I've never read anything quite like this; the combination of Gothic novel with a racial twist, a subversion of the heroic story of the American revolution, letters and notices standing in when the protagonist cannot tell his story in his own words, the horrors of early medicine... it really is astonishing. ( )

This is the story of a young slave during the Revolutionary War. Octavian's mother was bought while pregnant with him by a scientific group looking to show whether or not African's were inferior to white Europeans and Americans. Octavian does not realize that he is a slave until his is told by one of the others.

The most interesting part of the book to me was the idea of not knowing your station in life, and how that affects your point of view. Octavian did not start his life, or his slavery, with hard feelings because he was unaware of his circumstances. When Pro Bono, another slave in the household, tells Octavian the truth of his station in life, he also tells him "That will be the last time in your life when you're free." It raises the question: if you do not know you are enslaved, then are you truly enslaved?

Apart from this, the book seemed to be building up to a point that was never revealed. Octavian is the subject of the study of the College of Lucidity, he learns he is a slave, but it takes a long time for him to react to this information. In fact, it is not until the College is taken over by a new man, who changes the way that Octavian is taught, that he rebels in any way. I hope that the second novel picks up the pace, and finishes what this book promised in the end.

Octavian lives in a house where only he and his mother have names and he is treated like a prince. Can it last forever?
This is an extraordinary book. One of the problems with studying American History is that we have been a very busy country and events and themes constantly overlap. This book takes an interesting look at the years before the Revolution, but also at the lives of the slaves. It also uses the idea of the College of Lucidity to look at humanity and how socialization can form personality and lead to success.
This is called a Young Adult Book, but it reads at a very high level and uses a lot of "$10 words." It seems more appropriate for college students. It is an important novel, though, and it raises a lot of important questions. ( )

Incredible use of language! ( )

Story of a boy and his African queen mother enslaved and educated in the name of science and philosophy.

Run away from at first lofty and then brutal enslavement by the Novanglian College of Lucidity, young Octavian fights with the colonists, and late in Vol. 1 is recaptured.

"'You have not eaten for three days,' they said.
"'I am Observing,' I replied, 'as you taught me.'
"'What have you observed?'
"'The solidity of shackles. They increase the solidity of the body. When I walk free, I am not conscious of my solidity.'
"'Yes. Shackles, like all matter, are defined by resistance.'
"'Do not tell me,' I said to them, 'what is defined by resistance.'"

Revolutionary era and language marvelously captured but in its detailing of various experiments the novel seemed almost to revel in perversity. Not an easy read in any sense of the word.

As M.T. Anderson writes in his end note, the book is fact-based but "much of the material is Gothic and fantastic in mood."

Books for the Beast recommended the audio version, narrated by the wonderful Peter Francis James. Despite his marvelous interpretation, a lot is lost in listening rather than reading this book. Passages such as the following are meant to be contemplated, not heard and forgotten with the next sentence:

"... I knew in dark houses, there was torture, arms held down, firebrands approaching the soft skin of the belly or arm; and still -- there is screaming in the night; there is flight; mothers sob for children they shall not see again; girls feel the weight of men atop them; men cry for their wives; boys dangle dead in the barn; and we smoke their sorrow contendedly; and we eat their sorrow; and we wear their sorrow; and wonder how it came so cheap." ( )

Reviewed by Cana Rensberger for TeensReadToo.com

Even the title gives the reader a glimpse of the ostentatious nature of this incredible book. THE ASTONISHING LIFE OF OCTAVIAN NOTHING, TRAITOR TO THE NATION is presented as a young adult title, which should in no way limit it only to the teen audience. Indeed, this book will be a challenge for many high school students -- a challenge well worth the effort.

M.T. Anderson immediately immerses his reader in the flowery, pretentious language spoken in the Revolutionary War period, a language that requires thought and concentration for today's reader. Once the reader is acclimated to the writing style, they are already hooked by Octavian's story. Octavian, an African prince, was sold while yet unborn, to one Mr.
Gitney, referred to as 03-01, of the Novanglian College of Lucidity. He was dressed in fine silks and fed the finest of fares. His mother was treated as the African princess she was, entertaining gentlemen, playing her harpsichord.

It was not until Octavian turned eight that he realized his life was not normal, that he was indeed one of the College's experiments. No other human being had their intake, as well as their body's waste, measured and recorded. Every word spoken, every situation, was a challenge to excel, an experiment to determine if the African race was capable of advanced thought and skill. Not all children, especially black children, were given the opportunity for a classical education. Octavian was already an accomplished violinist. He read all of the great literature, in several languages, including Greek and Latin. He understood figures, physics, and sciences of the earth. No discipline was left untouched in the quest to determine the potential of a slave to learn.

THE ASTONISHING LIFE OF OCTAVIAN NOTHING, TRAITOR TO THE NATION is written from Octavian's point of view. Some passages are as though written by his own hand, then scribbled through, as if Octavian, with his vast education, still could not find the proper words to convey the horrors he had lived. His life of seeming luxury changes when the college's benefactor dies. Mr. Gitney entertains Lord Cheldethorpe in hopes that he will see fit to continue to finance the college as his uncle before him. For a time it seems that he is the solution to the College's financial distress. Especially since he has taken an acute interest in Octavian's mother. It is when she violently opposes his offer of her purchase, rather than a
royal marriage, that Octavian and his mother experience the outrage and beatings more typical in the life of a slave. To Octavian's great relief, Lord Cheldethorpe returns to England and a new financial supporter, Mr. Sharpe, is found.

But Mr. Sharpe changes the experiment. Now the lessons seem more designed to prove failure rather than success. When not engaged in his “lessons," Octavian is treated as a simple slave, along with his mother. Add to this the mounting unrest of the American nation, and fear is paramount. The entire household flees Boston to Canaan, Massachusetts. It is there that the most horrific experiment takes place. Mr. Gitney throws a pox party, whereby all, white and black alike, are “inoculated” against the small pox virus in hopes that they will be immune. Instead, Octavian witnesses pain and loss at the most personal level.

At this point the reader will identify with Octavian on a primal level, and feel enormous relief when, finally, Octavian makes his escape. We read about his life as a soldier in the Patriot's army through the letters of one of his co-patriots, one Private Evidence Goring. But it's not until his capture, and subsequent total isolation, that the reader truly understands the complete desolation and hopelessness in the life of a slave. When M.T. Anderson places the iron mask, which he so artfully described to the reader in an earlier chapter, on Octavian, the reader feels complete revulsion and aches for Octavian to be released from this abject misery.

The story is masterfully written and researched. It is one of the most difficult books I've ever read, both in vocabulary and realism. That I made it through to the end makes me feel smart, educated, humble, and indeed amazed, nay fortunate, to have been given a glimpse into the mind of a genius, M.T. Anderson. I'm quite confident that the readers' desire to find out the fate of Octavian Nothing will still pulse within by the time Mr. Anderson shares Volume II with the world. ( )

In this revolution-era novel, Octavian, a black youth, is raised in a Boston and given a classical education by a household of scientists and philosophers, The Novanglian College of Lucidity. As Octavian grows older, he begins to realize that he is, in fact, a research subject as the members of the College of Lucidity try to prove if the African, given the same education, is inferior to the European. The novel is written primarily from Octavian’s point of view, but also makes use of newspaper clippings, scientific items and letters. The use of 18th century language adds to the atmosphere, but may frustrate some readers. Recommended for readers 14 and above; this excellent coming-of-age story will resonate with readers while provoking thoughts on power, freedom, racism and what it means to be human. ( )

Historical fiction of Revolutionary America mainly told from the diary of Octavian, a black youth raised in Boston and given a classical education. Octavian is a research subject studied by the radical philosophers of the The Novanglian College of Lucidity. As he matures and uses the observational skills he has been taught, he begins to decipher his purpose within the College and in America as a man’s property. This book is not for the causal teen reader. The historical nature of the language may take some readers more than a few chapters to acclimate to however, the reader is greatly rewarded with a moving and exciting tale. Winner of the National Book Award and Michael L. Printz Honor Book. ( )

This book starts out very slowly and I really wanted to put it down. The Old English language is a challenge and I think this book would have limited popularity among young adults. ( )

Tried too hard. ( )

This book is a masterful portrayal of both a country and culture on the cusp of war and of a young man and the very personal cost of slavery. By creating a character that for a long period in his childhood does not really realize he is a slave, Anderson makes that awareness so much more dramatic than with a character that has never known freedom. He also hits upon the very complex relationship between slaveholder and slave. Though Octavian’s master may brutalize Octavian and his mother, he also loves them. The book is written in first person in the language of the period. This makes the book difficult to read and appropriate for skilled readers and/or those with a fervent interest in either American Revolutionary history or slavery. ( )

I love books set during the American Revolution, and this one did not disappoint. What I found interesting about this book was to see the Revolution from the point of view of a slave who sides with America because they are fighting for freedom; however, he begins to realize the hypocrisy of this fight for freedom when slaves are being denied this freedom. ( )

I loved this book! It is, by no means, a simple read, especially in comparison with some of Anderson's other works (it seems like it was written by a totally different author than [Feed] or [Thirsty]!). Anderson has achieved a brilliant feat, with his narrator, Octavian Nothing, putting the reader in the boy's shoes in a way that is surprising and very effective. I don't want to give too much away for those who haven't read it yet, but if you like historical fiction and are interested in American history, I highly recommend this book! It's marketed as YA, but I think it's certainly complex enough for an educated adult audience. ( )

This book was an impulse buy for me. When I go to the bookstore, I have my list and I stick to it . I'm really glad I bought it because it is now one of my favorite books. It was really weird at first because the characters don't behave like normal human beings (the names, my goodness). But once you find out what's really going on, you're flabbergasted and hooked. It's a heartbreaking story and unique in topic. If you can get past the 18th century english it's a good read! ( )

Summary: Octavian is a young slave living in Boston immediately prior to the American revolution, although he's a slave unlike any other. His owners are members of the Novanglian College of Lucidity, and he is dressed in fine clothing, not required to work, and is given an education in art, science, and the classics to equal that of any prince. However, under the prompting of his mother, and the house slave Bono, he comes to deduce the truth - that he is the subject of an experiment to determine whether the intellectual capacities of Africans can equal those of Europeans... an experiment that the investors of the College wish to fail. As Octavian growing increasingly disenchanted with his captivity - for his chains, though invisible, bind him just as strongly as metal - a parallel (if hypocritical) desire for freedom is fomenting amongst the colonists, and Octavian must reconcile the realities and attitudes of pre-Revolution America with the person he knows he is.

Review: While this book is absolutely everything all of the glowing reviews say it is in terms of being thought-provoking, conceptually rich, meticulously researched, and wonderfully written in authentic 18th-century style, I'm sorry to say that I just didn't connect with it. I think this was in large part because I didn't empathize with Octavian as a narrator. I mean, he's undoubtedly a sympathetic character, but the prose (which is mostly drawn from his "manuscript testimony") felt so intellectualized and so removed from the events that it never really drew me in or engaged my emotions. I found the section that was told in letters from a young rebel soldier much more engaging than Octavian's parts, just because I found the voice more immediate and relatable.

It's an interesting story, and horrible in the fact that the Gothic grotesqueries that it portrays could legitimately have happened. It's ostensibly a YA novel, but it's not to be confused with the more fluffy teen books that also fall under the YA heading - this is dark, and dense, and is going to require some work - it is certainly not going to appeal to every teen, but for those that stick with it, there's a lot here to be mined. I do appreciate that it doesn't talk down to its audience, but at the same time, by the end I did find myself going "yes, freedom fighters owning slaves, how hypocritical, I get it." Perhaps if I'd been more engaged with the main character, his journey would have had a bigger impact on me. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Recommendation: I'm not sorry I read it, and I will be reading the second volume (this one cuts off pretty well in the middle of the story), but I wasn't as blown away by it as many others were. I'd recommend it for teens who are looking for something a little more serious than the standard Twilight fare, historical fiction fans who want a unique perspective on the Revolutionary War, and for adults who need convincing that YA novels can be literary too. ( )

Admittedly it took me a while to get into this book. I found the language rather off-putting and I wasn't completely sure what was happening at first. I wasn't that interested. I am so grateful that I kept reading! AMAZING! Just AMAZING! I thought this book was absolutely fascinating. What a tremendous effort! I can't praise it highly enough, I'm recommending it to several people.

I'm NOT recommending it to the junior high kids I know and not even to the high school kids I know. I just don't know many kids mature enough to wade though the language to get to the excellent story. And this is a story that is well worth the effort... I just don't think that at that age they'll be willing to put the effort forth. I don't blame them. I really don't. Like I said before, I had problems getting into the book at first and it's been a LONG time since I was in high school.

Reading this as a freshman in college would be perfect, I think. ( )

This book lives up to its title: it really is an astonishing, passionate, beautifully written novel. To talk of the plotline would be, I think, to spoil it: not because much of it is not readily apparent to the reader as it progresses, but because how Anderson unfolds the tale, how he shows the depths of Octavian's repressed trauma and reveals the hypocrisy of those around him, the blindness of racial and gender privilege. It's a fantastic, fantastic reworking of the familiar narrative of the American Revolution, and highly recommended reading; I read it through in one fell swoop, for all that it made my heart ache. I'm definitely going to pick up the second volume, should I ever be able to lay my hands on a copy. I'm terribly curious to see how Octavian becomes that eponymous 'traitor to the nation'—and of course, which nation? ( )

Octavian, a slave owned by Mr. Gitney (aka 03-01) of Boston, and son of an African princess, doesn't realize that his childhood - consisting of Latin and violin lessons, experiments and the measuring of his waste - is odd. His narrative begins with impressions from his younger days and gradually follows a more chronological path as he becomes older and more aware of the revolutionary world beyond the College of Lucidity.

This exceptional historical fiction received the National Book Award for Young People's Literature in 2006. The plot took awhile to get going, especially with the short, impressionistic glimpses we get of Octavian's earliest memories, but the writing is superb and the characters so well-drawn and sympathetic that I couldn't help but read on. In the end, I was ready to start the second book as soon as possible. ( )

Stunning historical fiction, unforgettable characters, heartaching, incredibly written. A challenging young adult read, a mesmerizing adult read. Highly recommended. ( )

In pre-Revolutionary America, Octavian is raised by a group of natural philosophers. I have no idea whether I'd have liked this as a teenager; I love it now. It is one of the most devastating critiques of racial politics in US history I've ever read, and one of the clearest depictions of personal trauma. I've read reviews that criticized it for Octavian's distant, impersonal tone, but I think the reviewers are missing the forest for the trees: science is both the instrument of Octavian's torment and means of his escape. It's not emotionlessness; it's repression. ( )

It has an interesting plot; I just had a hard time getting past the language. If you can handle a challenging book and like historical fiction, go for it. ( )

The diction used in this book impressed me very much. It was an interesting story, although it started out slowly. Try it, but if you don't like it, find another use of your time. ( )

I just couldn't get into this book. ( )

Every time I read a novel by M. T. Anderson, my respect for him grows. The Thrilling Tales series and Feed are such different stories in such different styles, yet both so masterful, and this story finds Anderson mastering yet another genre and style. I find it hard to say what I like about this book-- there's no one thing that Anderson does well, he just does everything well. I got swept up in this novel from the moment I opened it, and I did not want to ever let go until I got to the very end. Octavian and the world that Anderson creates around him are just so compelling, so involving. You feel what he feels, know what he knows. (Except for an odd section in the last third, which, though good on its own, sits somewhat uneasily with the work as a whole.) As soon as I finished this book, I placed an order for the second half, The Kingdom on the Waves. I need to know how this ends!

Various diaries, letters, and other manuscripts chronicle the experiences of Octavian, a young African American, from birth to age sixteen, as he is brought up as part of a science experiment in the years leading up to and during the Revolutionary War. If you like this book, read the award-winning sequel.