Light in AugustLight in August
Score Classic
What it's about
Lena Grove, young, pregnant and unmarried, walks from Alabama to Jefferson, Mississippi, looking for the man who got her pregnant. Her calm journey runs alongside the violent story of Joe Christmas, an orphan who doesn't know whether he's white or Black and can't find a place in either world, and who becomes the center of a murder that sets the town ablaze.
Why it's worth reading
It's on both the TIME and Modern Library lists of the best novels, and it's often called Faulkner's most approachable major novel. It's a tragic, powerful book about race and identity in the South.
You'll love it if you liked
Their Eyes Were Watching God
To Kill a Mockingbird
Invisible ManGood to know
It shifts in time and between characters, and Faulkner's sentences can be long and winding. There's racist violence, including a lynching.
By the numbers
- Readers35 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics83 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller21 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
- #18 of the 86 horror books we rank
- #325 of the 762 classics we rank
- #1053 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Dark
More by William Faulkner
Absalom, Absalom!
The Sound and the Fury
As I Lay DyingIf you like this, read next
The Picture of Dorian Gray
The Exorcist
Blood Meridian
My Cousin Rachel
Perfume
The BottomsExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Light in August worth reading?
Yes. It's on both the TIME and Modern Library lists of the best novels, and it's often called Faulkner's most approachable major novel. It ranks #1,053 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 72.4 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Light in August about?
Lena Grove, young, pregnant and unmarried, walks from Alabama to Jefferson, Mississippi, looking for the man who got her pregnant. Her calm journey runs alongside the violent story of Joe Christmas, an orphan who doesn't know whether he's white or Black and can't find a place in either world, and who becomes the center of a murder that sets the town ablaze.
How long does it take to read Light in August?
About 12 hours (480 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Light in August?
If you liked it, try Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee or Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison.