Cover of The Underground Railroad

Book · 2000 · FICTION / African American / General

The Underground Railroad

by Colson Whitehead · Recommended by 8 people on 1 podcast

mentions
23
people
8
podcast
1
episodes
16
critical mentions
0

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The Underground Railroad, which totally draws you in.
Pamela Paul · The Book Review · Aug 2016 Listen at 41:41

What they say about it

Grouped from 23 mentions
  • Pulitzer Prize and awards“Pulitzer Prize winning novels”
    3
  • Oprah Book Club selection“Oprah said when she announced it”
    3

The best things said about it

5 of 23 · every mention
Discussed
The Underground Railroad was the best book I could write when I was 46.
Colson Whitehead The Book Review · Jul 2024
Discussed
This book has generated probably the most praise in his entire career and attention.
Alexandra Alter The Book Review · Sep 2016
Discussed
Probably if you were looking at a commercial literary crossover book this year would be Coulson whitee heads the underground real road which got so much Awards attention as well as an Oprah boost.
Alexandra Alter The Book Review · Dec 2016
Discussed
You are here for your last little novel a book called The Underground Railroad which met with some success of I was very glad yeah the national book award Oprah book club pick Barry Jenkins is turning it into a miniseries.
Pamela Paul The Book Review · Jul 2019
Discussed
As I say in my in my review you know it's a fat time for for books that are really deeply imaginative from Coulson whiteheads Underground Railroad to Lincoln and the BAU by George Saunders.
Dwight Garner The Book Review · Jun 2021

Where and when it comes up

Mentions by year

12017020182201902020220210202212023520240202502026so far

Podcast episodes that discussed The Underground Railroad, by year. One episode counts once, however often the book came up.

How it comes up

Recommended means the speaker tells listeners to read it.

8 people who brought it up

Most recommendations first

Why people recommend it

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead is a Pulitzer Prize-winning historical fiction novel that reimagines the antebellum South by turning the secret network of abolitionist routes into a literal subterranean railway system utilized by an enslaved woman named Cora seeking freedom. On The Book Review, hosts Gilbert Cruz and Pamela Paul repeatedly highlighted the novel, with Jenny Schusler noting the massive cultural conversation surrounding it, especially after Oprah Winfrey selected it for her book club. Pamela Paul shared that the narrative completely draws readers into its harrowing yet brilliant journey. In subsequent episodes, Colson Whitehead discussed crafting the novel at age forty-six, reflecting on his artistic standards and the immense critical acclaim and career-defining praise the book generated, including its prominence on major award lists as discussed by Alexandra Alter. The novel earns endless praise because it blends magical realism with brutal historical truths, creating a visceral masterpiece about American trauma and the relentless pursuit of liberty.

Every mention

23 counted mentions · 9 passing or ad reads below
Pamela Paul the book again is the Underground Railroad by Coulson Whitehead and it's reviewed on our cover this 5
Recommended
“the book again is the Underground Railroad by Coulson Whitehead and it's reviewed on our cover this”
Discussed
“I guess you would call it historical the Underground Railroad of course you jump around in time”
Discussed
“um but it's it's certainly less dark than your than than the nickel boys and and Underground Railroad”
Discussed
“you are here for your last little novel a book called The Underground Railroad which met with some success of I was very glad yeah the national book award Oprah book club pick Barry Jenkins is turning it into a miniseries”
Recommended
“as I mentioned earlier uh I'm also reading Coulson whiteheads the Underground Railroad which totally draws you in and my ongoing project my homebook is Hamilton”
Gilbert Cruz the book again is the Underground Railroad by Coulson Whitehead and it's reviewed on our cover this week 5
Discussed
“I spoke to Coulson Whitehead as part of this podcast series about his book The Underground ril Road and he said something to the effect when talking about the steps that led to that book”
Discussed
“he is sometimes known as the writer of two Pulitzer Prize winning novels the nickelbys and the Underground Railroad”
Recommended
“the book again is the Underground Railroad by Coulson Whitehead and it's reviewed on our cover this week”
Discussed
“Coulson Whitehead is here to talk about his new novel The Underground Railroad”
Discussed
“you had written these two beautiful books the Underground Railroad and the nickel boys they were claimed but they were heavy and then you followed that up by zagging into this colorful funny Lively thrilling Heist novel”
Jennifer Schuessler starting with the book everybody seems to be talking about this week Coulson Whit heads the Underground Rai… 1
Recommended
“starting with the book everybody seems to be talking about this week Coulson Whit heads the Underground Railroad or as Oprah said when she announced it for her pick the Underground Railroad”
Alexandra Alter a lot of people were surprised to see that Coulson Whitehead was not did not make it from the long list to… 4
Discussed
“a lot of people were surprised to see that Coulson Whitehead was not did not make it from the long list to the short list for the Underground Railroad”
Discussed
“probably if you were looking at a commercial literary crossover book this year would be Coulson whitee heads the underground real road which got so much Awards attention as well as an Oprah boost”
Discussed
“another kind of example that was recent that we saw was with Coulson Whitehead's novel The Underground Railroad which had an enormous sales boost as well”
Discussed
“Coulson Whitehead was nominated for the underground rail world that was probably the least surprising name on the list this book has generated probably the most praise in his entire career and attention”
Colson Whitehead and the Underground Railroad was the best book I could write when I was 46 and if I'm doing the best work I… 4
Discussed
“and the Underground Railroad was the best book I could write when I was 46 and if I'm doing the best work I can each year I can be proud of each book and they'll hold up for me at least”
Discussed
“certainly so describing the different rooms in the museum the soothing blue walls of life on the slave ship evoked the Atlantic sky here Kora stalked a section of the ship's deck around the Mast”
Discussed
“but the nickel boys just seemed like the best followup for me intellectually after the Underground Railroad so it was it real relief to be able to tell jokes again and have fun with conventions in a way have a sense of play which due to the subject matter of the nickel boys and Underground Railroad I couldn't do before”
Discussed
“and then Underground Railroad curbing my love for digression and you know Pomo pyrot Technics”
Dwight Garner as I say in my in my review you know it's a fat time for for books that are really deeply imaginative from… 1
Discussed
“as I say in my in my review you know it's a fat time for for books that are really deeply imaginative from Coulson whiteheads Underground Railroad to Lincoln and the BAU by George Saunders”
Greg Cowles there is the Underground Railroad of course Coulson Whitehead's book 1
Discussed
“there is the Underground Railroad of course Coulson Whitehead's book”
Jimana C. T. from Wolf Hall to the known world to the Underground Railroad to to penko to Lincoln and the BAU 1
Discussed
“from Wolf Hall to the known world to the Underground Railroad to to penko to Lincoln and the BAU”
Mentioned on the show without a named speaker1
Discussed
“this book reminded me of Coulson white house uh Whitehead's Underground Railroad in a way and that he created this world that was so rich with possibility that every choice that the writer makes you think oh my God that's so interesting”
Other mentions (9: passing, ad reads, own books)
Passing
“In 2017 for The Underground Railroad, and in 2020 for The Nickel Boys, making him one of only a handful of authors who has received the Pulitzer twice for fiction.”
Passing
“I think so you know Coulson white hit has written across genre he's written all different types of books and and there are many of his books that are more um stylistically ornate they're sort of postmodern you know with the underground railroads certainly and then with nickel boy he he really paired it back”
Passing
“Coulson Whitehead talking about the Underground Railroad and Jeffrey tubin talking about American erys his book about Patty Hurst both authors I'd interviewed before in fact that year I interviewed Coulson on three separate occasions about the Underground Railroad”
Passing
“white heads pulitzers were for the historical novels the Underground Railroad and the nickel boys”
Passing
“one for underground railroad one for nickelbys”
Passing
“but in terms of reader investment in this young woman's coming of age it made me think so much of Kora in Coulson whiteheads the Underground Railroad from a few years ago”
Passing
“talk to celson Whitehead not only about the Underground Railroad which he's talked about on this podcast before”
Passing
“We should point out that still at number one uh for the third week is Coulson whiteheads the Underground Railroad”