The Known World

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Set in Manchester County, Virginia, 20 years before the Civil War began, Edward P. Jones's debut novel, The Known World, is a masterpiece of overlapping plot lines, time shifts, and heartbreaking details of life under slavery. Caldonia Townsend is an educated black slaveowner, the widow of a well-loved young farmer named Henry, whose parents had bought their own freedom, and then freed their son, only to watch him buy himself a slave as soon as he had saved enough money. Although a fair and gentle master by the standards of the day, Henry Townsend had learned from former master about the proper distance to keep from one's property. After his death, his slaves wonder if Caldonia will free them. When she fails to do so, but instead breaches the code that keeps them separate from her, a little piece of Manchester County begins to unravel. Impossible to rush through, The Known World is a complex, beautifully written novel with a large cast of characters, rewarding the patient reader with unexpected connections, some reaching into the present day. --Regina Marler

Book Description

One of the most acclaimed novels in recent memory, The Known World is a daring and ambitious work by Pulitzer Prize winner Edward P. Jones.

The Known World tells the story of Henry Townsend, a black farmer and former slave who falls under the tutelage of William Robbins, the most powerful man in Manchester County, Virginia. Making certain he never circumvents the law, Townsend runs his affairs with unusual discipline. But when death takes him unexpectedly, his widow, Caldonia, can't uphold the estate's order, and chaos ensues. Jones has woven a footnote of history into an epic that takes an unflinching look at slavery in all its moral complexities.

Customer Reviews:

Had a hard time finishing it!.......2007-09-03

I was really excited to read this book because I've read many of the Today Show Book Club Selections and enjoyed them all so far. I'd say this was my least favorite as of yet.

I am an avid reader, but yet had a hard time remembering all of the characters in this book. I felt there were way too many than what would have been necessary. This made it difficult to really dig into the book. Once I started getting better acquainted with the characters, it was still slow going, I just didn't feel much anticiaption or excitement for what would happen next. I also did not feel much of a connection for any of the characters. Furthermore, especially at the beginning I had a hard time keeping straight the storyline, obviously not remembering all of the who's who didn't help!

I finished the book, but it took me quite a long time because I just didn't have a lot of interest in it. But, I kept reading hoping it would get better, towards the middle I did start getting into the story more and the last half was better than the first for sure. I am giving this book such a low review based on all of my reasons above. I do love a good historical novel, but this one just didn't do it for me. I would not recommend it to a friend.

A Bold, Thrilling, and Powerful Novel.......2007-08-30

This story would have been exciting enough based only on the fact that Edward P. Jones so boldly took the antebellum novel to a place it has never gone before; namely, to black slave-owner Henry Townsend's plantation in Manchester, Virginia. There, the "Known World" is wholly different from what one might expect. But this seemingly obvious and absurd anomaly of U.S. history, wherein black masters owned black slaves, doesn't stop with that rarely discussed fact. It is further illuminated by Jones' flights into the fantastic with observations of sentient lightning, children with the personalities of bitter grandparents, and, comically enough, freak chickens.

Mixed within this potent literary brew are some of the most original and dynamic characters, male and female, ever to step into the pages of American fiction. In fact, one of more remarkable features of Jones' amazing novel is his portrayal of how specific individuals sometimes managed to exploit the institution of slavery in order to indulge their own private needs, quirks, or agendas.

It's true that the alternating biblical density and epic expansiveness of details and events with which Jones builds his narrative can at times prove challenging. However, this same aesthetic ultimately delivers a triumphant satisfaction. Jones' Pulitzer--and any other awards received for this novel--was well earned and deserved.

by Author-Poet Aberjhani
author of The Harlem Renaissance Way Down South
and Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance (Facts on File Library of American History)

Intelligent, thoughtful, and utterly unreadable.......2007-08-27

I bought this book because of a glowing review in the New York Times Review of Books. I have gotten to page 57 and I cannot go on. This material has been covered before. And was this author assigned an editor? Even thus far, some characters are confusing, and some material repeats.
The review I read suggested that the book is new and original because it covers the topic of a black man owning slaves. But I am only at page 57 and this black man has died, and there is far too much angst going on about it.
If you have to read this because it's on the college book list, schedule extra time for this one.

A Prize Winner.......2007-08-24

With The Known World, Edward P. Jones created a masterpiece, the kind of novel that brings much needed credibility to the Pulitzer Prize judges who named it Best Novel in 2004. The novel is set in fictional Manchester County, Virginia, some twenty years before the start of the Civil War and it focuses on an aspect of slavery that I knew very little about beforehand, the fact that there were freed blacks in the South who were themselves slave owners.

I found myself completely immersed in the world that Jones recreated, a world that was seldom pretty, one that was filled instead with flawed characters who reflected their upbringing and the times in which they lived. This is a multi-generational novel in which the author takes great care to explain how each of the characters came to be the person he ultimately was but it is not always told in strict chronological order. There are both flashbacks and jumps far into the future that add depth and historical context to the story and make this a memorable book.

The story centers on the Henry Townsend plantation, a plantation of some 33 slaves owned by a former slave whose father bought him out of slavery when Henry was a boy. Augustus, Henry's father, was a skilled furniture maker who was allowed by his owner to pocket a portion of what he earned building furniture for area plantation owners. Augustus accumulated enough money to buy his own freedom and finally saved enough to later buy the same for his wife and son. It was to the great disappointment of Augustus, a disappointment that almost separated father from son for good, that Henry eventually became a slave owner.

It is upon Henry's sudden death that the Townsend plantation is thrown into a chaos from which it never recovers. Caldonia, Henry's widow, did not have the discipline required to profitably run a plantation of 33 slaves while maintaining the distance from them required to keep their respect. She became so close to her overseer that he became bold enough to demand his own freedom, something that she denied him, causing him to lose control of himself and the other slaves for whom he had day-to-day responsibility. Some of those slaves began to run for their freedom, alone or in groups of two or three, resulting in tragedy for those left behind, both black and white.

The Known World is not a book that should be read quickly. Its story is told through the eyes of numerous characters from several families, black and white, and it can be difficult to follow until the reader feels familiar with all the names and relationships. It is one of those novels that suddenly "click" for the reader to the point that he finds himself totally taken by the world that the author has created. I regretted having turned the last page, finding myself wondering what became of the next generation and hoping that Jones will one day tell me.

A World I Don't Want to Know.......2007-08-19

This book has an interesting premise in that the slave owners are the same race as the slaves. A lot of the incidents in this book are very eye-opening because I had never thought about what happens to slaves when their master dies. It is so amazing to me that people feel that they have a right to "own" their fellow human beings, not even treating them as real people, but as possessions. The other part of the book that I found fascinating was the idea that slaves should not be educated. I kept thinking that the de-humanization of the slaves had a lot of similarities with Nazi Germany. Slavery in this country is not a history to be proud of.

Artesia: Adventures In The Known World RPG (Artesia)

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Sumptuous Offerings
This is what all RPGS should Want to be
Par excellance!!!
Artesia AKW RPG - Fist Impressions

Artesia: Adventures In The Known World RPG (Artesia)
Mark S. Smylie
Manufacturer: Archaia Studio Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1932386106

Book Description

The award-winning graphic novel Artesia comes to life in the Adventures in the Known World RPG, using a modified and easy-to-use Fuzion-based roleplaying system to plunge players into the strife-riven realms of the Known World, from the Warring Citadels of the Daragjan Highlands to the never-ending feud between the Sun Court of Illia and the Phoenix Court of the Empire of Thessid-Gola. Includes an expansive adaptation of R. Talsorian Games' LifePath character-generation system including birth omens, star signs and divine and heroic lineages, and rules for talents and abilities accessible to characters through the Arcana, the Tarot-like system representing the Known World's archetypal paths of power and the foundation of an unique system of experience, allowing game rewards for virtually all types of character actions.

Customer Reviews:

Sumptuous Offerings.......2007-07-12

There are a lot of things to be said about this book. It's a lavish and sumptuous offering for both Artesia fans and RPG fans alike. The breadth of information about our beloved Artesia, and the world she occupies is staggering and entertaining. The RPG aspects of the book have interesting mechanics and character generation is both fun and engrossing. The aspect I love most about it, is as a graphic designer it is wonderfully designed. As a book it is a finely crafted work of art. You can tell that thought and care was put into every aspect of its production. Very well done. Mark has done an outstanding job and I wish other companies would follow his lead. The world could use more RPG prouducts of this caliber.

This is what all RPGS should Want to be.......2007-03-22

I had thought that the days of all inclusive rule books had long passed. Most companies seem to focus on grinding out book after book of questionable quality, milking their product for all it's worth. But this book is an example of what should be the gold standard. Not only does it provide a setting with more depth then other games achieve after decades of dubious supplemental materials, and provide simple, working rules, to cover all aspects of the game, but it's a joy to just page through it. Not just the wonderful illustrations and maps, but even the layout is heads and sholders above it's "main stream" rivials.

Par excellance!!!.......2007-03-12

This is not only an amazing read for Artesia fans...but its got to be one of the most comprehensive rpg books I've ever seen. Lots of information, great artwork, excellent easy system to use. I've been "retired" from playing rpg's for over ten years now, but I was such a fan of the Artesia comics that I picked this up. Artesia rpg gave me faith in rpg books again. Much like the old ICE Merp books, its just got tons of information and paints the scene for you to fill in the blanks. Get this book!!!

Artesia AKW RPG - Fist Impressions.......2006-04-20

This book is probably the better looking RPG book I ever seen.
Hope you will be as much fascinated by it as I did .
Now I will go and read it. Sorry if this is not an in-depth review, but english is not my natural language.
Nevertheless i felt the urge to write something.

The Beast of Chicago: An Account of the Life and Crimes of Herman W. Mudgett, Known to the World As H.H. Holmes (Treasury of Victorian Murder (Graphic Novels))

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Not as good as some of Rick Geary's other Victorian murder books
Need Background Information before Reading
A good start...
Disappointing
H. H. Holmes, Plain and Simple

The Beast of Chicago: An Account of the Life and Crimes of Herman W. Mudgett, Known to the World As H.H. Holmes (Treasury of Victorian Murder (Graphic Novels))
Rick Geary
Manufacturer: ComicsLit
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1561633623

Book Description

He was the worldÕs first serial killer and he existed in the late 19th century, operating around the Chicago WorldÕs Fair, building a literal house of horrors, replete with chutes for dead bodies, gas chambers, surgical rooms. He methodically murdered up to 200 people, mostly young women. The infamous H.H. Holmes is the next subject of GearyÕs award-winning and increasingly popular series.

Customer Reviews:

Not as good as some of Rick Geary's other Victorian murder books.......2006-08-07

As always, Rick Geary's art is stupendous, yet as other reviewers have noted, much more could have been done with this graphic novel. The bizarre nooks, crannies, and asphyxiation rooms of H.H.Holmes' castle would have made for a visual feast, but unfortunately Geary focuses on these matters relatively briefly, choosing instead to spend time following Holmes step-by-step as he abandons one wife and child after another and murders his way through most of the children in the Pietzel family. Still, a competent introduction to one of the more horrifying figures of 19th century America.

Need Background Information before Reading.......2006-04-24

After reading Erik Larson's non fictional/fictional Devil in the White City book which received critical praise I decided to look at Rick Geary's pictoral novel. Recommended for children in 8th grade i feel this book fails to deliver alot of the back ground information into the 1893 World Fair nor H.H. Holmes. Instead this book gives anyone interested into learning more about both topics alot of holes in the story making it hard to completly understand H.H. Holmes and his murderous rage he left on Chicago. For those who have background knowledge on this subject thi book acts as a quick refresher. Those looking to know the real story of H.H. Holmes I recommend reading The Devil in the White CIty.

A good start..........2005-06-29

Rick Geary, The Beast of Chicago (ComicsLit, 2003)

Man, this is a brilliant idea: a graphic novel about H. H. Holmes, who after decades of obscurity has returned to prominence thanks to The Devil in the White City. (Put aside that Allan W. Eckert attempted to revive the Holmes mystique in the thrilling The Scarlet Mansion twenty years before, one of the formative books of my childhood and youth, and one that desperately needs to come back into print at this particular point in history.) Think of all the fun stuff you could do with a serial killer graphic novel! Oh, wait, you don't have to, you can read From Hell. (And you should.) But, let's face it, we know a lot more about H. H. Holmes, and we suspect even more, and all the great floor plans for that fantastic house are simply begging for graphic novel treatment.

So why is Geary's attempt at the subject matter a paltry, albeit quite gorgeous and wonderfully packaged, eighty pages long? I've no idea. (As a side light, this is the first graphic novel I've read recently where the people who catalog this stuff at the library shouldn't be fired outright for putting it in the YA section, which is rather ironic given its subject matter.) He could have spent eighty pages just on drawings of various aspects of the house, with all its twisting passageways, secret rooms, laboratories, and the like. Instead, the Castle itself gets about a fifth of that, with Holmes' exploits both before and after taking up considerably more room.

His is worth checking out, because it is quite beautifully drawn and does shed light on a much-neglected chapter of American history, but it seems more like a skeletal outline than a finished product. Hopefully, there will be a revised, expanded edition somewhere down the line that does Holmes-- and his victims-- the justice they deserve. ***

Disappointing.......2004-10-13

Sometime around 1998 I discovered a paragraph or two about the killer Herman Mudgett on some amateur websites, the kind of seat-of-the-pants efforts that consigned them to early webdeaths. They offered measly details about Mudgetts appearance and his castle, but the rousing story arc was there; A fiendish charlatan preying on travelers trekking to Chicago to see the 1893 Worlds Fair, followed by a chase and his "castle" in flames. The details were sparse but they had the intended effect; they were spine-tingling. A lack of photos kept the imagery just out of reach. It was tantalizing to wonder what the castle looked like. Was it something to compete with Chicago's contemporaneous Potter Palmer castle? How had Mudgett's castle escaped mention in all the Chicago architecture histories I'd read? How had Mudgett fallen from the collective memory of a city and a nation, while Lizzie Borden's parents made their bloody exit and she remains notorious to this day? It was like the kids in A Nightmare on Elm Street, growing up oblivious about Freddy Krueger, what he'd done, and what their parents had in turn done to him.

The re-emergence of the Mudgett narrative in the last 5 years has been disappointing. None of these efforts have caught my imagination like those junky retellings where I first learned about him. I'd long ago accepted that Mudgetts "castle" was outwardly just an unremarkable 3-story corner store. The recent best seller, Devil in the White City (about the same topic), had narrative problems that continue here. Relievedly absent is that books excruciating A/B storyline structure, but just as D.I.T.W.C. foundered and got lost in insurance schemes, location shifts, and a rollcall of lesser figures, so does this.

It's the first time the story is told with imagery. One would think that the real opportunity here was the chance to envision those things that we haven't seen till now, and what is really unique about the case. The material should benefit from diagrams and graphics. But it just didn't come to life for me. In other titles in the series Geary's fastidious research and factuality are what make them compelling, here the facts concern the least interesting aspects of the crime: ancillary pawns that Mudgett encountered, and documentation of what he confessed after the fact. There's still way too little about the house. If you wrote about Sarah Winchester, would you start with her very factual checkbook entries? The story requires streamlining. As I read, I became impatient; how much longer would these uninteresting cross-country switcharoos continue? When would the castle and bodies show up? I wished Geary had consigned more of the late victims and shadowy flunkies to anonymity. For me the story IS Mudgett's house, and the way it's design assisted in the dispatch of victims. He saves those details for quite late in the story and then presents them in unpeopled tableaux. There is no horror per se. Worst of all, nearly all the victims simply disappear between panels in the drawings. The tease just goes on too long. Insurance claims, swindles, and train rides aren't especially frightening when visualized.

Unhelpful also is the delineation of "secret" rooms which are drawn exactly like the non-secret rooms you use all day. (How secret can they be..? the door's right there.) Likewise for callouts naming some of the castle's secrets which are not self-explanatory and never make it into the narrative. (The Maze, Five Door Room, Sealed Room, The Hanging Blind Room & Mysterious Closed Room...??!!)

Mudgett is just one of several deviate serial killers associated with Chicago (along with John Wayne Gacy, Larry Eyler, Leopold & Loeb and Richard Speck. And Jeffrey Dahmer snared some of his victims at Carols Speakeasy on Halsted, another Chicago location erased from the collective memory) Makes you wonder if there's something in the water.

This is my 4th title in the series. It is my 4th favorite.

H. H. Holmes, Plain and Simple.......2004-05-04

This is the latest in Rick Geary's series A Treasury of Victorian Murder. Many people have become fascinated with H. H. Holmes thanks to the book The Devil And The White City. But unlike that book, this is not a dramatization. Instead it is a simple chronological account of the man based on what little evidence actually exists.

Not a whole lot is know about Dr. Holmes, much is supposition and here say. Geary does an excellent job of recounting the facts as well as highlighting many inconsistencies in the legend (i.e. at one point Holmes admitted to the murder of 27 people but some of them were still alive).

Although Geary's series is written in a comic book format, this is not really a comic book. The reader is drawn in quickly and then the story is presented in a very clear and straightforward manner.

Customer Reviews:

Lots of mistakes.......2001-12-13

As the other reviewer said, there are too many mistakes in this quiz book to make the book of any value. This biggest mistake is that it describes Morgan Sloat as Jack's father's Twinner in the Territories (The Talisman). I would guess nobody bothered to check his answers or proofread his work.

All King fans should read this review.......2001-08-29

This man has obviously not read a single one of Stephen King's books with any attention to detail or storyline. There are so many errors in this quiz book that I wonder exactly how many books he actually cracked the cover on! Just a few examples are: in the The Dark Tower III quiz, "What is the name of Jake's pet dog?" This book takes place in a fictional world & Jake's pet is a fictional animal called a billy bumbler....a far cry from a canine. In the same quiz "What are the first 4 lines in Jack's school essay..." JACK? Who the heck is Jack?!? He just finished calling the boy by his correct name, JAKE, in three previous questions! In the "IT" quiz "How many teenage children originally confront It in Derry, Maine?" First of all, they're either teenagers or they're children....not both. Secondly, the characters in question were 11-years-old...hardly teenagers. In fact, that is the whole point of the novel...that only CHILDREN can conquer the beast because of their ability to believe. Finally, in "The Stand" quiz, "What song does Tim Cullen sing after he opens his Christmas gifts from Stu?" TIM Cullen?!?!? Even people who've only seen the movie can remember that the man's name is Tom Cullen. He says it repeatedly. These are just a few of the numerous mistakes in this book. All in all, this is a [sad] excuse for a quiz book and should only be read by true King fans if they're looking for a few painful laughing fits. If you're looking for an authentic Stephen King quiz book, I suggest trying one of Steve Spignesi's quiz books....now THERE'S a man who knows the master!

A must for big-time Stephen King fans.......2001-01-10

If you are fanatical about Stephen King then I suggest you buy this book. It's a far more productive outlet for your obsession than stalking the man, abducting him, breaking his legs and keeping him holed up in a shack in the woods over the winter, sedated by drugs while forcing him to write a novel for you.

If your a Stephen King fan, read this!.......2000-04-07

Ahhhh, Stephen King, what's not to like. If you think you know everything about King, then this is for you. A book of trivia about the Master of Macabre is the perfect thing for any Avid King collector.

Bookclub-in-a-Box Discusses the Novel The Known World, by Edward P. Jones

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Bookclub-in-a-Box Discusses the Novel The Known World, by Edward P. Jones
Marilyn Herbert
Manufacturer: Bookclub-In-A-Box
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Perfect Paperback
ASIN: 189708238X

Product Description

The Pulitzer prize-winning author, Edward P. Jones, has publishe a book about a little known nineteenth century fact that black slaves were owned by both white and black slave owners. Henry Townsend is one such slave owner. The novel opens with his death and everyone wonders what will happen next. Will the plantation be sold? Will the slaves be separated and dispersed? Will their situation remain as it is or will it become worse? How did blacks come to own slaves and why do few people know about it? Jones has drawn an extraordinary map of Manchester County showing its many citizens - the white and black slave owners, the law enforcers, the white and black neighbors and friends, the slaves together with their children and a host of others who pass through the county and through the pages of this novel. Bookclub-in-a-Box draws a map of the book's themes and symbols, writing style, historical detail, author information and more.

Edward P. Jones's "The Known World": A Study Guide from Gale's "Novels for Students" (Volume 26, Chapter 4)

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Edward P. Jones's "The Known World": A Study Guide from Gale's "Novels for Students" (Volume 26, Chapter 4)

ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000VIJ0IO
Release Date: 2007-08-28

Book Description

Term paper due tomorrow? Need to cram for a test? Or just looking for the best information about a favorite literary work?

Turn to "Novels for Students" to get your research done in record time. Brought to you by Thomson Gale--the world's leading source of literary criticism and analysis--this e-doc contains: author biography; plot summary; character analysis; an overview of the novel's themes, style, and historical context; a compendium of in-depth critical material; study questions; suggestions for further reading; and much more.

Why choose "Novels for Students"? Because no other source offers so much in such a compact package. Trust the experts: Thomson Gale--and "Novels for Students."

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The Known World : A Novel
Edward P. Jones
Manufacturer: Amistad
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OEQRM2

Average customer rating:
The Known World: A Novel
Edward P. Jones
Manufacturer: Amistad
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000W8ZFEQ

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