Native Son

Books | Fiction / Classics

3.8

(67)

Richard Wright

Right from the start, Bigger Thomas had been headed for jail. It could have been for assault or petty larceny; by chance, it was for murder and rape. Native Son tells the story of this young black man caught in a downward spiral after he kills a young white woman in a brief moment of panic. Set in Chicago in the 1930s, Richard Wright's novel is just as powerful today as when it was written -- in its reflection of poverty and hopelessness, and what it means to be black in America. This abridged edition includes an introduction, How Bigger Was Born, by the author, as well as an afterword by John Reilly.

Buy now:

More Details:

Author

Richard Wright

Pages

462

Publisher

Penguin Books

Published Date

1977

ISBN

0756909074 9780756909079

Community ReviewsSee all

"The defense attorney's monologue at the end of this story may be the best thing I have ever read. The personal responsibility crowd will see this book differently from those of us who understand the complexities of the American experience. 4/5 Stars"

Nathan Box

"I have never in my life had such an emotional reaction and impact to a book in my life. You *felt* everything Bigger Thomas was feeling. You understand his motivations so clearly and you can see his fate barreling at him like a freight train while he does everything in his power to let it hit him. The ending, his ending, was inevitable. That book has stayed with me in a way no other book ever has. Tremendous novel. "