A death in the family
/ James Agee
- New York : McDowell, Obolensky , 1957 , c1938.
- 339 p. ; 20 cm.
Agee's classic novel, posthumously published after his death at the age of 45, is considered one of the great American novels of childhood and domestic life, as well as a marvel of Southern literature. The book chronicles the effect of the unexpected death of Jay Follet--who is killed in a car accident after visiting his father--on his wife, son, and brother. The narrator explains gently, kindly, as if wanting not to disturb the mourners in their grief. He tiptoes through the book, confident that his polite wording best suits Agee's bittersweet story. James's words echo across the gaps between sentences and paragraph, and he uses pauses wisely, knowing that Agee's prose resonates in the steadily accumulating drizzle of emotion.