Historical Fiction · DarkA first-person novel of the 1831 Virginia slave rebellion
The Confessions of Nat Turner
From a jail cell, Nat Turner recalls his life and the Southampton County rebellion
In a Virginia jail in November 1831, Nat Turner, an enslaved man, awaits execution for leading the Southampton County rebellion. In flashbacks he recalls his life while the lawyer Thomas Gray urges him to confess. The narrative traces Turner's enslavement and his growing conviction that he has a religious mission.
More about this book
Who
Nat Turner, the narrator; Thomas Gray, the lawyer who urges him to confess; and Turner's successive owners.
World
Southampton County, Virginia, in August 1831, framed by a jail cell in November 1831.
What makes it different
It is based on the 1831 confession Turner gave to Thomas R. Gray. It won the 1968 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction but drew strong criticism: many African American critics considered the portrayal of Turner unfair, and in 1968 ten Black writers published essays in response.
Feel
Heavy and serious, told in Turner's own voice. It remains a contested book.
Page count and cover shown for: Selected edition
Behind the book
The novel is based on the 1831 confession Turner gave to Thomas R. Gray, which Gray published. In 1968, ten Black writers published essays responding to the novel.
Source: Wikipedia
Further reading
- The Confessions of Nat TurnerWikipedia