Flight to Canada
“Flight to Canada” by Ishmael Reed, published by Simon and Schuster on June 2, 1998, is a reprint edition comprising 179 pages. This work presents a sharp and humorous narrative set during the Civil War, following three slaves who escape from Virginia, driven by a desire for freedom. One of the characters, Raven Quickskill, is determined to reach Canada, while his master, Arthur Swille, relentlessly pursues him, adding tension to the story.
Readers will encounter a blend of history, fantasy, and political commentary as Reed parodies the traditional fugitive slave narrative. The narrative features imaginative elements, such as a slave-poet fleeing on a jumbo jet and historical figures like Abe Lincoln interacting with the characters in unexpected ways. Through its unique episodes, “Flight to Canada” offers insights into the complexities of American history and the African American experience, making it a distinctive addition to the literary landscape.
Official synopsis Publisher
Ishmael Reed’s classic, sharp and characteristically funny story of the Civil War.
Three slaves infected with Dysaethesia Aethipica (a term coined in the nineteenth century for the disease that makes Negroes run away) escape from Virginia. Not satisfied with leaving slavery halfway, one of the trio has vowed to go the whole distance to Canada; his master, Arthur Swille, determined to recover his property, pursues, hot on Raven Quickskill’s trail.
With myth-bending ingenuity, Reed merges history, fantasy, political reality, and high comedy as he parodies the fugitive slave narrative: the slave-poet Quickskill flees to Canada on a nonstop jumbo jet; Abe Lincoln waltzes through slave quarters to the tune of “Hello Dolly”; the plantation mistress lies in bed watching the Beecher Hour on TV. Flight to Canada’s preposterous episodes leap out from the pages of history to reveal a keen sense of America past and present.
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