I just finished reading Edward P. Jones' The Known World, and I LOVED it! The novel has several characters and lacks a protagonist, but Jones manages to weave a story together through the interconnectedness of his character's lives that is both beautiful and inspiring.
The novel is set in Manchester County, Virginia, before the Civil War. Centering around the activities of various citizens of Manchester County, Jones highlights the perversion slavery brings to a society. His beautiful language and attention to detail reeled me in from page one.
Now, even though I greatly enjoyed this book, I might hesitate to recommend it to just anyone. Since Jones chooses to use so many characters, it can be confusing, especially in the beginning, trying to keep everyone straight. However, once I got to know the characters, this problem went away. Another thing that some people may be bothered by is that there is no definite protagonist. Sure, there are characters who play a greater role in the novel than others do, but it would be difficult to pinpoint only one main character. I can see how this would be annoying or confusing to some people, but I found it interesting. The lack of a protagonist, for me, gave the opportunity to look at and experience the lives and feelings of each of the characters, instead of limiting myself to just one.
With those disclaimers aside, I must say that this book is definitely on my list of favorites.
I hope you'll pick it up and give it try!
