"Uncle Tom's Cabin" by Harriet Beecher Stowe is a rare novel. It was, after the Bible, the best selling book of the entire nineteenth century, and remains one of the few fictional works that can be said to have had a direct and appreciable impact on history. But perceptions of the novel and its reputation has often overshadowed the content of the novel. While I would not dismiss many contemporary criticisms of the book, including its portrayal of blacks as innately religious, I urge the reader to look past its stereotypes and saccharine sentimentality. The novel is immensely passionate and deeply affecting, even over one-hundred and fifty years since its first publication, and provides the reader with an unparallelled glimpse into the imaginative world of Antebellum America. I would recommend that any student of American history make the effort to get through the book - its worth the effort!