Toussaint Louverture: The Story of the Only Successful Slave Revolt in History; A Play in Three Acts by C.L.R. James

Toussaint Louverture: The Story of the Only Successful Slave Revolt in History; A Play in Three Acts Reviews

• 
  Nynke

  3.5 stars
• 
  Upsilonn

  As someone who didn't know much about Toussaint Louverture's life, this graphic novel was a very interesting read. I liked that it was both informational and captivating, the rythm of the action making it difficult to stop reading.
  The drawing style and the way it conveys the character's emotions also impressed me. Bullet's hate was particularly striking in the way it disfigures him and makes him look ridiculously angry.
  This made me want to learn more about Haiti's story.
  I hope this is going to be translated into French soon so I can buy it for my library network.
  Thanks to Verso Books and NetGalley for sending me a digital copy of this graphic novel !
• 
  Natalie

  “Toussaint Louverture” is a graphic novel about the Haitian Revolution under Toussaint Louverture. According to the publisher’s blurb, the text is from a 1936 play by C.L.R. James. The play was performed by black actors in London at the time, but then the script disappeared for years. Now it has been made into a gripping graphic novel.
  
  The Haitian Revolution was the only successful revolt by enslaved people. This story closely follows the central events of the Revolution. The illustrations make the text easier to understand because they so clearly depict the action and emotion of the characters. The novel is drawn in black and white which only adds to the overall message of the story.
  
  This book is great for teens and adults who enjoy graphic novels and history. “Toussaint Louverture” would be an excellent piece of historical fiction to add to a modern world history class. It would be interesting to have students compare the events depicted in the graphic novel with the historical record, then discuss why James made the choices he did to add drama or explain larger issues faced by enslaved peoples in the Caribbean.
  
  I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book provided by NetGalley and the publisher, Verso Books. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
• 
  Div

  I liked the play more than the history written to contextualize it. I would have liked to see it performed bu alas no one is doing it now.
  
  My favourite is definitely when Macaya kept on saying the same thing over and over again and Bullet finally called him an idiot and said that the King of France was guillotined and the black generals all lost it! I just loved that exchange! I read that piece alone about 5 times.
  
  In the end Dessalines was the man! He went from a slave to the man announcing Haitian Independence. Toussaint had a decent idea. He wanted the French to aid in development of San Domingo by educating the people. He wasn't wrong really but it is unfortunate that he couldn't see the plotting of the French.
• 
  Kayla

  The drawing style is very unique. The conveying of emotions in this particular graphic novel is phenomenally well done. I don't think I've ever felt like I could HEAR a graphic novel before. That being said, this was a lot more densely packed than I originally expected it to be. This is a long biopic in book form. Every page is absolutely filled, it's very informative, and I learned so much.
  
  It took me a while to get through. Non-fiction is not something I usually read, I'm more apt to watch documentaries.
  
  Thank you to netgalley for the arc
• 
  thea

  only have time to read the actual play, will explore more in the future
• 
  Emily

  Read for school.
• 
  Educator

  NetGalley ARC Educator 550974
  
  
  I enjoyed this book so much. I was familiar with the story, however this book presented it in graphic format which elevated certain parts. It would be a welcome edition to any history class, as an alternative for words only lesson plans. It captures the reader and makes you want to learn more.
• 
  Meg (reading_meg)

  - As someone who knew very little about Touissant Louverature beyond that he led the slave rebellion in Haiti, this book was an incredible way to learn more. I found myself stopping and googling different things while reading, because this story ties into so many different aspects of history.
  - by the time I finished this book, I was furious that I hadn’t learned more about it in school! The connections to the US and the colonial empires in Europe were so important, it’s frustrating that this seems so specifically minimized.
  - the drawing style was incredible. The way it conveyed emotion was incredible. While it did make parts hard to read/follow at times, it was worth it for the feelings it conveyed.
  - I had a little trouble keeping track of the cast of characters, so I really appreciated the character guide at the beginning.
  
• 
  Joel Wall

  Historically interesting, but suffers from wanting to be a biography, which makes it quite overly expositional at times.
• 
  Ilona

  Het toneelstuk an sich is goed geschreven en interessant, maar de opbouw van het boek zelf is heel rommelig. Het grootste gedeelte van het boek bestaat uit een uitgebreide introductie, wat geschiedenis, en na het toneelstuk nog recensies van toen het stuk in de jaren dertig van de twintigste eeuw werd opgevoerd, en een essay van C.L.R. James. Ik had gewoon een uitgeschreven toneelstuk verwacht zonder rommelige poespas eromheen, maar dat viel dus wat tegen.
• 
  Mariana

  This volume includes not only a three act play, but also tells about how Paul Robeson starred in the London 1936 production. I admire Paul Robeson a lot and felt saddened that he suffered so much from McCarthyism. In a way, Paul Robeson suffered the same fate as Toussaint Louverture because they were both betrayed by their country.
• 
  Melina

  A quality play nestled in extensively researched context.