Will Barrett books in order

Q: "How many books are in the Will Barrett series?"

"There are two books in the Will Barrett series, published between 1966 and 1980."

Q: "What is the first book in the Will Barrett series?"

"The first book in the Will Barrett series is The Last Gentleman, published in 1966."

Q: "Do I need to read The Last Gentleman before The Second Coming?"

"While The Second Coming (1980) follows the same character fourteen years later, it works as a standalone novel. Reading The Last Gentleman first enriches the experience by providing Will Barrett's backstory and the events that shaped him, but it's not required to understand or enjoy the later book."

Reading order

#	Title	Published	Author	Buy on Amazon
1	The Last Gentleman	1966	Walker Percy	Buy
2	The Second Coming	1980	Walker Percy	Buy

The Will Barrett novels follow a young Southern man whose psychological struggles mirror the broader disorientation of American life. The Last Gentleman (1966) introduces Will as a “watcher and waiter” — a young man so afflicted by deja vu and fugue states that he can barely engage with the world around him. A cross-country journey with a dying young man and his family becomes a quest for something Will can’t quite name.

The Second Coming (1980) picks up with Barrett in middle age, now wealthy and outwardly successful but still haunted by the same existential restlessness. His encounter with a young woman who has escaped from a mental institution — and who suffers from her own form of disconnection — leads to a love story that Percy treats as both romantic and philosophical. The two novels are among Percy’s most personal works, drawing on his own experience of depression and his conversion to Catholicism.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the Will Barrett series?

There are two books in the Will Barrett series, published between 1966 and 1980.

What is the first book in the Will Barrett series?

The first book in the Will Barrett series is The Last Gentleman, published in 1966.

Do I need to read The Last Gentleman before The Second Coming?

While The Second Coming (1980) follows the same character fourteen years later, it works as a standalone novel. Reading The Last Gentleman first enriches the experience by providing Will Barrett’s backstory and the events that shaped him, but it’s not required to understand or enjoy the later book.

Reading order#

Frequently Asked Questions

Reading order