Skip to content

Native Son
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Native Son Paperback - 2008

by Richard Wright


About this book

Richard Wright’s Native Son tells the story of 20-year-old Bigger Thomas, a black American youth living in utter poverty in Chicago's South Side during the 1930s. When Bigger unintentionally murders a white woman, he is put on trial and eventually convicted, and sentenced to the electric chair. Often recognized as a protest novel, Native Son stresses systemic racial issues, prompting the reader to feel both sympathy and empathy for Bigger. In this, the novel is one of the earliest successful attempts to explain the racial divide in America in terms of the conditions imposed on African-Americans by the dominant white society.

Soon after publication, Native Son was selected by the Book of the Month Club as its first book by an African-American author. Indeed, the novel was an immediate best seller, selling 250,000 hardcover copies within three weeks of its publication. As a result of the novel’s success, Wright became the first bestselling and the wealthiest black writer of his time, establishing him as a spokesperson for African-American issues and, to many, the “father of Black American literature.” In 1941, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People awarded Wright awarded the prestigious Spingarn Medal.

Unsurprisingly, Native Son was challenged in many public schools and libraries and is listed in the American Library Association's list of the “Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990–1999.” Yet most institutions in which the novel was challenged successfully fought to keep Wright's work accessible, particularly in the classroom, defending it as a guide into the reality of the complex adult and social world.

 

Native son is listed as 20th on the Modern Library’s list of the “100 Best” English-language novels of the 20th century. It is also included in TIME’s “100 Best Novels” (since 1923).

From the publisher

"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.

This beautifully designed Harper Perennial Deluxe Edition--the restored text of Native Son established by the Library of America--also includes an essay by Wright titled, How "Bigger" was Born, along with notes on the text.

First line

BRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNG! An alarm clock clanged in the dark and silent room.

From the rear cover

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, 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.

First Edition Identification

Harper & Brothers first published Native Son in 1940. With a dark blue cover stamped in red and white, first editions state “First Edition” on the copyright page with "A - P" below the statement. The dust jacket of the first edition is green and yellow and states the original price of  $2.50.

Details

  • Title Native Son
  • Author Richard Wright
  • Binding Paperback
  • Edition [ Edition: Repri
  • Pages 544
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Harper Perennial, Scranton, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
  • Date 2008-04-29
  • ISBN 9780061148507 / 0061148504
  • Weight 1.1 lbs (0.50 kg)
  • Dimensions 8.2 x 5.6 x 1.6 in (20.83 x 14.22 x 4.06 cm)
  • Reading level 700
  • Themes
    • Ethnic Orientation: African American
  • Library of Congress subjects Trials (Murder), Psychological fiction
  • Dewey Decimal Code FIC
Back to Top

More Copies for Sale

Native Son
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Native Son

by Wright, Richard

  • Used
Condition
Used - Good
ISBN 13
9780061148507
ISBN 10
0061148504
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Frederick, Maryland, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
£4.57
£3.17 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Harper Perennial Modern Classics. Used - Good. Good condition. A copy that has been read but remains intact. May contain markings such as bookplates, stamps, limited notes and highlighting, or a few light stains. Bundled media such as CDs, DVDs, floppy disks or access codes may not be included.
Item Price
£4.57
£3.17 shipping to USA
Native Son

Native Son

by Richard Wright

  • Used
  • good
  • Paperback
Condition
Used - Good
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 13
9780061148507
ISBN 10
0061148504
Quantity Available
4
Seller
Seattle, Washington, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
£4.85
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
HarperCollins Publishers, 2008. Paperback. Good. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Item Price
£4.85
FREE shipping to USA
Native Son

Native Son

by Richard Wright

  • Used
  • Acceptable
  • Paperback
Condition
Used - Acceptable
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 13
9780061148507
ISBN 10
0061148504
Quantity Available
5
Seller
Seattle, Washington, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
£4.85
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
HarperCollins Publishers, 2008. Paperback. Acceptable. Readable copy. Pages may have considerable notes/highlighting. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Item Price
£4.85
FREE shipping to USA
Native Son
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Native Son

by Wright, Richard

  • Used
  • good
  • first
Condition
Used - Good
Edition
1
ISBN 13
9780061148507
ISBN 10
0061148504
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
£5.57
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Harper Perennial Modern Classics. 1. Good. Good. Ship within 24hrs. Satisfaction 100% guaranteed. APO/FPO addresses supported
Item Price
£5.57
FREE shipping to USA
Native Son
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Native Son

by Wright, Richard

  • Used
Condition
Used - Good
ISBN 13
9780061148507
ISBN 10
0061148504
Quantity Available
4
Seller
Mishawaka, Indiana, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
£5.75
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
HarperCollins Publishers. Used - Good. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages.
Item Price
£5.75
FREE shipping to USA
Native Son
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Native Son

by Wright, Richard

  • Used
Condition
Used - Very Good
ISBN 13
9780061148507
ISBN 10
0061148504
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Mishawaka, Indiana, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
£5.75
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
HarperCollins Publishers. Used - Very Good. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in excellent condition. May show signs of wear or have minor defects.
Item Price
£5.75
FREE shipping to USA
Native Son
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Native Son

by Richard Wright

  • Used
  • Paperback
Condition
Used: Good
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 13
9780061148507
ISBN 10
0061148504
Quantity Available
1
Seller
HOUSTON, Texas, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
£5.82
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Harper Perennial Modern Classics, 2008-04-29. Paperback. Used: Good.
Item Price
£5.82
FREE shipping to USA
Native Son
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Native Son

by Wright, Richard

  • Used
Condition
Used - Good
ISBN 13
9780061148507
ISBN 10
0061148504
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Reno, Nevada, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
£5.84
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
HarperCollins Publishers. Used - Good. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages.
Item Price
£5.84
FREE shipping to USA
Native Son
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Native Son

by Wright, Richard

  • Used
Condition
Used - Good
ISBN 13
9780061148507
ISBN 10
0061148504
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Mishawaka, Indiana, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
£6.00
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
HarperCollins Publishers. Used - Good. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages.
Item Price
£6.00
FREE shipping to USA
Native Son
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Native Son

by Wright, Richard

  • Used
Condition
Used - Good
ISBN 13
9780061148507
ISBN 10
0061148504
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Reno, Nevada, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
£6.00
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
HarperCollins Publishers. Used - Good. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages.
Item Price
£6.00
FREE shipping to USA