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One of the most acclaimed novels in recent memory, The Known World is a daring and ambitious work by Pulitzer Prize winner Edward P. Jones. The Known World tells the story of Henry Townsend, a black farmer and former slave who falls under the tutelage of William Robbins, the most... read more

Summary edit see section history

One of the most acclaimed novels in recent memory, The Known World is a daring and ambitious work by Pulitzer Prize winner Edward P. Jones. The Known World tells the story of Henry Townsend, a black farmer and former slave who falls under the tutelage of William Robbins, the most powerful man... read more (warning: may contain spoilers)

One of the most acclaimed novels in recent memory, The Known World is a daring and ambitious work by Pulitzer Prize winner Edward P. Jones. The Known World tells the story of Henry Townsend, a black farmer and former slave who falls under the tutelage of William Robbins, the most powerful man in Manchester County, Virginia. Making certain he never circumvents the law, Townsend runs his affairs with unusual discipline. But when death takes him unexpectedly, his widow, Caldonia, can't uphold the estate's order, and chaos ensues. Jones has woven a footnote of history into an epic that takes an unflinching look at slavery in all its moral complexities.

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First Sentence edit see section history

The evening his master died he worked again well after he ended the day for the other adults, his own wife among them, and sent them back with hunger and tiredness to their cabins.

Series & Lists edit see section history

This is book 2004 of 83 in Pulitzer Prize Winners - Fiction. (authoritative list)

Preceded by Middlesex, and followed by Gilead.

This book is in New York Times Best American Fiction 1981-2006. (authoritative list)
This is book 2005 of 15 in International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award winners. (community list)

Preceded by This Blinding Absence of Light, and followed by The Master.

This is book 5 of 10 in TIME Magazine Best of the Decade. (community list)

Preceded by The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, and followed by Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

  1. Edward P. Jones (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Original Language: English
Publisher: Amistad
Country: USA
Publication Date: August 14, 2003
ISBN: 0060557540
Page Count: 388

Classification edit see section history

Books That Cite This Book edit see section history

   
  • Deforming American Political Thought: Ethnicity, Facticity, And Genre
  • The Artificial White Man: Essays on Authenticity
  • Seeing in the Dark: Getting the Facts on Depression & Finding Hope Again
  • The Very Telling: Conversations with American Writers
  • Speculative Truth: Henry Cavendish, Natural Philosophy, and the Rise of Modern Theoretical Science

Books Cited by This Book edit see section history

   
  • Rip Van Winkle
  • The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.
  • A Death in the Family
  • Paradise Lost

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