Native SonNative Son
Score Classic
What it's about
Bigger Thomas is twenty and lives with his mother and siblings in a single rat-infested room on Chicago's South Side in the 1930s. He's given a job as a chauffeur for the Daltons, a wealthy white family who own his building. On his first night, in a moment of panic, he accidentally kills their daughter, Mary. What he does next, and what the city does to him, makes up the rest of the novel.
Why it's worth reading
It was a #1 New York Times bestseller in 1940 and is on TIME's list of the best novels and the Modern Library's. It was the first bestselling novel by a Black American writer, and it forced readers to confront what racism produces.
You'll love it if you liked
Black Boy: A Record of Youth and Childhood
Invisible Man
Crime and PunishmentGood to know
It's brutal, with graphic violence including the murder of a woman, and the long courtroom section is a political argument.
By the numbers
- Readers54 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics83 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller40 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
Thought-provoking
More by Richard Wright
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The Death and Life of Great American Cities
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Quick answers
Is Native Son worth reading?
Yes. It was a #1 New York Times bestseller in 1940 and is on TIME's list of the best novels and the Modern Library's. It ranks #482 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 78.7 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Native Son about?
Bigger Thomas is twenty and lives with his mother and siblings in a single rat-infested room on Chicago's South Side in the 1930s. He's given a job as a chauffeur for the Daltons, a wealthy white family who own his building. On his first night, in a moment of panic, he accidentally kills their daughter, Mary. What he does next, and what the city does to him, makes up the rest of the novel.
How long does it take to read Native Son?
About 10 hours (399 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Native Son?
If you liked it, try Black Boy: A Record of Youth and Childhood by Richard Wright, Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison or Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky.