Rating: 
Summary: yes it won an award
Review: in response: the deatils agee provides do not detract from his novel...i think that the intensity of detail reveals both the simplicity and complexity of the characters...he chronicles their simple actions--dressing and eating--and their complex musings in the same way...the novel's lyric beauty flows from that consistent tone...for me, A Death in the Family was what i wished faulkner's books would be like...compelling, earnest,poetic, and utterly american...
Rating: 
Summary: Read it if you can handle it
Review: James Agee mastered the art of communication in his autobiographical novel, A Death in the Family. It is about Rufus, his mother, and his family as they try to cope with the loss of his father after a tragic car accident.
I would not have chosen this book off the shelf. In fact, I found it dreadfully dull when I was reading it for a class deadline. It dragged on while I impatiently pushed further to see if anything else happened (nothing else happened). This novel is definitely not the remedy for boredom, as it will bore you even more. However, on a rainy Sunday afternoon, A Death in the Family is the perfect book. When the reader can take their time and enjoy every single detail in the book, you really get a good sense about what Agee had noticed as a child robbed as his father. It's not about the fights, or the actual death of his father, but about the subtleties humans use in communication and how people deal with pain. For about half an hour of reading, Rufus' mother is talking with Aunt Hannah about what she needs to do before she goes to bed. They address each other politely, becoming nauseatingly repetitive if you are in a hurry, but displaying realistic human shock and unspoken communication. His mother also hangs onto her rosary beads, crosses herself and prays non-stop through out the novel, but Agee did not put all of the prayers in so we knew which ones she was saying. It was clear that she was looking for confidence in her religion, but was not sure if her God had actually betrayed her. Perhaps she should abandon religion? The atheists in the book are jilted as the dead father is not allowed a proper funeral ceremony since he was never baptized. Perhaps they should adopt religion? Why is it exclusive? These are all questions of human interaction that Agee's novel provokes. Ideally, Agee arouses introspective analysis in the reader. That is, if you have the patience.
Perhaps the book would have flowed better had Agee had a chance to edit it himself, but what the reader gets is the raw writing. Life with the family prior to the accident is exposed in two inserts of corresponding literature Agee wrote but did not originally put in the book. His widow and the publisher decided to stick the sections in to serve as dividers, creating three sections of the book and giving some perspective to the family. Those sections are some of the most beautiful sections of writing I have ever read. Agee turned Knoxville, Tennessee into the readers home, and made the front lawn something worthy of reading about.
Rating:
Summary: A mamorial for death
Review: James Agee wrote this book through the time of his death, and was so tramatized by his fathers death that he was never able to finish it. It spans 4 days in addition to selected prose inserted as memories of the main character Rufus' childhood. On some level, Rufus is a representation of Agee himself as a child. This is a fantastic book which thoroughly explains what death means and what the consequences of death are. I would reccomend this book to anyone, it is fantastically written, and contains an even more impressive message.
Rating: 
Summary: Sad, but well written
Review: James Agee's "A Death in the Family" is a book written about the bonds of family love. Jay Follet is killed instantly when he is thrown from his car on his way home from seeing his sick father. After his death, his wife, Mary uses Catholicism to cope with her sadness, praying often. We see that Mary is a caring mother by the way she takes great care to explain things to her two children, Rufus and Caroline. I enjoyed the book but felt it dragged somewhat. This may be because the author died while writing the book. Because he was unable to go back and make refinements there are some confusing sections. However, there are some well written flash-back sections. Overall, I liked the unique style the book was written in but I do not think I would recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: A DEATH IN THE FAMILY
Review: James Agee's "A Death in the Family" is a moving novel about the struggles of a family trying to cope with the tragic loss of one of their own. The story, set in Knoxville, Tennessee, is a relatively easy read, despite the fact that some parts are unfinished. Rufus, the protagonist of the story, is shaken from his childhood innocence by the sudden death of his father. He does not fully comprehend what death is and how it will effect him, but by the end of the story he begins to understand.
Religion is a major theme in "A Death in the Family". It also causes many disputes within the family and eventually leads to Rufus' confusion abvout what death really is. Another major theme in the novel is the childhood viewpoint that the story is told from. This helps you to understand what Rufus feels and allows you to sympathize with him.
James Agee uses flashbacks in "A Death in the Family" to give the reader some background information about the family. This helps the reader understand what Jay, Rufus' father, was like. This also helps the reader feel the depth of Rufus' loss. Agee also uses symbolism in the end of the book to convey the thought that life goes on.
"A Death in the Family" is all in all a very moving novel. The lack of vulgarity and profaneness is a nice change from most books. I would recomend it to anyone.
Rating: 
Summary: So this is how it ends: with a whimper...
Review: James Agee's 1955 novel "A Death in the Family" is considered a classic by some. To me, it is overhyped, and utterly joyless. Mixed in with an interesting story of a young family picking up the pieces after the father dies in a car accident, is the worst "poetic" ramlbings I've ever read. Did Agee really have to break through the flow of the story with annoying musings that make no sense? The mother, a morbid Catholic, tries to deal with death and her husband's lack of faith. Her brother, Andrew, is easily the best character. With skepticism of religion, and his conflicted emotions, he is an understandable character. Major boos to a santicmonous "man of God" in the novel.
Rating:
Summary: So this is how it ends: with a whimper...
Review: James Agee's 1955 novel "A Death in the Family" is considered a classic by some. To me, it is overhyped, and utterly joyless. Mixed in with an interesting story of a young family picking up the pieces after the father dies in a car accident, is the worst "poetic" ramlbings I've ever read. Did Agee really have to break through the flow of the story with annoying musings that make no sense? The mother, a morbid Catholic, tries to deal with death and her husband's lack of faith. Her brother, Andrew, is easily the best character. With skepticism of religion, and his conflicted emotions, he is an understandable character. Major boos to a santicmonous "man of God" in the novel.
Rating: 
Summary: boring
Review: maybe i am just dense but i don't understand why this novel is so highly regarded. to me it is just plain dull and boring. i especially don't like the fact that is unfinished and parts of the manuscript are stuck in. these unfinished pieces are weird and confusing. i absolutely loathed reading it, but i must admit it does have a little merit in its exploration of how children and humans deal with unexpected death.
Rating:
Summary: A great read despite the rough spots
Review: My first interest is this book came after seeing a performance of Samuel Barber's "Knoxville:Summer of 1915". Before the piece was performed there was a reading from "A Death in the family" upon which the opera was based. When I began reading I imediately understood why Agee's writing style would inspire such a beautiful piece of music. No, the book is not perfect. It is tedious in spots and parts of it just don't work, but it is some of the most beautiful prose I have ever read. It captures a world from a childs point of view: the dreamlike description of the child's environment, his love and trust in his parents, his sense of time etc. I believe this book is well-worth the read despite the rough spots. As another reviewer pionted out it is good to remember that the author died before completing the editing process.
Rating:
Summary: Captures beautifully Knoxville Summer of 1915
Review: My interest in this book came about after seeing a performance of Samuel Barber's opera "Knoxville Summer of 1915". Before the performance there was reading from "A Death in the Family" the book for which the opera was named. A few days later I purchased the book. When I began reading I immediately understood why Agee's writing would inspire such a beautiful piece of music. No, the book is not perfect. It is tedious and repetitive in spots and some parts just don't work, but it is some of the most beautiful prose I have ever read. Agee does a wonderful job of capturing the world from a child's point of view: the almost dream-like descriptions of the Rufus' environment; the love and trust he has invested in his parents,in God and in the world; the sleepy sense that time is moving slowly for him etc. I believe the book is well worth the read despite the rough spots. As another reviewer pointed out the book was unfinished at the time of the author's death, and I believe this certainly accounts for many of the rough spots. It also offers a unique chance to see a published novel as somewhat of a work in progress and to learn something about the writing process. This is one of my most cherished books.
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