Customer Reviews

Charles W. Chesnutt: Stories, Novels, and Essays (Library of America)

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Wow! If you want a glimpse of American life for African Americans shortly after the civil war this book provides wonderful insights. Charles Chestnutt writes stories of what it was like to be free after a life of slavery...The stories are about African Americans adjustment to freedom and life in the late 19th century.
The stories are beautifully written and provide a rare glimpse of this era from the African American point of view. Too bad this author is not well known....Reminds me of Mark Twain in many ways. Thank you Library of America for keeping authors who are no longer commercially available alive.
Charles Chestnutt is now in my top 5 American authors....Read it and enjoy!
The book is beautifully bound and has a built in ribbon bookmark..fun to read.

I found Charles Chesnutt through a book on Frederick Douglass. Charles Chesnutt is a remarkable writer whose works should be taught in high school. He captures the power of slavery and its affter effects as it corrodes both whites and blacks. With a clear eye, he sees deeply the problems that still persist and linger in America as a result of the divide between black and white and how each view America.

I was limited to authors offered to me in high school, and I have been trying to catch up with "new" ones ever since. This man was recently honored with a US postage stamp. The picture on the stamp originated from an area library, which led me to investigate his writings. I am glad I did. He is great. I love Victorian literature, but this man writes with a much more modern approach. An American classic!