A Death in the FamilyA Death in the Family
Score Classic
What it's about
In Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1915, Jay Follet drives out late at night to see his father, who is thought to be dying. On the way home, Jay is killed in a car accident. The novel follows his wife, Mary, and their six-year-old son, Rufus, through the days after, as the family absorbs the shock and Rufus tries to understand what has happened.
Why it's worth reading
It won the Pulitzer Prize and is on TIME's list of the best novels. Agee based it on his own father's death, and its prose is among the most beautiful in American fiction.
You'll love it if you liked
Gilead
To Kill a Mockingbird
A Grief ObservedGood to know
Agee died before finishing it, and it was assembled by editors; a 2007 edition restores his draft. The opening prose poem, Knoxville: Summer of 1915, is famous on its own.
By the numbers
- Readers23 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics86 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller7 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #171 of the 309 literary novels we rank
- #421 of the 762 classics we rank
- #1429 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving
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Quick answers
Is A Death in the Family worth reading?
Yes. It won the Pulitzer Prize and is on TIME's list of the best novels. It ranks #1,429 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 68.9 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is A Death in the Family about?
In Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1915, Jay Follet drives out late at night to see his father, who is thought to be dying. On the way home, Jay is killed in a car accident. The novel follows his wife, Mary, and their six-year-old son, Rufus, through the days after, as the family absorbs the shock and Rufus tries to understand what has happened.
How long does it take to read A Death in the Family?
About 15 hours (615 pages), or about 4 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has A Death in the Family won?
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction winner (1958).
What should I read after A Death in the Family?
If you liked it, try Gilead by Marilynne Robinson, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee or A Grief Observed by CS Lewis.