Twelve Years a SlaveTwelve Years a Slave
Score Classic
What it's about
Solomon Northup was a free Black man, a husband, father and violinist in Saratoga Springs, New York. In 1841 two men lured him to Washington with the offer of work, drugged him and sold him into slavery. For twelve years he was held on plantations in Louisiana, many of them under a brutal master named Edwin Epps, until a letter finally reached his family.
Why it's worth reading
It was a bestseller in 1853 and spent weeks at #1 on the New York Times list after the 2013 film won Best Picture. It's one of the most powerful firsthand accounts of slavery ever written.
You'll love it if you liked
Beloved
The Underground Railroad
Frederick Douglass: Prophet of FreedomGood to know
It describes whippings, sexual abuse and cruelty in detail. It's written in a formal 19th-century style but reads quickly.
By the numbers
- Readers83 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller69 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #74 of the 198 history books we rank
- #125 of the 762 classics we rank
- #403 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story
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Quick answers
Is Twelve Years a Slave worth reading?
Yes. It was a bestseller in 1853 and spent weeks at #1 on the New York Times list after the 2013 film won Best Picture. It ranks #403 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 79.8 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Twelve Years a Slave about?
Solomon Northup was a free Black man, a husband, father and violinist in Saratoga Springs, New York. In 1841 two men lured him to Washington with the offer of work, drugged him and sold him into slavery. For twelve years he was held on plantations in Louisiana, many of them under a brutal master named Edwin Epps, until a letter finally reached his family.
How long does it take to read Twelve Years a Slave?
About 9 hours (363 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Twelve Years a Slave?
If you liked it, try Beloved by Toni Morrison, The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead or Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom by David W. Blight.