Instruct: Classify Amazon reviews into positive or negative sentiment
Query: A Classic of 19th Century American Social Perceptions

Familiarity with Hildreth's novel is a prerequisite window into 19th century perceptions of slavery. Taken from that point of view the work is a document which explains much about the times. For the literary minded, this anything but an out-dated example of what we now call "historical fiction." Taken in the context of one's choice, this book is a powerful statement of humanity in the face of seemingly all-powerful human institutions and ideologies which, in fact, are ephemeral in the course of history.