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The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Vol. 1: The Pox Party By M.T. Anderson ( Candlewick )
Release Date: 2006-09-12
Average Customer Rating:
List Price: $17.99
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Product Description
A gothic tale becomes all too shockingly real in this mesmerizing magnum opus by the acclaimed author of FEED.
It sounds like a fairy tale. He is a boy dressed in silks and white wigs and given the finest of classical educations. Raised by a group of rational philosophers known only by numbers, the boy and his mother — a princess in exile from a faraway land — are the only persons in their household assigned names. As the boy's regal mother, Cassiopeia, entertains the house scholars with her beauty and wit, young Octavian begins to question the purpose behind his guardians' fanatical studies. Only after he dares to open a forbidden door does he learn the hideous nature of their experiments — and his own chilling role in them. Set against the disquiet of Revolutionary Boston, M. T. Anderson's extraordinary novel takes place at a time when American Patriots rioted and battled to win liberty while African slaves were entreated to risk their lives for a freedom they would never claim. The first of two parts, this deeply provocative novel reimagines the past as an eerie place that has startling resonance for readers today.
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 "F" ed up. ( mordrot@theblackarts.com )
I knew some of the historical references when I read this but not all. This book goes to a dark dark place. I love the argument at the end. This book is a powerhouse.
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 Interesting, but could have been better. ( xterminal )
M. T. Anderson, The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, vol. I: The Pox Party (Candlewick, 2006)
While The Pox Party does take a while to get underway, it's quite an absorbing little book once it does. Anderson gives us the beginnings of the American Revolution as seen through the eyes of Octavian, an educated slave from Boston who only gradually becomes aware that he is a slave. Once he does, things start moving. Note that this seems to be a love-it-or-hate-it book, and the most common factor that I've found is the writing style, which is consciously archaic; if flowery language bogs you down, this definitely isn't a book for you. I did find that Anderson's writing style here hindered the pace at various times, and it took me a great deal longer to read this than it would have had he done even a little streamlining. I plan on reading the next book, but I probably won't look forward to it quite as much as I did to this one, now that I know what's coming. ***
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Challenging look at Race and 'Science"
By juxtaposing the French and American Revolutions with the scientific revolution the flaws and strengths of revolution are demonstrated. The scientific method's misuse is very well shown.
Octavian has a real, thoughtful, insightful voice and one is able to see things as he sees them. I have recommended the book to many of my high school students and they have been drawn in by the story it tells.They have thought and read more about the period. It has also sparked some great conversations.
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Brilliant and challenging!
I read this book a year ago and my twelve year old son just finished it. This book is not for every reader, but it is brilliant and extremely well written. The style of writing helps with the atmosphere of the story. It is not written(thank goodness) in a Dick and Jane style, but rather in a style appropriate to the time in which the story takes place. It is not for the faint at heart or people who are just looking for a light read. It will challenge the reader not just with the way it was written, but also with the political content. If you want a book that will make you think and enjoy beautiful writing, this is a book you will enjoy. Both this and the Book Thief are among my all time top ten favorites.
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Can't wait for the sequel ( adan13 )
Here is yet another work of astonishing originality from M.T. Anderson that is a brilliant combination of history, science, strange family dynamics and gripping storytelling. WARNING: Set in pre-Revolutionary War America the use of arcane language and diction takes some getting used to. For HS and adult readers.
Octavian and his mother are plucked from Africa for the slave trade but eventually end up as subjects of scientific experiment for a group of philosophers at the The Novanglian College of Lucidity set on proving that Africans, given a classical education in art, literature, languages, and music can learn as well as white Europeans. Young Octavian and his mother, a princess, excel at all they are taught and become something of a cause celeb. They are dressed in silk, attend lavish parties and live in luxury. But there are dark, sinister forces at play behind the scenes unknown to Octavian, until on day he enters a forbidden room...
Like nothing you've ever read before - you will be thinking about Octavian long after you close the covers.
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Addiction
