What other books would you compare Natchez Burning to?

Natchez Burning is unlike most thrillers in its length and the fact that it will remind some of classic literary fiction. What other books would you compare it to?

Hard to really compare it to most books. I guess that it is a bit of Grapes of Wrath. Les Miserables and To Kill a Mockingbird.

Not sure that it is comparable to anything I have previously read. It is definitely classic literary fiction and at times I wondered if it wasn't historical fiction. It is important reading about a very sad era in our history.

It reminded me in parts of A Time to Kill. Penn compared his father to Atticus Finch and having just read Go Set a Watchman it was an closer likeness to me.

Personally, I hate book comparisons as they always seem to set me up for disappointment. I agree with others, that NATCHEZ BURNING is incomparable. Parts of the book remind me of other authors and books, but the overall tone and scope of NATCHEZ BURNING is like nothing I've ever read.

NATCHEZ BURNING is comparable to any book which deals with the topics of segregation, the KKK, the South, the North and the plight of any individual or group of individuals perceived as different and prejudiced against.

I so agree with "viviant." Natchez Burning is an entity in itself. I simply loved this book—the best so far of all his stories. I'm so anxious for the next installments.

Hard to compare it to anything as far as the content. As far as keeping me interested it was like Pillars of the Earth. I just had to keep reading to see what would happen. My parents moved to Mississippi in 1963 and I was raised there (though not in Natchez) and it was interesting to see what was going on in the state at that time. In some ways it was a frightening place to move to but we never saw any problems that I remember and I still consider it my home town since I was only 6 when we moved there and do not remember my first home. This is a thrilling, fast paced read and one I would recommend to anyone who likes good murder mysteries.

It does remind me of Ken Follet's Century Trilogy. It does very much feel like historic fiction - well researched and strong in character development.

Natchez Burning stands alone. I'm not a fan of book comparing, each book/author should be recognized for their individual efforts.

It is in a class of it's own. Being both a historic novel and a murder mystery, it combines elements that aren't in other fictions. Although containing a lot of characters in a lengthy book, it is still easy to follow. It was well researched.

I find it difficult to compare as well.

It is hard to compare this to other books. It was well written as a piece of literature, more than a thriller, yet had the components of a thriller. It was a great read!

It is unique!

As others have said, I find it difficult to make a comparison as well. For me, NATCHEZ BURNING is as much historical fiction as a thriller or mystery. It portrays a chapter of the United States' history that is far from over. Theme-wise,having recently finished GO SET A WATCHMAN, I see a slight basis of comparison. Recalling the film MISSISSIPPI BURNING, based on the fact of some of the events used in this book, I can see obvious similarities.

I thought it was very "John Grishammy" specifically in relation to modern day protagonists dealing with civil rights era hate crimes. I also thought it struck that similar chord of affection for the South - both Iles and Grisham are southerners. They are excellent story tellers, fleshing out even their most despicable characters. It wasn't as attorney-based (interesting as Penn is a lawyer but that seemed far less of a motivation for him than being a son) as most Grishams, but it WAS a page turner, and I will be reading the subsequent novels in the trilogy.

As I scrolled down to type my reply, I saw that someone else had mentioned A TIME TO KILL. Despite the passage of all the years since the assassination of John F Kennedy, Bobby Kennedy, and Martin Luther King, it still was unsettling to have characters in a book joking about killing these political leaders.