A Death in the Family (Penguin Classics)

A Death in the Family (Penguin Classics)

James Agee

Language: English

Pages: 310

ISBN: 014310571X

Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub


The classic American novel, re-published for the 100th anniversary of James Agee's birth

Published in 1957, two years after its author's death at the age of forty-five, A Death in the Family remains a near-perfect work of art, an autobiographical novel that contains one of the most evocative depictions of loss and grief ever written. As Jay Follet hurries back to his home in Knoxville, Tennessee, he is killed in a car accident - a tragedy that destroys not only a life, but also the domestic happiness and contentment of a young family. A novel of great courage, lyric force, and powerful emotion, A Death in the Family is a masterpiece of American literature.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

moving document in our literature than this account of a father’s sudden death in the early years of our century. Here are the full spectrum of emotion and resonance, the tensile, perfectly nuanced language, the prayerful inquiry into identity itself, and characters so perfectly rounded that they exist in every specificity of inquiry, acute awareness, dumb love, and sensual arrest. This book has been my Bible; may it bless new generations of readers.” —Jayne Anne Phillips James Agee A DEATH

his hand, and he was thrown forward. The doctor says he probably never even knew what hit him—hardly even felt the impact, it was so hard and quick.” “He may have just been unconscious,” Mary groaned through her hands. “Or conscious and—paratyzed; unable to speak or even seem to breathe. If only there’d been a doctor, right there, mayb ...” Andrew reached across his mother and touched her knees. “No, Mary,” he said. “I have the doctor’s word for that. He says the only thing that could have

could hear him, trying to talk quietly. He was talking, indeed, very quietly, close to the mouthpiece with his hand around it; even so, Mary and Hannah could hear most of what he said. They did not want to listen, but they couldn’t help it. He said, “I want to make a long-distance call, please,” and the quietness of his voice made them listen the more carefully. It was full of covered danger. “Hello? Hello, is this long distance? Long distance I want to call Ralph Follet, Ralph, Follet, F, O,

you and your mother’ll know best but in case you have to explain, when you come away to the funeral, it might be better just to say that Jay’s been hurt; not in danger. Don’t you think? “What did you say? “Why no, we ... “He’s at Roberts’. I came in with him tonight. “Why I’d suppose that ...” “Oh heavens!” Mary said, loudly enough that her father jumped. “Ralph’s an undertaker!” “Of course, I see your point, Ralph. “No. Not yet.” “Well the saving of money is not a question in this ...

looked briefly at Mary and then looked back at Jay. “Hit ain’t the only time, ” she said, “not by a long chalk. Twarn’t three days ago I...” she stopped. “Takin on about yer troubles ain’t never holp nobody, ” she said. “You just set hyer a minute. ” She turned and walked over to the older woman and leaned deep over against her ear and said quite loudly, but not quite shouting, “Granmaw, ye got company.” And they watched the old woman’s pale eyes, which had been on them all this time in the

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