Native Son Audiobook By Richard Wright cover art

Native Son

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Native Son

By: Richard Wright
Narrated by: Peter Francis James
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"If one had to identify the single most influential shaping force in modern Black literary history, one would probably have to point to Wright and the publication of Native Son." (Henry Louis Gates Jr.)

Right from the start, Bigger Thomas had been headed for jail. It could have been for assault or petty larceny; by chance, it was for murder and rape. Native Son tells the story of this young black man caught in a downward spiral after he kills a young white woman in a brief moment of panic.

Set in Chicago in the 1930s, Richard Wright's powerful novel is an unsparing reflection on the poverty and feelings of hopelessness experienced by people in inner cities across the country and of what it means to be black in America.

©1993 Ellen Wright (P)2008 HarperCollins Publishers African American Classics Genre Fiction Literary Fiction
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Featured Article: The top 100 classics of all time


Before we whipped out our old high school syllabi and dug deep into our libraries to start selecting contenders for this list, we first had to answer the question, "How do we define a classic?" The answer isn’t as straightforward as you might guess, though there’s a lot to be said for the old adage, "You know it when you see it" (or, in this case, hear it). Of course, most critically, each of our picks had to be fabulous in audio. So dust off your aspirational listening list—we have some amazing additions you don’t want to miss.

Featured Article The top 100 classics of all time
Powerful Storytelling • Thought-provoking Themes • Exceptional Narration • Believable Protagonist • Gripping Plot

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the narrator was fantastic! felt like I was in 1940s Chicago. the story speaks for itself, highly recommended.

powerful story, compelling narration

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Reading style was good, but recording still contains CD breaks that should be edited out.

Needs editing

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The Narrator's performance definitely made the book even more interesting and worth listening to. Such a tragic ending to a story that truly could have went down a completely different path.

The Performance of the Narrator was Outstanding!

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Great Listening. It will make you Happy Dad think and cry and mabe seek God

THE CIRCLE OF LIFE

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Richard Wright captures the sociology of urban racial relations in the story of Bigger Thomas. The story is as relevant today as the day it was published. This book should be on the mandatory school reading list.

One of the most important stories told

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I read this book after watching a theater performance called “Pipeline”. The play was surrounding a young man named Omari who attended private school that was being played for by his wealthy father who was only present through tuition payments. His mother struggled as a public school teacher and Omari didn’t feel as though he belonged like the others at this private school. The climax of the play is around Omari having an incident with one of the school teachers because the teacher insisted on questioning Omari, the only black student about how bigger was feeling in the book “Native Son”. This is what got me to read this book and it was just an exceptional as the play!

Wonderful Book!

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Wonderfully written, heart wrenching story!
Every American should be required to read this novel.
Peter Francis James’s reading of this novel is the best “performance” of any audiobook I’ve listened to.

Life changing

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This story gives a in-depth look at the perspective of the American Negro. It dives deep into the psychological struggles that plagued many generations of black people in America. The story is fictional but, the subject matter rings so true. It provides a solid look at our ancestors and the hopes they have for future generations. - Donald R. Looney Jr.

Excellent

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Even though this story was painful to listen to, I believe it gives the listener great insight into racism and I feel changed by the book. I recommend it. Peter Francis James was an amazing narrator. Richard Wright has written a timeless book.

Life changer

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The narrator is incredible. He changes his voice with ease and even does an Irish woman’s accent. Legit.

Narration is top-notch

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