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I‘m not quite sure how best to describe this tragic romance wrapped up in a slave narrative. Although seeming strangely uneven to me in the way Oroonoko was treated, it details the brutality of slavery. I can appreciate its impact when written by a woman and published in 1688.

I had this in my TBR for #ReadingTheAmericas2023 but just got to it today. #Suriname

#1001books #audiobook

This book, published in 1688, is brutal, by a woman “often cited as the first known professional female writer.” Prince Oroonoko‘s betrothed is sold into slavery. Then he is tricked by an evil English slave trader and sold into slavery. Shipped to #Suriname, he finds his lover owned by the same master. Initially treated well because of his royalty, he is betrayed again. So he kills his love, and himself in the most gruesome of ways. All of this ⬇️

My next audiobook for #Suriname for #ReadingtheAmericas

This is one of the 3 countries I have left for this challenge.

@Librarybelle @BarbaraBB

Last list of the night, I promise! I‘ve made myself a list of possible books to find to complete a couple of challenges, #readingtheamericas and #authoramonth

See any you particularly recommend? Do you recommend any other books for these countries? They‘re on this list because I don‘t have a book yet for that country, or for Salmon Rushdie

Aphra Behn may have been the 1st professional female author & she may very well have penned one of Britain‘s first novels. This tale‘s brutal & tragic & that‘s the point. You should squirm reading this. In some passages, Behn calls out Christians for their duality. This narrative humanizes a man of color & if that doesn‘t impress you, this was written in the 1600‘s. Imoinda was my favorite. All fierce & pregnant & fighting side by side w/ her man!

#litsyclassics O book 25
Exposing the dark heart of colonialism aphra behn, spy, playwright, author in 1688 restoration England creates a story of the eponymous African noble prince exiled from his country, deceived into slavery who leads a slave revolt +suffers a dreadful end mirroring fate of charles1st body.
With thanks to 'in our time ' podcast for insight this is a fascinating novella by a woman exposing slavery + colonialism in a male wrld.

#blackisthecolor #nofemmeber - second go at this after i realised that if i put a U in colour it would not come up on hashtag 😂
This is book 23 in my #LitsyClassics Atoz challenge and when it arrived in the post i thought what a beautiful little book and even better it fits in my pocket so i can take it to work with me. What a great idea 💡

Oroonoko faces an unexpected love triangle when his father-figure, the king, decides to claim the young man's wife for himself. The prince then spirals down in a tale of slavery and tragedy.

Aphra Behn is no doubt a precursor, and her book should be read for its historical value. However, digressions in the narrative were distracting, and issues of race are still problematic despite Behn's best effort. I also disliked the prince towards the end.

Cuddled up with one of the first English novels. #CurrentlyReading #catsoflitsy

I came to this after Virginia Woolf laid the love on the author hard in a room of ones own. This is classed as an anti slavery book but it isn't really. Only anti slavery for certain types of people (royalty) but this book is so obviously ahead of its time and makes for an interesting read. It was a bit melodramatic for me if I'm honest and I did roll my eyes at certain plotting decisions but you could talk about this book for hours after reading

Taking a break from graphic novels to read some classics... and my next read kinda fits the color scheme of my extra special treat (and hydration). #24in48

Me and Aphra Behn braving the snow to get to the pub!

I whipped through this so effortlessly... hard to believe it was written in the 1600s. The story flows right along, and considering the subject matter, I probably shouldn‘t have been surprised by how brutal it was. A quick but unsettling read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

#1001books

Labeled Historical Fiction, this tale of a noble prince of Africa, his tragic love story, & the ignoble realities of slavery read much more like a fictional account of people & places the narrator knew, with many of the “characters” existing in that place & time & contemporaries of the author, with perhaps some license given to the noble savage narrative. But pulled from pieces of reality or completely imagined, the inhumanity of slavery is vivid

This book can definitely spark discussion on topics surrounding race and authority. Well written. More interesting than I bargained initially. Worth your time.

Book one toward my #Litsyclassics challenge is complete 😊

For a slender book I found this one took a while to get through because of Behn's writing style. It's the story of slavery, betrayal and love and has such a terribly sad ending. I've read some reviews that consider Behn to have suspect views on race and slavery but this was written in 17th century so I would expect her perspective to reflect that. Perhaps I'm in the minority?
@Sarah83

#litsyclassics #litsyclassicsmatches

@andrew61 @Bambolina_81

Oroonoko is the most well-known work of Aphra Behn, the first woman to make a living from writing, and is hailed as one of the first novels.

Oroonoko is a tragic love story and the betrayal and enslavement of a noble black prince. Behn chronicles the dehumanizing atrocities of slavery against him, yet endorses slavery as a whole - she only laments that it happens to royalty.

This story is a worthy read for its historical significance.⭐⭐⭐/5

Despite its historical significance I am sorry to say I didn't enjoy this book much. Maybe it's the subject: slavery and colonialism. In The Netherlands we've been hearing about this all our lives. It is a part of our history not to be too proud of, and we learn about it during history lessons, hear about it on the news, see the documentaries and read the books. So maybe I am just a bit fed up with the subject.
#1001books

This book is a statement against slavery and what it can do to a man.

#Recommendsday According to Virginia Woolf, every woman who is a writer owns a debt of gratitude to Aphra Behn (1640-1689), the first woman in the Western world known to have supported herself only as a writer. Behn's Oroonoko is considered the first abolitionist novel.