Mary Rowlandson: Not Too Bad

Mary Rowlandson wrote what is considered to be the first American best-seller. This work is titled Narrative of the Capture and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson. Having read the first few "removes," I am beginning to understand why this work was so popular. It is exciting, suspenseful, and wonderfully gruesome. Personally, I must admit that I actually enjoy it somewhat myself. Mrs. Rowlandson's narrative is surprisingly readable diction-wise as well. That is to say, the language in which it is written is clear enough to be fairly understood by a modern reader. Admittedly, a lot of the reason I like this work is because of its graphic descriptions. Rather than try to soften unpleasant issues by cloaking them with vagueness and euphemisms, Rowlandson really says exactly what's going on, holding back little to nothing.

--Wald der Abgelehnt