Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Zorg:
A historical horror story.
Quick synopsis:
The story of the slave ship which ignited the abolition movement.
Fact for Non-History People:
Netting was attached to slave ships to keep Africans from trying to drown themselves.
Fact for History Nerds:
Liverpool, England was responsible for 82% of all slaves trafficked by the British from Africa. It was also 40% of the entire European slave trade.
My Take on The Zorg:
People. We are talking about people.
Siddharth Kara’s The Zorg is so affecting because he does the opposite of what you expect. He tells the story of the infamous slave ship using an ingenious style — understatement. (Note: Yes I used an em dash. No, I am not AI.) For the vast majority of the book, I found myself consistently reading what seemed like a rather straightforward business explanation only to pull back and remind myself that we are talking about humans. I suspect it is what Kara was going for.
The “leaders” (and I mean that in the most insulting way it can be taken) of the Zorg thought of the people jammed into their holds only as cargo to be sold at the next slave port. Kara uses this lens to make it so that the reader can be even more disgusted by what is happening in the pages because the villains (which is a much better descriptor) are so blase about the pain and death of their fellow humans.
I am intentionally obfuscating what happens on the Zorg. I remembered the main points of the story before I started the book, and I truly think it is best to go in without foreknowledge if possible. To be clear, none of it is good. Along the way, you will meet slaves, one of the worst co-workers of all time, and a stupid doctor. The story of the Zorg would light the match that became the flame of abolition in England, but a price would need to be paid first. Along the way, there are so many coincidences and near misses which would seem beyond belief if they weren’t all exquisitely documented.
Kara tells this story economically. It is slim in comparison to what this book could have been. This is an observation, not a criticism. I can easily hand this book to anyone, even non-history nerds, and tell them it is an easy read from a prose perspective. From a subject matter perspective, however….damn. For those who brave the heartbreaking and soul-crushing aspects of the book, you are rewarded at the end with what can be considered a triumphant ending. It is certainly one of my books of the year.
(This book was provided as an advance reader copy by NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press.)
Verdict:
Unforgettable and vitally important. Buy it here!
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.