Taking readers back to the birth of the United States,The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing is the story of the son of an African Princess, raised in unique circumstances: having been brought to the American Colonies. Octavian becomes part of a college study, attempting to gauge the intelligence and overall potential of African Americans. Octavian's mother dies due to a college mandated smallpox inoculation, and Octavian is forced to see the world for what it is. The first part of the novel is told in Octavian's narrative, while the second part is told through a sequence of letters. The novel is praised for its creativity and chaotic storyline. Teenagers are able to understand and relate to the story without having to know all the historical details in the novel. This novel has also attained its prestigious reputation based on the effort Anderson dedicated to researching the historical aspects of the book. Anderson tried to make the language as accurate to the time period, the 18th century, as possible.
Read more about this topic: Matthew Tobin Anderson
Famous quotes containing the words astonishing and/or life:
“Fate forces its way to the powerful and violent. With subservient obedience it will assume for years dependency on one individual: Caesar, Alexander, Napoleon, because it loves the elemental human being who grows to resemble it, the intangible element. Sometimes, and these are the most astonishing moments in world history, the thread of fate falls into the hands of a complete nobody but only for a twitching minute.”
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“A written word is the choicest of relics. It is something at once more intimate with us and more universal than any other work of art. It is the work of art nearest to life itself. It may be translated into every language, and not only be read but actually breathed from all human lips;Mnot be represented on canvas or in marble only, but be carved out of the breath of life itself. The symbol of an ancient man’s thought becomes a modern man’s speech.”
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