It is hard to discuss slaves’ narratives. They aren’t meant to be novels, so the character development, the plot and all that can’t really be criticized. They are testimonies of a horrible past, of events that destroyed the life of way too many people. But then, some of them are really well-written.
I think this is the case with Twelve Years a Slave. It is entertaining, but you never forget that the whole thing is a real story. Still, throughout the whole book one can’t help but root for poor Solomon. I wanted him to return to his family, and I cried a little when he became free.
The story is about Solomon Northup, a free man born in the state of New York. He’s married and has kids a lives a nice life (so he says) in the Free states. But one day he meets a pair of seemingly nice guys who offer him a little job playing the violin for a few days.

Of course, Solomon has lived a pretty decent life and probably has no reasons to distrust these two guys (those were other times), and he’ll get extra money out of it, so… why not? (I’ll repeat, other times).

So, he goes. But he doesn’t get money.

He gets to become a slave.

The rest of the book describes Solomon’s life in the different places he ended up as a slave and how he and other slaves were treated. In general, it’s pretty horrible. Just the fact that people were owned as propriety is unbelievable, but the details Solomon gives make the whole situation a lot worse. A mother separated from her children (and falling into depression after it), whippings and general unfairness are part of everyday’s life in the plantations.

I think that this narrative stands out because of the narrator’s voice. It probably comes from the fact that it was written after the events, so Solomon might had have a happier outcome of life. The point here is that Solomon doesn’t mope around and pity himself. He tries to contact his family, he helps runaway and fellow slaves, which showed him to be a really good human being, something that isn’t common even in our days.

All in all, I enjoyed this book. Not because the topic was particularly enjoyable, but because I could sympathize with Solomon and his difficulties. I wanted him to win through and be happy with his family. So, that’s a win for me.