A Death in the Family by James Agee Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of A Death in the Family
Book Review: It's important to remember Agee didn't have a chance to edit
Summary: 4 Stars
When you read this book and I hope everyone gets a chance to....please....remember he died before the editing process was finished. I loved Rufus and Mary and Aunt Hannah. This is what death is like to a small child. Mysterious, scary, poignant and lonely. I hope someone will read this book and agree with me.Book Review: More than Beautiful
Summary: 5 Stars
This novel contains some of the most exquisite writing I have ever encountered. For those who enjoy the tender, glowing realism of authors such as William Maxwell, Marilynne Robinson or even Willa Cather, this novel will truly resonate. But A Death in the Family is more than just impressive writing - it is also the truly well crafted story of grief and loss told through the eyes of a series of family members. I read this in college and recall liking it, but the addition of the new pages brings the work into its own. From my understanding there are three distinct added sections - including the prelude. Admittedly, these added sections do not fit seamlessly into the narrative structure, but they each fit in arguably well with the tone and spirit of the work. It was quite obvious, at least to me, that Agee intended these incorporate these pages in the novel, but was unable to do so. (He died before the novel's completion.)
The plot, itself, is simple: the naked reactions of a family to the unexpected death of a loved one. But the amazing aspect of this is Agee's grasp of voice and perspective as the narrative moves from one voice to the other. We hear from the spiritually questioning wife, the pathetic, alcoholic brother, the bewildered near-infant daughter and Rufus, the infinitely interesting five-year-old son. Anyone who has actually experienced a death in the family will identify freely with at least one of the characters. Rufus is particularly fascinating in his struggle to understand the situation. He experiences the very real, yet rarely discussed, emotions such as pride for being the center of attention, boredom at not being allowed to go anywhere, and exasperation at his little sister. He is endearingly human - as are all the characters, really.
Since this is hardly a "new" novel, I will devote the most time to discussing this particular edition. It begins with the stunning addition of "Knoxville, Summer 1915" which just may be one of the most beautiful and effective prose poems in the English language (By the way, if you're as taken with Agee's prose poem as I was you might want to listen to the fabulous Barber setting of it for soprano and orchestra. I highly recommend the EMI Michael Tilson Thomas conducting and Barbara Hendricks, Soprano although the Eleanor Steber version is beautiful as well.) The next is a darker, more surreal passage telling the story of a boy (Rufus, son of Jay) and the quasi-anthropomorphized darkness. It is at once touching, chilling, endearing and unquestionably effective. But the final added section is, by far, the strongest in terms of narrative. It is essentially two stories of Rufus: one, in which he suffers at the mercy of grammar-school bullies and one in which he meets his great-great-grandmother. Like the other added passages, Rufus' stories by no means move the action forward, but the section does add depth and insight into his character.
A Death in the Family is a beautiful novel that is not merely a good read, but an experience to savor. On the "downside", the novel is placid and gracefully paced - honestly not much happens - but it is also heart-wrenchingly beautiful. If you're looking for a thriller this is certainly not it. Nor is it exactly comforting. Instead it contains a delicate spirituality of its own. It's a work of depth and beauty that is easy to enjoy.
Book Review: Nice - At some parts
Summary: 3 Stars
I borrowed this book from the library upon seeing it's cover and reading what it was about. I believe that Agee is very good at suspense. He spends two chapters devoted to Mary and Hannah discussing if Jay is dead or not. It's very heartbreaking. But, the only thing is, the character of Mary, when she found the news that he was dead, she and her family didn't act like they had just lost a loved one. Mary acted normal and her sweetness got rather annoying at times. it almost seemed like a 50's commercial the way she talked.Book Review: Nice idea, tedious, wish it'd been finished
Summary: 2 Stars
Personally, I am not someone who enjoys long, drawn-out pages about the little things in life. I don't criticize those who do; I just don't myself. And that's what this novel is like - pages upon pages concerning little happenings that lead up to and then follow the death of family man Jay. Quibbles about religion, food, funerals, hearing...while the scope of the story contains genuine feeling, it's just not enough for me. And, sadly for the reader, author Agee died before truly completing his work on the novel. The editors have now tacked passages Agee had written (but not yet included) onto the ends of each section; it strikes me as invasive, somehow - who knows what Agee would have done with them? Maybe he wouldn't have put them in after all...I just felt like I wanted to see more of what his original plan was. It's a good book and for some (as apparent from the many positive reviews) it will speak volumes and touch souls. It just didn't do it for me. But, it's in no way something that's unreadable or bad. It's most interesting, surely.Book Review: Okay, he's a good writer--but I still didn't like this book
Summary: 2 Stars
Agee was an excellent writer, and in this book he evokes both the joy of living and the numbness of loss masterfully. But after rereading this book a couple times (I felt its reputation warranted another chance), I cannot shake my initial impression that his portrayal of wife and daughter were a bit on the sentimental side. Mary in particular drove me crazy. Her sweetness was cloying, her strength undermined by breathy speeches--which are emphasized with too many italics for my taste. I wish I could agree with all the positive reviews, but for me the quality of writing could not make up for characters and dialogue that drove me bats.