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I think Uncle Tom's Cabin is one of those books that everyone should read, but should not be praised as a great work of literature.  What I mean is that this book was a hugely significant work in many social and political ways, and I think reading it gives us a window, even a foggy one, to this time.  The issues surrounding it are very complex, and for that reason, I really think it's a book that everyone should study, rather than just read.  To the modern audience, this book does not really stand as a novel to be read for pleasure.  Reading the Diary of Anne Frank means nothing without the historical context in which it was written.  The same is true of Uncle Tom's Cabin; it's a key part of this period of history.  I do think it's unfortunate that the book shaped so many black stereotypes at the time, such as the Uncle Tom and the pickaninny, because modern readers see these stereotypes as a much larger part of the book based on our modern perspective.  The anti-slavery message doesn't seem as strong when we read it with modern eyes, because we see all the stereotypes in the characters.  At the time it was published, these stereotypes would be seen as much more factual, even by abolitionists.