Property

[purplebongowoman]

Has anyone out there read this book? Have just finished it. Set in the deep South during the 19c. The style is very simple but the characters are tantalisingly complex, and I was left feeling very frustrated at how little I knew them. There was a sense that they each lived in a social isolation created by the basic injustice of their society. The title alludes to humans being the property of others, most obviously the slaves, but also the plantation owner's wife being the property of her husband. The story then unfolds, against a background of slave rebellion, and shows that any intimacy or honesty between the characters is impossible.

[ChristineJardine]

I thought that this was a really impressive narrative with some very deep themes on ownership, property, sexual and racial discrimination and jealousy. There is a really haunting scene in the novel that sums up the power people can hold over one another and abuse that results.

[willow]

Hi

I have read this and found it quite disturbing in the descriptions of the isolation of the slave owners. The menace of the rising tension was well described. I thought it was an interesting view of the slave/owner relationship. The arrogance of some of the owners in that despite being outnumbered they really believed they could hold onto power.

Willow

[Lizzy Siddal]

I read this some time ago and would endorse everything that has been stated in this thread.

The other thing I remember is the unsympathetic nature of the female lead. Although I never really liked her, I sympathised entirely with her problems.

[Hazel]

The other thing I remember is the unsympathetic nature of the female lead. Although I never really liked her, I sympathised entirely with her problems.

I agree - I loved this book and was amazed that I could detest the protagonist so much yet be swept along with her story and remain engaged in her narrative. It is telling that she is never given a proper name.