The Haiti of this novel is a malarial, fetid place, haunted by its genocidal past. The slaves are planning a rebellion and the aristocratic French plantation owners are preparing to crush it. At the heart of the novel lies Toussaint Louverture, a self-educated, second-generation African slave.
"As powerful as a hurricane. . . . All Souls' Rising is really about us, our times, our prejudices, our race wars." -"The Atlanta Journal-Constitution"
"A serious historical novel that reads like a dream." -"The Washington Post Book World"
"Rich and ambitious. . . . One of the most sophisticated fictional treatments of the enduring themes of class, color, and freedom." -"San Francisco Chronicle
"
"A powerful and intelligent novel. . . . Historical fiction in the monumental manner." -"The New York Times Book Review
"
"A beautifully composed, eloquent, grand nightmare of a book. With it, Bell becomes as remarkable a historical novelist as we have in this country." -Harold Bloom
"A work of breathtaking stylistic expertise on a large scale, easily [Bell's] most daring and accomplished novel." --"The Baltimore Sun"
"A passionately engaged opus. All Souls' Rising reflects both a sustained imaginative audacity and great intellectual resourcefulness." --"The New Yorker"
"Remarkable. . . . All Souls' Rising deserves to be read for its fictional representation of history and for its compelling characterizations. But its political importance should not be underestimated. . . . Bell's excursion into revolutionary Haiti is the attempt of an undaunted novelist to stand face to face, as it were, with the prehistory of our own racial divisiveness. . . . An important book." --"The Oregonian"
"I've known Madison Smartt Bell's work for quite a while, and this is the best thing he's ever done-and probably the best thing he'll ever do, which is my definition of a masterpiece. All Souls' Rising is simply breathtaking." --Gloria Naylor
"The scope of this ambitious narrative is heroic. . . . Bell demonstrates that each race destroys itself in doing evil to the other." --"Chicago Tribune"
"A major work, a triumph of both storytelling and inspired historical analysis." --Robert Stone
"A vivid, visceral tale. . . . [Bell] has taken the events of eighteenth-century colonial Haiti and made them a prism for the most divisive issues confronting us today." --"The Philadelphia Inquirer
"
"Bell's luminous, intelligent novel . . . is magnificent. It restores my faith in the energy of American fiction." --Barbara Probst Solomon
As powerful as a hurricane. . . .
All Souls Rising is really about us, our times, our prejudices, our race wars.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution A serious historical novel that reads like a dream.
The Washington Post Book World Rich and ambitious. . . . One of the most sophisticated fictional treatments of the enduring themes of class, color, and freedom.
San Francisco Chronicle
A powerful and intelligent novel. . . . Historical fiction in the monumental manner.
The New York Times Book Review
A beautifully composed, eloquent, grand nightmare of a book. With it, Bell becomes as remarkable a historical novelist as we have in this country. Harold Bloom
A work of breathtaking stylistic expertise on a large scale, easily [Bell s] most daring and accomplished novel.
The Baltimore Sun A passionately engaged opus.
All Souls Rising reflects both a sustained imaginative audacity and great intellectual resourcefulness.
The New Yorker Remarkable. . . .
All Souls Rising deserves to be read for its fictional representation of history and for its compelling characterizations. But its political importance should not be underestimated. . . . Bell s excursion into revolutionary Haiti is the attempt of an undaunted novelist to stand face to face, as it were, with the prehistory of our own racial divisiveness. . . . An important book.
The Oregonian I ve known Madison Smartt Bell s work for quite a while, and this is the best thing he s ever done and probably the best thing he ll ever do, which is my definition of a masterpiece.
All Souls Rising is simply breathtaking. Gloria Naylor
The scope of this ambitious narrative is heroic. . . . Bell demonstrates that each race destroys itself in doing evil to the other.
Chicago Tribune A major work, a triumph of both storytelling and inspired historical analysis. Robert Stone
A vivid, visceral tale. . . . [Bell] has taken the events of eighteenth-century colonial Haiti and made them a prism for the most divisive issues confronting us today.
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Bell s luminous, intelligent novel . . . is magnificent. It restores my faith in the energy of American fiction. Barbara Probst Solomon"
"As powerful as a hurricane. . . .
All Souls' Rising is really about us, our times, our prejudices, our race wars." -
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution "A serious historical novel that reads like a dream." -
The Washington Post Book World "Rich and ambitious. . . . One of the most sophisticated fictional treatments of the enduring themes of class, color, and freedom." -
San Francisco Chronicle
"A powerful and intelligent novel. . . . Historical fiction in the monumental manner." -
The New York Times Book Review
"A beautifully composed, eloquent, grand nightmare of a book. With it, Bell becomes as remarkable a historical novelist as we have in this country." -Harold Bloom
"A work of breathtaking stylistic expertise on a large scale, easily [Bell's] most daring and accomplished novel." --
The Baltimore Sun "A passionately engaged opus.
All Souls' Rising reflects both a sustained imaginative audacity and great intellectual resourcefulness." --
The New Yorker "Remarkable. . . .
All Souls' Rising deserves to be read for its fictional representation of history and for its compelling characterizations. But its political importance should not be underestimated. . . . Bell's excursion into revolutionary Haiti is the attempt of an undaunted novelist to stand face to face, as it were, with the prehistory of our own racial divisiveness. . . . An important book." --
The Oregonian "I've known Madison Smartt Bell's work for quite a while, and this is the best thing he's ever done-and probably the best thing he'll ever do, which is my definition of a masterpiece.
All Souls' Rising is simply breathtaking." --Gloria Naylor
"The scope of this ambitious narrative is heroic. . . . Bell demonstrates that each race destroys itself in doing evil to the other." --
Chicago Tribune "A major work, a triumph of both storytelling and inspired historical analysis." --Robert Stone
"A vivid, visceral tale. . . . [Bell] has taken the events of eighteenth-century colonial Haiti and made them a prism for the most divisive issues confronting us today." --
The Philadelphia Inquirer
"Bell's luminous, intelligent novel . . . is magnificent. It restores my faith in the energy of American fiction." --Barbara Probst Solomon
