88 pages • 2 hours read
Solomon NorthupTwelve Years a Slave
Nonfiction | Autobiography / Memoir | Adult | Published in 1853A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Before You Read
Super Short Summary
Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup recounts Northup's harrowing experience as a free Black man from New York who was kidnapped and sold into slavery, enduring 12 years in the Deep South. He navigates brutal conditions on various plantations before regaining his freedom. The memoir critically examines the cruelty and systemic injustices of American slavery. The narrative includes scenes of physical and psychological abuse.
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup is lauded for its powerful firsthand account of slavery and its detailed, vivid narrative. Readers appreciate its historical significance and emotional depth but find its language challenging at times due to its period-specific style. Overall, it is an eye-opening, essential read for understanding American history and the resilience of the human spirit.
Who Should Read Twelve Years a Slave?
Readers passionate about American history, slavery narratives, and personal resilience will find Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup compelling. Comparably, fans of Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe or Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs will be enthralled by Northup's vivid and poignant account.