Customer Reviews

Clansman, The: An Historical Romance of the Ku Klux Klan

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This book is valuable reading for those who would like to understand the Genesis for racial animosities and problems that still occur in both the North and the South today. It also provides a familiarity with the actions and motives of the true historical Ku Klux Klan in contrast to the misguided bigots who preach racial hatred under the guise of the neo Ku Klux Klan of today. Film and theatre students will find this book interesting as the basis for D.W. Griffith's acclaimed film classic "Birth of a Nation". If possible locate an unabridged copy of this classic book.

Whether one agrees or disagrees with Dixon's ideology, this is nonetheless a gripping and pwerful novel which formed the basis for THE BIRTH OF A NATION. Dixon was the academic and literary equal of Upton Sinclair and Frank Norris.

During my genealogy research I discovered that some of my ancestors were in the Klan in the very early days. This was disturbing to me and I started doing more research, coming to the conclusion that the EARLY Klan was not what it became later. I thought this book would be helpful. Presented as dramatizations of actual incidents, the book intended to promote understanding of the writer's point of view. Unfortunately, I was unable to survive the author's total absence of writing skills and just could not force myself to finish this boring book.

I've been a Civil War history buff for most of my 54 years of life. I had to read this (at last) to satisfy my curiosity. I can see now where the roots lay of the many sterotypes some people had of Black America.Whats disturbing is that so many people in the early 1900's thought this book to be a true picture of the entire ethnic group of Black Americans. It was widely read and very popular. The story is written in that obnoxious flowery victorian era fashion. Its as if the author never heard of Mark Twain or Stephen Crane. Because of the writing style it was hard to get into. I read a 1905 edition to try and get the complete flavor of the era it was written in. Wow! What a load of hatred and propaganda--even by 1905 standards. As a piece of historical Civil War Era fiction it stinks. As a look at A (meaning some) Old Souths view of Black People it is interesting to see how far the South has matured in 100 or so years. At least I hope nobody thinks like the cretens in "The Clansman" anymore. You could say that I am being unfair to something written so long ago. Not true. Many authors in that era were writting on a much higher level than this nonsense.

The only worth of this book is its place in American prejudice, hatred, bigotry, and bad romance writing. After that, it could be a text for the W. Bush administration. A mediocre writer at best Dixon was, and he borrowed the contemporary writing of his day (romance) to aid his hideous propaganda. As a side note, I read this book in a graduate literature class on racism and southern writing. So. I'm disappointed -- dismayed -- that some actually think this book is anything more than hate propaganda. Lord help us.