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Native Son

Written by: Richard Wright
Narrated by: Peter Francis James
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Publisher's Summary

Now an HBO Film!

"If one had to identify the single most influential shaping force in modern Black literary history, one would probably have to point to Wright and the publication of Native Son." (Henry Louis Gates Jr.)

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 powerful novel is an unsparing reflection on the poverty and feelings of hopelessness experienced by people in inner cities across the country and of what it means to be black in America.
©1993 Ellen Wright (P)2008 HarperCollins Publishers
Literature & Fiction Classics Literary Fiction
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Profile Image for evan

Incredible

This is one of the best studies on class war, centred around the racism and white supremacy that America is built on, I’ve ever read. Still prescient to this day. Will recommend to everyone I know.

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Profile Image for TheSewist

Excellent!

I read the book years ago and decided to listen to the audiobook version. I was blown away by the narration! Peter Francis James switches between voices and characters in a most believable way, right down to accent and dialect. He obviously did his research before recording and it pays off for the listener. The protagonist is not a likeable character but somehow I understood him, if not condoned his actions. It's a difficult but important story and I highly recommend it.

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