Let Us Now Praise Famous Men
Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 1941
432
Book • Nonfiction
American South • 1930s
1941
Adult
18+ years
Let Us Now Praise Famous Men by James Agee, with photography by Walker Evans, is an uncompromising look at the lives of three impoverished tenant farmer families in Depression Era Alabama. Through a mix of meditative prose and striking, black and white photographs, the book provides an intimate portrayal of their daily struggles and hardships while exploring the complex relationship between the documentarians and their subjects. The book includes themes of severe poverty and hunger.
Gritty
Melancholic
Contemplative
Informative
Challenging
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James Agee's Let Us Now Praise Famous Men receives acclaim for its poignant prose and unflinching portrayal of tenant farmers during the Great Depression. Critics laud its emotional depth and innovative blend of journalism and literature. However, some find its dense, often meandering style challenging. Overall, it's celebrated as a powerful, albeit demanding, read.
Readers who appreciate deeply introspective, poetic prose and photographic documentation will enjoy Let Us Now Praise Famous Men by James Agee. Fans of works like Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath or Walker Evans' photography could find this exploration of sharecropper lives equally compelling and moving.
4,251 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
432
Book • Nonfiction
American South • 1930s
1941
Adult
18+ years
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