتاب مربوط به زندگی خود کینه کوتا ( زندگی و مهارت های شکار یا کشاورزی در آفریقای سه قرن پیش ) و نوه او – جرج ( جزییات خروس بازی ، شرط بندی ، مراقبت از خروسها ) باشد و عملا بعد از جرج شخصیت ها بعد چندانی ندارند ، در حقیقت از نسل چهارم به بعد خود نویسنده حوصله اش سر می رود و به شخصیتها و شرایط زندگی آنها نمی پردازد . بیشترین جمله ا ی که در قسمت های کتاب می خوانیم این است که به دنیا آمد ، بزرگ شد ، ازدواج کرد ، بچه دار شد . شخصیت های مقوایی که نویسنده خلق می کند و شخصیت پردازی نشده اند .

اما انتشارات امیر کبیر هم در انتشار این کتاب شاهکار زده ، علاوه بر این که 17 صفحه از کتاب را حذف کرده ( از صفحه 256 تا 273) ، از صفحه 680 تا 700 را هم پس و پیش چاپ کرده تا خواندن کتاب چالشی شود !

[Bookishrealm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mannnnnnn! My feelings about this book are so complicated. Before anyone asks me, I am aware of the plagiarism accusations that have plagued this Pulitzer prize winning book for decades, yet I cannot deny the impact it has made on Black culture and the history of the United States as we know it. While Alex Haley has claimed that this is true to his personal lineage, DNA tests and fact checking that revealed vital information about the griot he encountered, inevitably prove that it can't be true. I've marked this book as "historical fiction" and wish in my heart of hearts that Haley would have done that instead of creating a work that has essentially tarnished his legacy. With that being said, this book is not an easy read and has a list of content warnings that are present in every single chapter, on every single page, and in every paragraph. If you are disturbed by the vivid descriptions of chattel slavery, the middle passage, rape, racial slurs, racism, brutal death, horrific human conditions, extreme violence on page, and more, then I would proceed with caution when picking up this book.

Roots: The Saga of an American Family is everything that I love about family sagas; those books that explore the genealogy of a family generation after generation. This story in particular begins with Kunta Kinte as he lives a complicated, yet free life on the River Gambia in Juffure. Unfortunately, after being warned so many times about the possibility of being captured, Kunta finds himself amongst the many that are stolen from their land and forced to take a brutal, dehumanizing, dangerous, inhuman, and tragic journey across the Atlantic ocean to the coast of America. What follows is a detailed exploration of Kunta's experience in the colonies and the experiences of those that are a part of his lineage.

What Worked: This book took me a long time to read. Not only because of it's length, but also the content of the narrative. There were sections of this book that literally turned my stomach and made me feel extremely uncomfortable. However, it was these details that made me really pause and think about what my ancestors experienced at the hands of a system designed to not only break them, but also steal any hope they had. As dark as these descriptions came, I was glad that Haley included them to drive people to truly understand the dark sides of not only chattel slavery, but also the middle passage. It's hard to not acknowledge the amount of people who didn't even make it across the Atlantic. I also enjoyed the interweaving of historical events through the main narrative. Major events such as the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, slave rebellions, the Emancipation are all covered and discussed by characters. This definitely made the story more robust and although not necessarily real, it was interesting seeing how enslaved people may have reacted to the news of these events.

What Didn't Work Unfortunately, I do believe that we see Haley's writings decline a little as we get into further discussions of Kinte's descendants. The details that are captured in the first half of the book do not hold up in the second half of the book making it feel rushed. The robust descriptions and emotional tensions that are experienced with Kinte are lost as we explore more about Kizzy, George, and Tom. This doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy it, but I did notice a difference and a shift in characters. A great portion of this shift has been attributed, by past reviewers, to the accusations and confirmations of plagiarism of the book The African by Harold Courlander. While I have not read that book in particular, it would make sense that the passages related to Kunta Kinte were strikingly different from those of his descendants. There was also a section that detailed the "research" that Haley did for this book and it made me cringe knowing the true story behind his family.

Overall, I truly am glad that I read this book. I've been meaning to pick it up for years and I've never truly invested the time to pick it up until now. It took me about two weeks to finish it and while it was heartbreaking to learn about the plagiarism and lies that tarnished the legacy of this novel, I can't deny the impact that it had on the Black community and the renewed interest that it created in genealogy. So many of us cannot trace our genealogy because of slavery. This book gave people hope and I can't deny how meaningful that has been.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I honestly can't believe how much I enjoyed this book. It's been sitting on my shelf for about half a year now and I've been wanting to read it as soon as I got it. I always just started another book though and always said "next time."

I finally picked it up 6 days ago and finished it about 10 minutes ago.

The beginning was wonderful. I was so enthralled with Africa and Kunta Kinte and his family and the whole works. The way they lived, the culture, the traditions, it was like reading of another world (almost literally). How close of a family they were and the way they were raised is so far-fetched of what it's like today. These people were all about respect and their tight clans and villages. They loved all of each other and they worked hard for what they had even if it was hardly anything. They lived without most of the things we feel we NEED today. It honestly didn't seem that bad of a lifestyle.

To be ripped apart from that after barely just being able to 'live' as they call it was heart-breaking. Just to be Kunta with his aspirations and dreams and then to be ripped from it just in a split second by someone with their own ideas and taken away from the only thing he knows. I can't imagine just being taken away from my famly and my COUNTRY to some strange place where they don't even speak a language I know. The story-telling was so descriptive, I cried, cringed and just felt a weight on my heart.

Following Kinte and seeing how brave he was and how determined he was to find a way back home showed how proud he was and how he really thought if he tried he could make it back. I thought he might have tried a bit too much but I think he would've kept going if they hadn't of done what they did. As the years go on he builds a whole new life. Learns a new language, builds a new home and family and basically start over as a whole nother person. Nothing could've been harder. He never let where he came from die though. He made sure his children knew where he came from and so on.

The only thing I wasn't really too happy about was when the story just all of a sudden went to Kizzy. I mean we never heard about Kunta and Bell again. Half the book was about Kunta and then the next chapter that's it. I didn't really like that.

All in all, I loved how the family kept its tradition and promise to make sure they knew about Kunta and where he came from. It was amazing.

I find it odd too because 3 last names in that book are of my ancestral background. Johnson, being my maiden name. Henning being my grandmother's maiden name and Haley being my great-grandmother's maiden name before becoming a Henning. This is all on my father's side, too. I think that's really amazing. I wonder if those in the book were my ancestors. Hmm. Something to look up.

To know a bit of where you come from and who your ancestors are I think is a wonderful thing to know. For Alex Haley to have been able to actually travel to the place where his great-great-great-great-grandfather came from. That's just amazing. Not many ppl can say that and I'm sure it would give you a sense of PRIDE to be able to say "yes, my so and so was this person or that person."

WONDERFUL BOOK!!

[Tayebe Ej · Rating 5 out of 5]

درباره ی بردگی کتاب و فیلم کم نخوندم و کم ندیدم اما چیزی که کتاب ریشه ها رو خاص میکنه، توصیف وضعیت «برده بودن» نیست، وصف مسیر دردناک و تلخ «برده شدن»ه.. 400 صفحه اول کتاب، از زندگی کونتا کینته ی مسلمان آفریقایی در دهکده اش، تا برده شدنش و آورده شدنش به امریکا، بهترین، جذاب‌ترین و تأثیرگذارترین بخش ریشه هاس..
الکس هیلی بعد از دوازده سال تحقیق، سفر به آفریقا و پیدا کردن دهکده ای که اجدادش در اون زندگی میکردن، کتابی رو مینویسه که زندگی هفت نسل از خانواده اش رو روایت میکنه، به این امید «که این سرگذشت، سرگذشت مردم ما، از تلخی میراث تاریخهایی که بیشتر به دست فاتحان نگاشته شده، بکاهد.»

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know why I've never read this book before now. It's excellent. Yes, as a Midwestern, middle-aged white person, the repeated use of the N-word was jarring, but definitely necessary to the story. It got a point across that I don't think would have been properly conveyed any other way. I'm going to re-watch the miniseries soon. It came out when I was in grade school, so I don't remember it well. But I highly recommend the book.

[Susan's Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved both the book and movie versions of this powerful, historical saga: I will never forget the indomitable Kunta Kinte. This book changed my very sheltered teenage world view. Decades later, I am now reading Esi Edugyan's Washington Black, and once again I am brought face to face with humanity's truly awful dark side. I have to read these gut-wrenching novels in bits and pieces, because my poor aging heart can no longer take so much horror in one long sitting.
With the perspective of time and and my own life experience, and after reading Roots and many other historical novels, I've come to realize this: We humans constantly abuse POWER, whether it comes in the form of money, position or some other sort of bestowed privilege. There have been rebellions throughout history, attempting to redress the imbalance caused by all the abuses of power in this world. I used to read historical novels almost exclusively during my teens and twenties, but as I entered my thirties and forties, I became jaded, and I turned to historical novels less and less. We don't ever seem to learn our lessons, do we? History just keeps repeating itself in a timeless loop: only the costumes, players and settings seem to change.
Lately, I've been listening to Simon and Garfunkel's The Sound of Silence, as performed by the group Disturbed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9Dg-...
"Silence like a cancer grows" - so very true! Our silence - our complacency - allows people like Trump to become our "Neon Gods". Because so many of us are afraid to think for ourselves, we surrender to what is fed to us by the media and other prevailing dogma. We have to examine all the crutches that so many of us need in this life: a religion or philosophy to believe in and blindly follow, stockpiles of money so we can build a false sense of security or create temporary happiness by indulging in luxurious status symbols (phones, cars, "mc-mansions," brand name clothes), and our consumption of food, alcohol and drugs - often to excess. I am just as guilty of all of this.
Those of us who love to retreat into the world of books need to support authors like Esi Edugyan, Alex Hailey and countless others who shine the stark light of truth on man's (historical and ongoing) inhumanity to man. Reading helps us to examine diverse thoughts and viewpoints. Hopefully, we can evolve our own notions of what we need to do to co-exist with tolerance and forgiveness. Keep reading... lest we forget!

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first time I read Roots was when I was a teenager. I very into slave narratives and stories involving slavery. I was a weird teenager because I was also obsessed with learning about the Holocaust. I had grim interests and nothing has really changed in all these years.

When I read this as a teenager I just blew through it. I think I read it in a little over 2 days and then I immediately went to the library to check out the miniseries and I loved that too(but why was OJ Simpson in Roots???) A couple years later I discovered the miniseries Queen which is about Alex Haleys father's side of the family and it stars Halle Berry. I loved that miniseries even more than Roots and a couple years ago I read the book which is also fantastic.

I never really planned on rereading Roots despite my love of the story because it's a hard read. But then last spring I decided I would do a reread of Roots in June....If you'll remember what last summer was like in the U.S. then you'll know that, that was a terrible idea. So I sat it aside and I would pick it up from time to time and read a couple pages then put it down again. I didn't force myself to read I knew that I would eventually be in the mood for it.

Last week was that time.

Roots is the story of Alex Haley's mother's side of the family that was passed down through the generations in his family. The story begins with the African, a young Mandinka tribesman who was abducted from Africa and sold into slavery in the U.S. He used the stories he had been told and he combined that with any research he could find and he created a story around it.

I know there has been so "controversy" about if Kunta Kinte existed, but that's ridiculous because it doesn't matter. Every Black person in America and the Caribbean who descended from slavery has a Kunta Kinte in their bloodline. Some African was abducted from Africa and forced into slavery and torture and rape followed. We may not know the name of that first slave in our bloodline but they existed.

Alex Haley gave alot of Black people a glimpse at what our ancestors might have experienced. Most Black people who descended from slavery don't have access to our history because white people destroyed it. We were sold and stripped of our names and then we were sold and given new names and then we were sold and given yet another name. We were stripped of our religions and cultures and had to create new ones and then white people took those too.

I dont really care if everything in this book actually happened because that wasn't the point of the story. The point of the story was FAMILY. White people tried their damndest to destroy Black families and they didn't succeed. Black families may not look like the "Traditional Family" but they are families nevertheless.

I'll probably never know who the Kunta Kinte of my family was but I still thank that brave person for creating my family. I can't speak their name but their spirit is with me at all times.

A Must Read!

A Black Classic!

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am at least a fifth generation genealogist. I was ten when this book was first published and made into a miniseries. But, I was allowed to stay up that entire week of January 23 – January 30, 1977 to watch it in its entirety. I thought the cast did an excellent job. To this day, I still believe that the book was much better than the movie. But, as Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. once pointed out, "Most of us feel it's highly unlikely that Alex actually found the village whence his ancestors sprang. Roots is a work of the imagination rather than strict historical scholarship."

[Karine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A powerful story on the impact of slavery on one family, Roots has moments of tenderness and joy as well as terror and heartbreak. Haley is at his strongest when repeatedly demonstrating the horror of suddenly never seeing your loved ones again or ever knowing what happened to them. He balances the episodes of sudden violence and brutality with extended periods of quotidian life and relatively good fortune. His primary characters are vivid and memorable. However, he spends far too long idealizing 18th century rural Africa, goes into excessive detail regarding cockfighting, and intersperses historical context in a clunky fashion.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s easy to distill slavery as purely evil, and no doubt, it was evil. But it’s also complicated, and this book documents all of it (or at least what I presume is all or most of it). Seven generations of storytelling starting in colonial days, and all the damage and generational trauma stemming from the day Columbus set west.

There is a lot on insistence that some slave owners were “good” juxtaposed to how there’s no such thing, because no matter how kind a white person was to a slave, that could change at any point because the power dynamic was always based on ownership (which I agree with). Part of me wondered if Haley found it necessary to argue both sides in order to get the book printed and the show produced. I mean, this country has never been held accountable for what it did to the Indigenous or the slaves. Many are still reluctant to acknowledge it even happened, and even they do, it often comes with an insistence that many slave owners were “good.”

I’ve reluctantly read several books on the Civil War (war history and strategy isn’t my thing). One thing that I always wondered was how news traveled. Decisions had to be made quickly, often in the absence of critical data. Until this book, I hadn’t considered the same question about civilians. Haley did a nice job of answering that question.

I get why the book progressed as it did, but given that it all started with Kunta Kinte and that 83 of the 120 chapters are about him, I kind of wish Haley would’ve circled back to storytell the rest of his life.

I hope all descendants of slaves who read this book find some grounding in their souls from it and that the rest of us learn from it. My biggest fear with this book is that many will hold it up as evidence that slave owners were “good.” They might’ve been nice sometimes, but you cannot own a slave and be “good.” This may be a controversial opinion, but it’s mine, and I’m entitled to it.

[fคrຊคຖ.tຖ · Rating 5 out of 5]

بارها در طول خواندن این رمان حجیم گریستم. بر تمام بی‌رحمی‌های باورنکردنی که بشر به هم‌نوع خود روا داشته...

[Werner · Rating 5 out of 5]

African-American writer Haley based this book on the oral stories of his family history, handed down to him as a child by his grandmother, who was part of a chain of family memory-keepers going back to the 18th century, to (and even before) the arrival of their ancestor Kunta Kinte in this country as a kidnapped slave. As an adult, Haley painstakingly researched the historical written records to confirm and amplify these stories, even traveling to West Africa, where a griot --a keeper of tribal genealogies and lore-- provided information that dovetailed with his family's own accounts. This book, in large measure, is based on that research. For this reason, most libraries (including the one where I work) have followed the Library of Congress in classifying and shelving it as nonfiction history. That's not, however, an accurate label. The author makes liberal use, in the accounts of the earlier generations, of imaginative reconstructions, invented dialogue, and ascriptions to various characters of unattested thoughts and motives. These devices are dropped in the much shorter accounts of the later generations, beginning with his grandparents (he was born in 1921), which read more like, and actually are, conventional nonfiction.) But the earlier generations take up the vast majority of the book; so I've classified it accordingly as historical fiction.

However, that's in no way said in derogation. This is an exceptionally well-researched and historically grounded novel about actual people; the way Haley creatively fleshes out and envisions the narrative with the techniques of fiction is a superlative example of the way historical novelists should ply their craft. All of the major events of the plot are attested real-life events that actually happened, and what's reconstructed is true to life. In writing dialogue, like other Realist writers before him, Haley also reproduces the authentic dialect of Southern black (and white) speech. He does not do this in any way to ridicule or put down the speakers, but to express the truth that black dialect is no disgrace to be ashamed of; it's as legitimate a regional/sub-cultural adaptation of the English language as any that ever developed among regional and sub-cultural groups of white people.

Most of the recounted historical experiences were in, and shaped by, the cultural context of slavery, and later segregation. No punches are pulled in accurately bringing to life the unconscionable way the slaves were exploited, the vile injustices and outrages they had to put up with as a matter of course, the racism and discrimination they suffered from even after slavery's end. The overall effect of this, seen through black eyes, is extremely powerful; and indeed this book, and the TV miniseries adaptation (which actually doesn't follow the book very closely in the later generations) was probably the single major cultural influence, in the later 20th century, that actually made much of the white community think seriously about that aspect of the American black experience. But, to Haley's credit, this isn't a pity-party that invites both blacks and whites to see the former as helpless perpetual victims. His ancestors weren't people who let themselves be defined as victims. The book as a whole is a testament to black courage, self-reliance and self-help, determination to forge a culture and a way of life in spite of hindrances, and to the strength of the black family. (He also doesn't demonize all whites as such.) As a practicing Christian himself, the author is also sympathetic in his treatment of the black church. (Kunta Kinte was a Moslem; but he married a Christian, and she raised their daughter as one.) The subtitle says it all: The Saga of an American Family. This family is as American, as much a part of the American fabric, as any other; they claim that heritage as a right, and they deserve to be recognized and treated as such as much as any other.

Earlier this year, when I made a list of my 100 top favorite books, this one was on it. Personally, I consider it one book that every American, of whatever race, ought to read.

[محمد على عطية · Rating 5 out of 5]

أعتقد أن عدداً لا بأس به من جيلى - مواليد أوائل الثمانينيات - قد شاهد المسلسل الأجنبى الشهير المأخوذ عن هذه الرواية.و من شاهد المسلسل تعرف من خلاله على فترة من أكثر فترات التاريخ الأمريكى إنحطاطاً...هى الفترة التى اتسمت بتجارة الرقيق المختطف من أفريقيا.
بدأت قراءة الرواية ولدى شوقلإستعادة ذكرى هذا المسلسل الذى شاهدته فى طفولتى, و لكنى أُخذت بأسلوب أليكس هيلى المشوق و الجميل فى وصفه....و طوال القراءة كنت أتخيل كم المجهود الذى بذله الكاتب ليصل إلى قصص 6 أجيال سابقة من أسلافه منذ الجد الأفريقى المسلم كونتا كنتى الذى أختطف من وطنه (جامبيا) ليباع فى أمريكاو يظل رغم كل ما تعرض له يحمل قلبه و لغته و عوائده و دينه فى قلبه.
الرواية صادرة فى 730 صفحة و لكن الجزء المتعلق بكونتا كنتى وحده يكاد يقارب نصف الكتاب..و كلما تقدم الزمن كلما قلت التفاصيل التى يعرضها الكاتب للجيل ....كم أعجبنى تخيل الكاتب لمشاعر كونتا فى المراحل المختلفة, فى إختطافه, فى شحنه فى سفينة العبيد, فى تعرفه على الجنس الأبيض, فى رؤيته للزنوج المدجنين الذين ولدوا فى أرض (الطوبوب) البيض و لم يعرفوا شيئاً عن أفريقيا و لا يريدون أن يعرفوا.
هذه القصة ملحمة إنسانية لصراع داخل أنفس تواقة للحرية....و هو عرض مواز للتاريخ الأمريكى منذ منتصف القرن الثامن عشر و حتى سبعينيات القرن العشرين...حقاً ألكس هيلى كاتب متميز و قد تعرفت عليه أولاً فى كتابته للسيرة الذاتية لمالكوم إكس الذى أصر المترجم على ترجمة إسمه (مالكوم العاشر) و هو الشىء الوحيد الذى (قفلنى)فى الرواية :)

[Suvi · Rating 1 out of 5]

I appreciate the author's research of his own roots and the overall message this book has. The problem I had with it was that the writing style was uninteresting. It wasn't bad but it made the characters too two-dimensional for me to enjoy the story overall. They were all empty and I couldn't cheer for them or feel for them. But I understand why the book is important to some and why it has the position it has, I just didn't notice the literary value it supposedly has. Plus the plagiarism accusations can't be good for an author's reputation and respect.

[لونا · Rating 5 out of 5]

تعجب كونتا كنتي من بعض أفراد قبيلته الذين كانوا عبيداً عندهم مقابل الأكل والشرب أو مقابل حياتهم لكونهم كانوا في الأصل إما أعداء أو سجناء .. واستغرب قبولهم و ارتضاءهم لهذا الوضع، فاستفسر من والده الذي رد عليه بقوله:-

لقد أصبحوا عبيداً عندما لم يكونوا شجعاناً لدرجة يفضلون الموت عن الأسر



هكذا تربى "كونتا كنتي"، أن العبد شخص يدعوا للاحتقار، كيف لا وهو سليل عائلته الذائعة الصيت بتاريخها وثقافتها .. .. ولكن بين ليلة وضحاها يصبح عبداً أيضاًعندما قُبض عليه من قِبل تجار العبيد وعبر البحر من "جامبيا" إلى "فيرجينا" بين أناس يجهل لغتهم ويستنكرهم ويستغرب احتقارهم له بسبب لونه


قاسى كثيراً وقاوم وهرب أكثر من مرة إلى أن قطعوا قدمه، لم يستطع التأقلم أبداً وانعزل عن الناس ولكنه شاء أو أبى شعر بالوحشة، وتذكر قول أبيه "عندما تضم قبضتك لن يستطيع أحد أن يضع شيئاً فيها ولا تستطيع يدك أن تلتقط أي شيء" ولذلك حاول أن يندمج مع محيطه، تزوج، أنجب، وأصبحت ابنته مركز اهتمامه لم يُرد أن تختفي أصولة مع الزمن فعلمها تاريخه وأخذ منها العهد أن تستمر بقصه للأجيال القادمة وهذا ما حدث، استمرت الحكاية تروى لكل فرد جديد يولد عن الإفريقي الذي يسمي الجيتار "كو" والنهر "كومبي بولونجو" وأصر أن اسمه كونتا كنتي


بعد أكثر من 200 عام زار الكاتب مؤلف هذه الرواية "أليكس هايلي" المتحف البريطاني ووجد نفسه ينظر "لحجر رشيد" ذلك الحجر الذي كتب عليه بثلاث لغات بعض الكلمات وبواسطة دراستها اكتشفت سر اللغة الهيروغليفية التي توصف بأنها اللغة التي كتب بها معظم تاريخ البشرية القديم .. .. "كو" و "كومبي بولونجو" لمعت في عقله وأحس أن لها رابط بهذا الحجر، لماذا لا يبحث عن أصل جده الأعظم كونتا كنتي بالبحث عن أصل هذه الكلمات التي لقنتها له جدته للحفاظ على تقليد العائلة بنقلها من جيل لأخر


ومن هنا تبدأ رحلة "أليكس هايلي" بالبحث عن جذوره التي وصل لها بعد مشقة وجهد كبير يدعو للإعجاب تكلم عنه في فصول في نهاية روايته وكانت السبب في منحي الكتاب النجمة الخامسة بدل الأربع نجمات


هذه الرواية أو "الكتاب" كتاب ثري جداً بمحتواه الذي يسرد ملحمة عائلة لنيل حريتها، كتاب يسرد ويتكلم عن الصراعات، والأجناس، والثقافات التي ساهمت في أن تكون أمريكا كما هي الآن، بعد الانتهاء من هذه الرواية بالتأكيد ستكون لدينا فكرة عن المخاض الشديد لولادة الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية


ملاحظة:- ترجمة الرواية ليست سيئة ولكن كتاب بهذا المستوى يستحق ترجمة أكثر احترافية

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Popsugar Challenge 2021 - A book featuring three generations (grandparent, parent, child)

Oh my, this is something special.  I don't think I've ever read anything quite like this before.

This is the true story of the author and his journey in tracing back his family history against all odds.

We meet Kunta Kinte in the 17th century somewhere along the Gambia River. He's just a boy at the time, we follow him through his teen years, manhood training, moving into his own hut, we see him grow and mature throughout his rains until the day he steps into the forest to make a drum for his younger brother and is snatched by the toubob slave traders.

From there we leave the idyllic setting of Africa and the horrific journey of Kunta Kinta begins on the big ship to a place called Naplis, sold to a plantation owner and from there we follow the next seven generations of the family line.

Written mainly in a narrative format (although it does turn into the traditional non fiction format towards the end) this account is material to binge. I couldn't put it down and felt every emotion under the son.

It's accounts like this that remind me that these events are such recent history and while there have been great strides, there's a long long way to go.

A must read, an absolute must read.

[Lisa (Harmonybites) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The teenage self who first read this book would have given it five stars without hesitation. The conception is brilliant. I don't think there's a better way to really absorb history, and really inspire people to dig deeper, than what this purported to do. To really have you come face to face with history by telling the story of one family, especially in fictional narrative form, where people of the past can be brought vividly to mind as people who bled and sweated and struggled. And Alex Haley had claimed not to be just writing a novel, but telling the story of his family--who he claimed he had traced back to its roots in Africa where his ancestor Kunta Kinte, in what is today Gambia, had been kidnapped into slavery and brought to America. There was nothing quite like that when it was published in 1976, and the miniseries based upon it was a landmark in American television.

But since publication, the book has drawn controversy. First, this was marketed--and is still widely regarded--as factual history, even if told in fictional form. But geneologists who retraced Haley's footsteps found that Haley's pre-Civil War genealogy is not, as he had claimed, substantiated by public records. And the book hangs precisely on the pre-Civil war family--838 of Roots' 888 pages dealt with events from Kunta Kinte's birth in Africa in 1750 to the end of the American Civil War in 1865. Just google Roots and "controversy" or "criticism" and you can read the details of the dispute over the book's historicity yourself. The "griot" Haley supposedly found linking him to an African heritage was no griot, and was reportedly pressured and coached into telling Haley what he wanted to hear. And as a Village Voice article by Philip Nobile detailed, Haley's own notes reveal that Kunta Kinte and Roots is largely a work of Haley's imagination.

All right then, what we're dealing with is a novel. Just Haley's attempts to put it over as history admittedly tarnishes the book for me now, but there's another problem. The 30 Anniversary edition I looked through alluded to the other major issue that has come up since publication: plagiarism. As part of a court settlement, Haley admitted to lifting passages from Harold Courlander's The African. The 30 anniversary edition makes it sound like it was only a few paragraphs, but I've read the court papers charged over 80 different passages were involved. And I can't say I buy Haley's explanation that the work of other researchers made it undifferentiated and unsourced among Haley's notes from where he inadvertently copied it. What was material from a novel doing in research notes? There was also a charge that Haley plagiarized Margaret Walker Alexander's novel, Jubilee--but those charges were dismissed by the court as unsubstantiated. On the other hand, one commentator who actually bothered to read Courlander's The African said he found no real similarities in plot or character with Roots. Maybe so, I haven't read The African. So, giving Haley the benefit of the doubt about the plagiarism being substantial, is Roots still worth reading as a novel in the tradition of Michener and Rutherfurd? I think so, but I admit knowing what I do, the book has slipped quite far down in my esteem.

[Ramazan yahaghi]

سالها قبل خوانده ام. من که با آدمهایش زندگی کردم. فکر کنم اگر دوباره بخوانم هم بازهم این تجربه تکرارشود. بلاخره کتاب مشهور و شاید هم از آثار کلاسیک باشد.