54 pages • 1 hour read
Sutton E. GriggsA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
208
Novel • Fiction
Virginia • 1890s
1899
Adult
18+ years
Imperium in Imperio by Sutton E. Griggs tells the story of Belton Piedmont and Bernard Belgrave, two highly intelligent Black men in the late 19th-century South who grow up under contrasting social conditions and ultimately become rivals within an underground Black government aiming to address systemic racism and achieve true equality for Black Americans. The book includes violent language, oppression, enslavement, and death by suicide.
Mysterious
Challenging
Contemplative
Inspirational
Emotional
560 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Imperium in Imperio by Sutton E. Griggs is a seminal work exploring racial and political themes in post-Reconstruction America. Reviews praise its bold narrative and complex characters, though some criticize its occasionally didactic tone. Overall, it remains a powerful and thought-provoking novel reflecting early African American literary strengths and struggles.
Imperium in Imperio by Sutton E. Griggs will captivate readers interested in African American literature, the Reconstruction era, and early 20th-century social issues. Fans of The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois and The Marrow of Tradition by Charles W. Chesnutt will find its exploration of racial identity and political activism compelling.
560 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
208
Novel • Fiction
Virginia • 1890s
1899
Adult
18+ years
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