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Title: Hardest book I ever read
Review: And not just because of the frequent French, either. This was a difficult read, containing some of the most shocking descriptions of cruelty I have ever read. That said, it was worth the effort. Madison Smartt Bell's sentences shimmer and his characters come alive. Bell's use of the rebel slave who eventually abandons the rebellion for the bush and the unrepentant plantation owner well make his point that violence, as practiced by white or black, is senseless. So why the preachy epilogue? After suffering, to Bell's credit, through chapter after chapter of human sacrifice and dismemberment, I didn't need to be told that race hate is a bad thing. Still, if you quit before you get to the italicized words, you'll have an important and worthwhile read.
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