Rating: 
Summary: required reading
Review: this is a powerful book, a book to make you cringe and leave you on the verge of starting over: to live inside it for a while no matter that it hurts. should be required reading for all registering voters in the us. author, janice daugharty--"like a sister"
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful and inspirational
Review: I very much enjoyed "A Lesson Before Dying" for several reasons. First of all, as an opponent of the death penalty, I think this novel describes perfectly the horrors of being forced to face death, as well as the tragedy of an innocent being put to death. It also beautifully illustrates the hardships and prejudices that many people, especially African Americans, endured in the past, not only with the law, but with acceptance in society as well. I hoped throughout the entire novel that Jefferson's fate would change, yet knew it never would, due to the ignorance present in the white community by which he was judged. The whole novel was written from the heart and was very inspiring, in spite of the sadness involved.
Rating: 
Summary: EXCELLENT!
Review: This novel by Ernest J. Gaines is excellent. A worthwhile novel to read, you will not be disapointed. A young, black male teacher and a convicted black male teen find a friendship in each other and teach each other many important lessons about life.
Rating:
Summary: slow to start, last chapter unforgettable
Review: i had a difficult time getting through this book. i often questioned why it had made the Oprah book club list. alas, i moved forward and as a result was hardly prepared for the emotions that sprung forth from me as i read the last chapter...can someone say TISSUES! amazing! i recommend this book whole heartedly and hope others are as moved as i was.
Rating:
Summary: Dying With Dignity
Review: This compelling novel written by a wonderful author, Ernest Gaines, changed my perspective on the world as I once viewed it. Life was very uneasy for the African Americans back during the time in which this book was to be taken place, and I feel that Gaines emphasizes that point as he displays the story of an innocent black man on death row for a crime that he did not take any part in. Jefferson, the man being charged for the murders of a storekeeper named Mr. Grope and Jefferson's two friends "Bear" and "Brother", was not only going to be sent to his early death for a crime that he didn't committ, but he was about to walk to the electric chair thinking that he was nothing but a "hog." Luckily he had a very loving godmother named Miss Emma who convinced an educated black schoolteacher by the name of Grant Wiggins to visit Jefferson until the day of his death and teach him to die like a man, not a hog. Although Grant Wiggins was one of the lucky victims of racism who got a high education, he hated his career, for he felt that his race would not amount to their fullest potential if the world continued to treat people with so much disrespect for living. He formed a close bond with Jefferson, but most importantly, he was able to serve his purpose: He taught Jefferson that a man must walk confidently toward his death knowing that he is a man and nothing less. This novel inspired me to believe that everyone must stive to their fullest potential and hold their head up high despite the riticuole that others might give out to them. Ernest Gaines' novel "A Lesson Before Dying" was probably one of the most emotional books that I have ever read.
Rating:
Summary: a lesson before dying
Review: A lesson Before Dying, by Ernest J Gaines, is a moving novel about a black man, Jefferson, who sits on death row. I, an eighth grade student at San Francisco Day School, read this book alongside To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I found that the ideas explored in A Lesson Before Dying, such as discrimination, prejudice, pride and death, were very similar to those introduced through To Kill a Mockingbird. Although the ideas explored were the same, the point of view taken by the narrators in the books differ greatly, as one author is white (Harper Lee), and the other is black (Ernest J. Gaines). These contrasting views are shown best through the narrators expectations for the outcomes of the two trials, which take place in each book. To Kill a mockingbird is about the trial of a black man, Tom Robinson, after he has been accused of raping a white woman. Although it is quite obvious that Tom did not commit the crime, the jury reaches a guilty verdict, as could be expected in the racist time and society in which the book took place. Atticus, (Tom Robinson's lawyer and the father of the narrator, Scout) however, has a very optimistic view in both the start and finish of the case, and believes that as time progresses racism will be diminished through the progressive generations. His views, and the views of Harper Lee, are expressed through his closing argument, which makes it apparent he believes change will come. In the beginning of his closing argument Atticus states that the courtroom is the one place that all men are created equal, "...a pauper the equal of a Rockefeller, the stupid man the equal of Einstein, and the ignorant man the equal of any college president." He finishes his closing argument with: "I am confident that you gentlemen will review without passion the evidence you have heard, come to a decision, and restore this defendant to his family. In the name of God, do your duty." The events which take place in A Lesson Before Dying, are very similar to those occurring in To Kill A Mocking bird: a young black man (Jefferson) is put on trial for a crime he didn't commit, and although it is apparent he is innocent, the white jury returns with a guilty verdict. The view of the narrators Grant Wiggins, an educated black school teacher, is much more pessimistic than that of Harper Lee/Scout. Grant believes that society will never change and he has no hope that blacks will he treated as equal as time progresses. This is shown through the opening lines of the book, "I was not there, yet I was there. No, I did not go to the trial, I did not hear the verdict, because I knew all the time what it would be." Grant thinks, that even though Jefferson did not commit the crime, the white jury will find him guilty. He has no hope that this racism will change, not with this case, and not ever. Reading A Lesson Before Dying taught me not only about the ideas of racism and justice, but also made me realize how strongly an authors background and personal feelings reflect upon their writing. It was very clear how differently the two authors felt about racism and the future of blacks in this country. Ernest J. Gaines felt less hopeful because he himself had experienced racism, and he understood how hard it would be to break out of this mold which people followed. Harper Lee, on the other hand, being white, was more hopeful that this mold would be broken, not realizing how severe discrimination really was. Had A Lesson Before Dying been written by an author of a different race, particularly a white person, it would have turned out to be a very different book, and I therefore realize how deeply an authors personality and beliefs impact their writing. A Lesson Before Dying was a very well written and realistic book which helped to broaden my view on the issues of discrimination, the death penalty, and many others.
Rating:
Summary: bring along a box of tissues
Review: I recently finished reading A Lesson Before Dying, by ErnestJ. Gaines. I really enjoyed it because it gave me new opinions aboutdiscrimination, injustice, pride, dignity, and the death penalty. I read this book for my eighth grade English class; my class was assigned an independent reading project that relates to our studies of To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. A Lesson Before Dying and To Kill a Mockingbird both take place in small segregated towns, in which a young black man is convicted of a crime and sentenced to death. Although the two books have similar plots, the books have different themes and viewpoints. A Lesson Before Dying is narrated by a young, black, educated man named Grant; To Kill a Mockingbird is narrated by a white girl in her youth named Scout. Since the two narrators are of different ages and different races, the viewpoints of each book are dissimilar. Grant is older, more educated, and more experienced than Scout; but moreover, Grant is black and Scout is white. This causes them to have varying thoughts and opinions. Their ideas about how society will attempt to abolish racism differ. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout shows that she and her family really want to change the way racism plays a huge role in their town. They want to free Tom Robinson, the black defendant, and allow him to live a fair life; they want to do away with all existence of racism. In A Lesson Before Dying, Grant is sent to Jefferson's jail cell to teach him one lesson: to die simply like a man. "I want you-- yes, you-- to call them Liars. I want you to show when that you are as much a man-- more a man then they can ever be. That jury? You call them men? That judge? Is he a man? The governor is no better. They play by the rules their forefathers created hundreds of years ago. Their forefathers said that we're only three-fifths human-- and they believe it to this day." All that Grant asked of Jefferson was that he stand up to their authority, the white people, before sitting in the electric chair. Grant believed that this little act would help change the discrimination that existed. This comparison shows that white people are more optimistic that drastic change could happen; they have the authority and can do something to change, but only if they want to. But black people can only see little, if any, change happen; hampered by hundreds of years of trying for change, they have sort of given up, and hope only for little things. It was very interesting to me to find two different perspectives on how discrimination would change. From both books I gained insight into life in small, southern, and segregated towns during the Great Depression. I highly recommend both books: To Kill a Mockingbird simply because it is an enjoyable well-written classic, and A Lesson Before Dying because it is has a depressing, but truthful plot and a touching end which will not only teach Jefferson a lesson before dying, but the reader as well.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book!
Review: Ernest J. Gaines's, A Lesson Before Dying, was a great book. The characters in the book were very well developed. The main theme in the story was; heroism is not discrimination, racism, and the death penalty. The setting of the book was during the time when racism was the biggest thing around. During the time period, there were strict rules of blacks using water fountains for blacks, sitting in the back of the bus, eating in a black only cafe, etc. This book was very strong and contained many different views of racism. Harper Lee's, To Kill A Mockingbird, was similar to this book because they both contained signs of racism and discrimination. Both stories had a character(s) who defended blacks, trying to show that they weren't bad or to be discriminated against. From reading this book, I found that Blacks or any other kind of race different from whites, should be respected and not treated with cruelty. I recommend this book to everyone because this book can really tell you lots of things. This book teaches you lessons about how to judge people and that violence is not the way to solve things. I think that this book is not only a story, but also a book filled with advice and lessons which people learn overtime. This was a great book.
Rating:
Summary: A Moving Book
Review: I was moved by a fictional book called A Lesson Before Dying byErnest J. Gaines. Our eighth grade English class in San Francisco wasstudying racism as shown in twentieth century literature. I chose this book to compare to the classic, To Kill a Mockingbird, which we were studying as a class project. A Lesson Before Dying and To Kill a Mockingbird are about similar subjects in that two wrongly convicted black men must be sent to death because of racism. However, this is where the comparisons end. The points of view of the main characters are radically different. In To Kill a Mockingbird, the main characters are portrayed as optimistic and hopeful for the prisoner's future. However, in A Lesson Before Dying, the main character is extremely pessimistic about his goal of making the prisoner realize he is a man and not a hog. It is interesting to note that the optimistic characters are white, while the pessimistic one is black. Because whites generally had an easier life during the time the stories were based, they were bound to have a more positive outlook on life. This is unlike the cynical point of view of the black character in A Lesson Before Dying. He, like most blacks during that time, was treated badly by racist whites. A Lesson Before Dying is about two black men's struggles in a Southern racist town. The tone makes it clear that each man is imprisoned in his own way. The story is narrated by Grant, an opinionated school teacher who is frustrated with small-town life, but is too reluctant to leave. The other character, Jefferson, is wrongfully convicted of murder and living in jail, waiting to die. The tone of the book is set by Grant, whose interpretations of his surroundings and relationships with others make the story so moving. When Grant is told to make Jefferson feel like a man before he is executed, all of the emotions of his own life pour into his thoughts for the poor prisoner. This is portrayed through the simple-minded, almost childlike voice of Grant. The reader is taken to the essence of his personal pain and his understanding of Jefferson's fate. To Kill a Mockingbird is considered a classic because it shows that whites can be moved to rebel in times of injustice towards blacks. A Lesson Before Dying is a fascinating comparison because it shows that one's viewpoint is really shaped by experience. I wonder what would have happened if an optimistic white person like Scout was sent in to talk to Jefferson. Would Jefferson have been convinced? Probably not, and the book would not be a believable statement on racism. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in understanding how human experience effects racism.
Rating: 
Summary: A Lesson Before Dying
Review: ...as part of my 8th grade English curriculum, I was asked tochoose an independent reading book. I chose A Lesson Before Dying, byErnest J. Gaines. I read this book while reading To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper lee. There are many similar points that the authors make about racial issues and baout living in the South during the 1940's. A Lesson Before Dying is set in Louisiana just after World War II. Jefferson, a black man, was at the scene of a shoot out. The three other men were killed which left Jefferson as the only survivor. He is convicted of a murder and sentenced to death. Jefferson's defense defends him by saying, "Gentlemen of the jury, be merciful. For God's sake, be merciful. He is innocent of all charges brought against him. But let us say he was not. Let us for a moment say hge was not. What justice would there be to take this life? Justice, gentlemen? Why, I would just as soon put a hog in the electreic chair as this." Jefferson's godmother wanted Jefferson to know that he was a man and not a hog before he dies. She asks Grand Wiggins, a local school teacher, to teach him that he is a man. Grant unwillingly accepts but later learns a valuable lesson. In To Kill a Mockingbird ther is also a trial to prove the innocence of a black man. In each story the man loses hope of becoming free. Both writers had a clear understanding about how race had affected the blacks and both writers didn't try tohide how strong the racism was. It was understood how racist the South was during the 1940's. Througout the whole book Ernest J. Gaines expresses his opinion about racism and segrigation. He tries to tell the reader a story about how improbable it was for a black man to get taken off death row. He also shows how the black people related to the white people and how the Whites related to the blacks. it showed the differences between their two lifestles and how they were seen by each other. Gaines expresses his feeling about racism and segregation in the south through som of the characters in the book such as Jefferson and Grant. This book made me think about how some people treated others like animals, without any respect or worth. I feel the book accurately exhibits the racism the Blacks went through and changed some of my views on racism.
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