By: | Richard Wright |
Pages: | 462 |
Published: | 1940 |
Genre(s): | African American |
Historical Fiction | |
American | |
Rating: | (6) |
348 points
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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, Wright's powerful novel is an unsparing reflection on the poverty and...
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Whilst the writing style is a little didactic in its efforts to portray social and class inequities, this is still a very powerful book. I was absolutely confronted by the actions of Bigger Thomas and yet was not completely repulsed by them. There is something in the portrayal of him and his use of violence that as his only defence that whilst not excusable makes him a little more understandable.
Sep 22nd, 2015
Native Son appears on these lists...
50th on The 20th Centrury's Greatest Hits by American Book Review
80th on The Novel 100 by Daniel S. Bert
20th on 100 Best Novels by Modern Library
27th on Rival 100 Best Novels by Radcliffe
25th on Top 100 Books by Newsweek