The Confessions of Nat TurnerThe Confessions of Nat Turner
Score Classic
What it's about
In 1831 Nat Turner, an enslaved preacher in Virginia, led the bloodiest slave revolt in American history. In a jail cell awaiting execution, he tells his story in his own voice, as William Styron imagines it: his childhood, his education, his visions from God, and the long, deliberate road to the night of the killings.
Why it's worth reading
It won the Pulitzer Prize, is on TIME's list of the best novels and spent 21 weeks at #1 on the New York Times list. It's a serious, ambitious novel about slavery and violence, and it started one of the great literary debates about who gets to tell whose story.
You'll love it if you liked
Twelve Years a Slave
Beloved
Sophie's ChoiceGood to know
A white author writing in the voice of a real Black revolutionary was fiercely criticized at the time, and the debate continues. There is violence and sexual content.
By the numbers
- Readers38 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics86 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller49 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
- #43 of the 219 young adult books we rank
- #219 of the 762 classics we rank
- #686 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving, Thought-provoking
More by William Styron
Sophie's Choice
Darkness Visible: A Memoir of MadnessIf you like this, read next
The Decameron
Vanity Fair
East of Eden
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
The Killer AngelsExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is The Confessions of Nat Turner worth reading?
Yes. It won the Pulitzer Prize, is on TIME's list of the best novels and spent 21 weeks at #1 on the New York Times list. It ranks #686 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 76.2 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Confessions of Nat Turner about?
In 1831 Nat Turner, an enslaved preacher in Virginia, led the bloodiest slave revolt in American history. In a jail cell awaiting execution, he tells his story in his own voice, as William Styron imagines it: his childhood, his education, his visions from God, and the long, deliberate road to the night of the killings.
How long does it take to read The Confessions of Nat Turner?
About 11 hours (454 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has The Confessions of Nat Turner won?
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction winner (1968).
What should I read after The Confessions of Nat Turner?
If you liked it, try Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup, Beloved by Toni Morrison or Sophie's Choice by William Styron.