Black Boy: A Record of Youth and ChildhoodBlack Boy: A Record of Youth and Childhood
Score Classic
What it's about
Richard Wright tells the story of his childhood and youth in the Jim Crow South: a fatherless, hungry boy moving between relatives in Mississippi, Arkansas and Tennessee, and growing up in a world where a Black person's survival depended on hiding what he thought. He discovers books and writing, and with them the determination to leave, and at nineteen he finally makes his way north to Chicago. Later editions include the second part, about his years in Chicago and the Communist Party.
Why it's worth reading
It was a #1 New York Times bestseller in 1945 and is on the Modern Library and Guardian lists of the best nonfiction ever written. It's one of the most important memoirs in American literature.
You'll love it if you liked
Native Son
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Notes of a Native SonGood to know
It includes racial violence and slurs. Original 1945 editions end when he leaves the South; the restored edition includes Chicago.
By the numbers
- Readers64 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics92 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller53 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
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story
More by Richard Wright
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Quick answers
Is Black Boy: A Record of Youth and Childhood worth reading?
Yes. It was a #1 New York Times bestseller in 1945 and is on the Modern Library and Guardian lists of the best nonfiction ever written. It ranks #180 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 84.0 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Black Boy: A Record of Youth and Childhood about?
Richard Wright tells the story of his childhood and youth in the Jim Crow South: a fatherless, hungry boy moving between relatives in Mississippi, Arkansas and Tennessee, and growing up in a world where a Black person's survival depended on hiding what he thought. He discovers books and writing, and with them the determination to leave, and at nineteen he finally makes his way north to Chicago. Later editions include the second part, about his years in Chicago and the Communist Party.
How long does it take to read Black Boy: A Record of Youth and Childhood?
About 7 hours (272 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Black Boy: A Record of Youth and Childhood?
If you liked it, try Native Son by Richard Wright, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou or Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin.