A major literary event- an explosive, previously unpublished novel from the 1940s by the legendary author of Native Son and Black Boy.
Richard Wright (1908-1960) is one of the most influential African
American writers of the last century. His major works include the
story collection Uncle Tom's Children, the novel Native Son, and
the autobiography Black Boy/American Hunger.
Malcolm Wright, Richard Wright's grandson, is a filmmaker and
conservationist.
"Not just Wright's masterwork, but also a milestone in African
American literature . . . The Man Who Lived Underground is one of
those indispensable works that reminds all its readers that,
whether we are in the flow of life or somehow separated from it,
above- or belowground, we are all human." —Gene Seymour,
CNN.com
"It's impossible to read Wright’s novel without thinking of
this 21st-century moment. . . . Wright deserves sensitive
reconsideration, especially now that so many of us have been proved
naive in our belief that an honest rendering of Black people might
lead to recognition of our existence in the universality of
humanity." —Imani Perry, The Atlantic
"Moves continuously forward with its masterful blend of action and
reflection, a kind of philosophy on the run. . . . Whether or not
The Man Who Lived Underground is Wright’s single finest work, it
must be counted among his most significant."
—Clifford Thompson, The Wall Street Journal
“Enthralling. . . . You could say that the book’s release now is
timely, given that it contains an account of police torture. . .
. But that feels false because Wright’s story would have
been just as relevant if it had been released 10 years ago or 30,
50, or 80—when he composed it. . . . Maybe, then, it’s more
accurate to think of The Man Who Lived Underground as timeless
rather than timely.” —The New Republic
"Resonates deeply as a story about race and the struggle to
envision a different, better world. A welcome literary resurrection
that deserves a place alongside Wright’s best-known
work."
—Kirkus (starred review)
"Finally, this devastating inquiry into oppression and
delusion, this timeless tour de force, emerges in
full, the work Wright was most passionate about, as he
explains in the profoundly illuminating essay, 'Memories of My
Grandmother,' also published here for the first time. This
blazing literary meteor should land in every collection."
—Booklist (starred review)
"The power and pain of Wright’s writing are evident in this
wrenching novel. . . . Wright makes the impact of racist policing
palpable as the story builds to a gut-punch ending, and the
inclusion of his essay 'Memories of My Grandmother' illuminates his
inspiration for the book. This nightmarish tale of racist terror
resonates." —Publishers Weekly
"This astonishing novel [is at last] available to readers,
fulfilling a dream Wright wasn't able to realize in his lifetime."
—OprahDaily.com
"To read The Man Who Lived Underground today — it arrives on April
20, intact for the first time, published by the posterity-minded
Library of America — is to recognize an author who knew his work
could be shelved for decades without depreciation. Because this is
America. Because police misconduct, to use the genteel 2021 term,
is ageless. Check the copyright page, read the production notes:
Yes, this was written in 1941. Yes, it’s 80 years later. Yes,
Wright died in 1960, at 52, having never scaled again the
commercial heights of Native Son. Yet somehow The Man Who Lived
Underground found its way into bookstores at the right time." —The
Chicago Tribune
"This is a significant work of literary fiction from a legendary
author that’s absolutely not to be missed." —Book Riot
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