By now youve heard of colson whiteheads sixth novel, the underground railroad. The book picked for this month was the underground railroad by colson whitehead. Colson whiteheads the underground railroad has been a runaway success. Its oprah winfreys most recent choice for her eponymous book club. Aug 02, 2016 in a surprise announcement tuesday morning, winfrey chose the underground railroad as the next title for oprahs book club. Aug 06, 2016 nprs scott simon speaks with colson whitehead about his new book, the underground railroad, in which slaves ride a a real railroad through time to see racism in different eras. Colson whitehead, author of the underground railroad time. How does the depiction of slavery in the underground railroad compare to other depictions in literature and film the scenes on randalls plantation are horrifichow did the writing affect you as a reader. The underground railroad reading guide the fetzer institute. Underground railroad the new oprahs book club book.
The underground railroad is a pulitzer prize winning novel and new york times best seller. Aug 02, 2016 download an excerpt of the book, and print a copy of oprahs the underground railroad reading guide and book club questions. This train conveys cora, caesar, and other escapees first to a south carolina also. The underground railroad was a critical and commercial success, hitting the best seller lists and winning several notable prizes.
The author talks about racism, writing and barry jenkins directing the television series based on his novel. But whitehead, whose eclectic body of work encompasses novels zone one, 2011, etc. Jan 30, 2018 in whiteheads ingenious conception, the underground railroad is no mere metaphor engineers and conductors operate a secret network of tracks and tunnels beneath the southern soil. The underground railroad is his sixth novel and by far his most successful. The underground railroad book club discussion questions. Aug 18, 2016 the underground railroad represents a first in the nearly decadelong career i have enjoyed as a contributor to bookreporter. Aug 02, 2016 colson whiteheads the underground railroad is the newest oprahs book club selection. As you read this, whiteheads novel is sliding into the top spot of the new york times bestsellers list.
As cora charts her own path the underground railroad reminds us that her story can be. Please put your comments for the underground railroad book club discussion questions in the comment area below. Some book guides disappoint, but this one was better than i expected. Jan 23, 2017 discuss the underground railroad by colson whitehead in an online book club. At its center is cora, the toughest, most charismatic young heroine you. Feb 22, 2017 today is the day for our second book club discussion. Colson whiteheads the underground railroad in his ambitious new novel, now an oprah book club pick, the author takes on the topic of slaveryand its tangled legacy. The underground railroad teaching guide scholastic. When colson whitehead came up with the premise for the underground railroad 15 years ago, he unearthed one of the several misunderstandings that many of us have had, if only momentarily, about the. The underground railroad represents a first in the nearly decadelong career i have enjoyed as a contributor to bookreporter. Today is the day for our second book club discussion. It delves into literary aspects and is well written.
About this guide the questions, discussion topics, and suggestions for further reading that follow are designed to enhance your groups. Do you feel that you now have a better understanding of what slavery was like. It won the 2017 pulitzer prize for fiction, the 2016 national book award for fiction, the arthur c. The washington post selects underground railroad for its book. Moonlight director to write, direct underground railroad. New novel takes the underground railroad beyond the. Colson whitehead on the underground railroad, the book. Students will travel back to the year 1860 and follow a young. Clarke award and the 2017 andrew carnegie medal for excellence.
After carefully reading through the information, test your knowledge of the underground railroad. Colson whiteheads riveting runaway slave story is an eyeopening, brutal, and remarkable study of tensions that pull in opposite directions. Colson whiteheads underground railroad is a literal train to freedom whitehead was recently awarded the national book award for his novel about a young slave who has escaped a georgia. In one of my past book clubs, we literally only read books that included discussion questions at the end of the book because we wanted to be certain wed have a meaningful discussion. Colson whitehead on the underground railroad, the book that. Underground railroad the new oprahs book club book is an important american novel by anthony domestico globe correspondent, august 4, 2016. Part of the we the people book club, a yearlong program contemplating. Underground railroad and the materials presented in this booklet.
Aug 25, 2016 by now youve heard of colson whiteheads sixth novel, the underground railroad. Aug 02, 2016 oprahs book club has tapped colson whiteheads the underground railroad as its newest selection. This gives the book a bit of dystopian feel, although this is an antebellum tale, with time appropriate technology. I think theres no better book for a time such as this, oprah said on cbs this morning the novels of. Whitehead is more this is a work of fiction, not historical fiction. Our book club discussions book lovers never go to bed alone. Whiteheads sixth novel, the story of a teenage slaves bid for freedom in 1850s georgia, is out. It won the 2017 pulitzer prize for fiction, 2016 national book award, 2017 andrew carnegie medal for excellence, and also landed on oprahs book club. Colson whiteheads underground railroad is a literal. The underground railroad, the latest selection of oprah winfreys book club, chronicles the life of a teenage slave named cora, who flees the georgia plantation where she was born, risking.
Set preferences and get ageappropriate recommendations with common sense media plus. Cora constructs elaborate daydreams about her life as a free woman and dedicates herself to reading and expanding her education. Underground railroad the new oprahs book club book is an important american novel. From the very start of the book cora comes across as a strong character. Cora and caesars first stop is south carolina, in a city that initially seems like a haven. Colson whiteheads the underground railroad is the newest oprahs book club selection. Oprah interviews underground railroad author colson whitehead. Oct 09, 2016 the first 70 pages of the underground railroad are beautifully written and painful to read, but there is a sense of having been here before.
It goes beyond a mere summary in 65 pages i found what i wanted and more. In a surprise announcement tuesday morning, winfrey chose the underground railroad as the next title for oprahs book club. Oprah selects underground railroad for her book club. My current book club group is much more casual, but perhaps too much so. Novelist colson whitehead, who joked that tuesdays are usually reserved for weeping over my regrets, instead spent the afternoon of oct. She fantasizes about adventuring deep into the jungle and being revered by the africans she finds there. The underground railroad, published in 2016, is the sixth novel by american author colson whitehead the alternate history novel tells the story of cora and caesar, two slaves in the southeastern united states during the 19th century, who make a bid for freedom from their georgia plantations by following the underground railroad, which the novel depicts as primarily a rail transport system in. But this is the first week of our summer book club, despite the fact that it looks like winter outside, and were very excited to be discussing a really amazingly. The underground railroad s stations, located underneath. Moonlight director barry jenkins will write and direct a onehour drama series about the underground railroad currently in development at. Initially i found this book engrossing, and i also found the authors style of writing very creative. North and south carolina didnt have the political structure described in the book. Book club discussions, historical fiction, award winner laura spaulding january 26, 2017 historical fiction, book club discussion, colson whitehead, the underground railroad, award winner. Reading guide for the underground railroad by colson whitehead.
Whitehead is using the story of coras escape to get at the multitude of ways that blacks, in particular, have been dehumanized and mistreated by whites throughout the history of this country. This teaching guide supports the underground railroad. Oprahs newest book club pick is tense, graphic, uplifting and informed this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. The underground railroad by colson whitehead about this guide the questions, discussion topics, and suggestions for further reading that follow are designed to. There were mixed reactions to this book with most readers liking it whereas. Aug 12, 2016 the events thereafter are a flight through the slaveholding south, powered by locomotives through an elaborate network of rail tunnels. Nov 18, 2016 colson whiteheads underground railroad is a literal train to freedom whitehead was recently awarded the national book award for his novel about a young slave who has escaped a georgia.
The book emphasizes how slaves were treated as property and reduced to objects. In colson whiteheads latest, the underground railroad is. Oprahs book club has tapped colson whiteheads the underground railroad as its newest selection. The underground railroad by colson whitehead summer book. Please put your comments for the underground railroad book club discussion questions in the comment area below discussion questions. How did this aspect of magical realism impact your concept of how the real underground railroad worked. The underground railroad book club discussion gbcn. On the one hand, his depictions of slave life are thoroughly grounded in heartbreaking and hardtotake reality. Looking for the underground railroad book club questions and a reading guide for your next meeting. Sign me up to get more news about literary fiction books. Life is hell for all the slaves, but especially bad for cora. The underground railroad pulitzer prize winner by colson. Dive into the latest pick for oprahs book club with these questions about colson whiteheads breathtaking novel. The treasure, of course, was the underground railroad some might call freedom the dearest currency of all.
Discuss the underground railroad by colson whitehead in an online book club. Oprahs blessing has compelled so many american readers to buy a. Review the underground railroad by colson whitehead u. Teens can be encouraged to research the books issues online. The underground railroad colson whitehead, 2016 knopf doubleday 320 pp. Discuss the underground railroad by colson whitehead. The underground railroad, by contrast, was personal. Download an excerpt of the book, and print a copy of oprahs the underground railroad reading guide and. The book won the 2017 pulitzer prize for fiction and a place on. New novel takes the underground railroad beyond the metaphor nprs scott simon speaks with colson whitehead about his new book, the underground railroad, in which slaves ride a a real railroad. In whiteheads ingenious conception, the underground railroad is no mere metaphor engineers and conductors operate a secret network of tracks and tunnels beneath the southern soil. Questions within each theme facilitate 1 your interpretation of the text, 2 your personal.
But first, whats this book about and why should we read it. Underground railroad the new oprahs book club book is. The underground railroad by colson whitehead teachers guide. The underground railroad by colson whitehead about this guide the questions, discussion topics, and suggestions for further reading that follow are designed to enhance your. The underground railroad is not, in whiteheads novel, the secret network of passageways and safe houses used by runaway slaves to reach the free north from their slaveholding states. The author of the underground railroad, oprahs new bookclub pick, talks about making fiction from historys great atrocity. Anthony i found the focus not so much on the grave robbers themselves, but on how the medical profession was in dire straights to continue their study of themore i found the focus not so much on the grave robbers themselves, but on how the medical profession was in dire straights to continue their study of the human body after death for future remedies in the name of science. Topic name the underground railroad by colson whitehead. My latest book, the underground railroad, is an oprahs book club pick. We see that freedom is a perspective that changes with the person and the time. Escape from slavery online activity presents an accurate and personal view of the brutal practice of slavery, a concept that may be difficult for young students.
This book helped me better understand the use of fact and fiction in the underground railroad by colson whitehead. Ethel always dreamed of being a missionary in africa, bringing the savages to the light. What role do you think stories play for cora and other travelers using the underground railroad. Why do you think the author chose to portray a literal railroad. Thats the conceit of the underground railroad, an electrifying novel just announced as oprahs newest book club pick. The underground railroad by colson whitehead book club. Litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in the underground railroad, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. The basic premise of this novel is that the underground railroad was just that a real physical underground railroad. Wondering if the underground railroad is ok for your kid. The questions, discussion topics, and suggestions for further reading that follow are designed to enhance your groups discussion of the underground railroad, a triumph of a novel by colson whitehead. It also won the national book award, the andrew carnegie medal for excellence, and was. Oprah picks the underground railroad for book club.
24 114 89 37 466 1005 205 655 307 984 1150 908 1373 418 1365 460 1283 456 1529 780 822 800 315 120 53 1114 1183 721 278 1159 491 1020 1218 433 829 908 857 552 483 564 818 1026 1001 1422 529 978 1140 1495