All Souls' Rising: A Novel of Haiti (1)

The Haitian slave revolt was both extremely violent and extremely inspiring. Bell does a fantastic job of representing both sides of this. He begins with painting a picture of what pre-revolt life was like in Haiti. We develop an understanding of the characters, and establish a relationship with them.And then all hell breaks loose! I cannot over-emphasize the violence of this book. It is not unnecessarily so, however. To do any less would be a disservice to the facts. In order to appreciate the events that took place, we need to understand what people were experiencing.But it is appreciated that the violence is mostly limited to the middle of the book. Once the initial rebellion settles into more of a resistance, we begin to move forward and follow the stories without fear of the gruesome.The relationships in this book are beautifully painted, showing the love between races and the difficult emotions associated with being the half-breed child of a cruel slave master and his slave-woman mistress. When you're running for your life because the other side wants to kill everyone who is of one race or the other, what happens when you're half of each? Who do you trust? Who can trust you?If you are interested in Haitian culture or history, African-American history, or just history in general, or if you like a really good book, this is an excellent read. It was helpful for me that I understood some of the French (although translations are provided for some of the longer phrases) and that I've been to several of the places mentioned in the book. Anyone can read the book and enjoy it, but if you understand a little bit about Haitian Vodou and/or the history and culture, you'll appreciate it even more. There is a helpful chronology of historical events at the back of the book, as well as a glossary of Haitian Kreyol terms which helps the reader.Again, the book is EXTREMELY violent. Do not under-estimate my warning if you cannot deal with vivid mental images.

So far the book is hiolding my interest. I have not finished reading it yet but it is captivating. The history part of it is accurate as it can be.

Tremendous read!! Perhaps having background knowledge of Haiti and the revolution was helpful but I found this book immensely enjoyable! Unlike other authors, Professor Bell translates nearly every Kreole quip. The local language creates ambience and authenticity to the book. The characters are very personal and enjoyable developing a believable perspective of the slave uprising from every angle. The violence is not excessive or unnecessary. Haiti continues to be a country of extremes. The people can be incredibly gentle or horrifically cruel! If you don't mind feeling the oppressive humidity or continually swatting the stinging mosquitoes from your neck, this is a must read!! Thank you Professor Bell!!!

this does everything great fiction should do. bell tells the little-known (at least to americans) story of haiti's fight for independence through historically accurate fiction.this first installment of his multi-book series succeeds as fiction as well as a window into a brutal, ugly, and ultimately inspiring moment in human history. the stories of haitian slavery and racial hatred/violence is as shocking and disturbing as anything i've read. bell's deeply nuanced portrayal of humans -- the good and the bad -- is stunning. it reads like a vivid dream.more please!

This very good book describes the beginning phases of the great Haitian slave revolt. Bell is a talented writer with a real gift for descriptive prose. This long and dense book reads easily and is very informative. Bell depicts a society in which whites, blacks, and mulattoes are locked in a mutual embrace of hatred and exploitation, leading to the horrific events described graphically in this book. This book is not for the squemish, it contains many scenes of horrifying cruelty. This book is very ambitious in scope and has some deficiencies. I find Bell's efforts to emphasize the role of voudon, the syncretic Afro-Haitian religion, somewhat contrived. For a useful comparison, see the brief and evocative novel The Kingdom of this World by the great Cuban novelist Alejo Carpentier. Bell's characters are also somewhat flat. This may be deliberate choice on his part; part of an effort to show the consequences of a society where almost all human relationships are based on asymmetric and exploitative power relationships. Bell does not deal with the role of events in France or how these events shaped what happened in Haiti. This is an understandable but crucial omission. Consequently, we never get a sense of the collision of the ideals of the French Revolution with the reality of colonial exploitation.

Unable to find a good history of the slave rebellion in Haiti I turned to this book (historical fiction). Was an enjoyable read and I did learn quite a bit about the history of the rebellion (as much from the synopsis in the back as in the story) but will not buy the next two in the series.

Beautiful writing about an operatic subject. Masterful humanization of inhuman circumstances whose consequences are still felt. I bought this for a short trip to Haiti, and it has reinforced my love and interest for the place, and provided many insights (such as the side note about the differences between Haiti and the DR). A pleasure to read something so thoroughly researched--I especially valued the author's impartial inclusion of vodun, as well as the position of the mulatres. Choufleurs vs the doctor--I'm starting Crossroads today.

I ordered this 1995 book for a seminar in Historical Fiction next summer at which I am presenting a paper on the book.

Excellent book

Il venditore mi ha contattata appena ha ricevuto il mio ordine per informarmi che il libro usato , da me richiesto, NON rispondeva alla descrizione: in ottimo stato. Mi ha chiesto se preferivo un rimborso o volevo scegliere un altro titolo del loro catalogo . Alla mia richiesta di rimborso sono stati estremamente solleciti. Dispiaciuta per il libro ma contenta della loro serietà come rivenditori.

I've been looking for this book for years, I read it as a youngster and couldn't remember the name of it, really engrossing and thought provoking, so well written, i'm enjoying re-immersing myself into it as an adult

Pensavo di comprare un banale libro per l'esame, ma ho scoperto un mondo assolutamente nuovo su cui sapevo poco, se non quasi niente. Grazie

Since our last Governor General was born there I had much interest in the country and its history. These books gave me some of the information I wanted.Living in Canada it was interesting to see what the race relations were like there, as compared to our country and the United States.