The Known World

The Known World is a 2003 historical novel by Edward P. Jones. Set in Virginia during the antebellum era, it examines the issues regarding the ownership of Black slaves by both White and Black Americans.

The book was published to acclaim, which praised its story and Jones's prose. In particular, his ability to intertwine stories within stories received great praise from The New York Times.

Synopsis
The Known World is told from the perspective of an omniscient narrator who does not voice judgment.

Awards and nominations
The novel won a National Book Critics Circle Award and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2004. In 2005, it won the International Dublin Literary Award, one of the richest literary awards for a novel in the English language. It was a finalist for the 2003 National Book Award.

In 2009, the website The Millions polled 48 critics, writers, and editors; the panel voted The Known World the second best novel since 2000. In 2015, the BBC polled American critics and ranked The Known World the "second greatest novel of the 21st century so far". In 2024, the New York Times ranked it the 4th best book of the 21st century.