Rating: 
Summary: One of the most emotionally draining books I have ever read.
Review: A simple story, simply told that packs an incredible emotional punch. In this story of a black teacher struggling to appreciate his own worth, who tries to "teach" a condemned man what it is to be human, Gaines demonstrates that individual worth and dignity are part of us all. This is the sort of book to read at one sitting, but be prepared to remember it for a long time.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent, well written book
Review: This book deals with a young black man about to face death in the electric chair in a small southern town. It's not about whether he is guilty or not guilty, but how he deals with the end of his life on earth and how the people who have known him all his life relate to him. I'm not black, and I do believe in Capital Punishment, but this book puts you in the shoes of loved ones who have to deal with death. If this book doesn't touch your heart, you're already dead.
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Summary: For background on Ernest Gaines
Review: _A Lesson Before Dying_ is a great American novel and Mr. Gaines is one of our country's greatest novelists. Readers interested in stimulating discussions of his books should pick up a copy of _Critical Reflections on the Fiction of Ernest J. Gaines_ (University of Georgia Press).
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Summary: A Lesson all the characters learned about human dignity.
Review: What a great story. A tale of human dignity, and the promise of redemption. Gaines weaves a wonderful tale about a black man condemned to death in a prejudiced manner typical of the south in the 1940's. Names like "Jefferson" and "Grant" become names for heros again despite the story's all-too-real depiction of the mechanistic process of injustice. Grant Wiggins, the unwilling teacher who is given the task of teaching the condemned Jefferson, is the narrator, for he is aware, as an educated man, of the many voices and opinions held by the others, even if he doesn't agree with them. The place of religion is interesting, pitting the beliefs of the classic black preacher, Reverend Ambrose, against the agnostic, academic Wiggins. I, too, would like to have heard more from Vivian Baptiste, Wiggins' girlfriend. The timeline of the story is the timeline of the black children's school year, roughly October to April, a down time on the plantation, when these children can be free to learn their lessons. "A Lesson Before Dying" is a lesson for everyone about freedom, about heroism, about having strength and resolve in a time and place where oppression drained them both. I don't know what the anonymous detractors above are talking about. I truly recommend this book to anyone who likes a good story.
Rating: 
Summary: A serious novel that raises pertinent questions.
Review: This is a quality literary novel about characters in realistic situations that matter. This book will stay with you long after you've finished reading it. If you liked it, I recommend The Children Bob Moses Led, a novel about Freedom Summer 1964 written by William Heath.
Rating:
Summary: Touching
Review: I usually don't read this type of book - prefer mysteries and science fiction, but read it on Oprah's recommendation. It was an incredible experience - and has continued to touch me to this day. It is worth the read, and prepare to have your eyes opened and your heart moved. I recommend it to everyone who loves to read.
Rating:
Summary: A Powerful Story, Quietly Told
Review: It's 1948 and Grant Wiggins, an intelligent young black man in the deep South, is frustrated at every turn. He hates his job. He's forced to live with his aunt. The woman he loves is still married to a man who won't divorce her. And he's teaching in a poor church school even though he doesn't believe in Heaven. To top it all off, his aunt's good friend, Miss Emma, has just seen her God-son Jefferson convicted of murder and sentenced to death....and she wants Grant to teach the hulking illiterate something before he dies.This is the conflict in Ernest J. Gaines' fine novel, A LESSON BEFORE DYING (Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1993; 256 pages). And what a conflict it is. In Gaines' capable hands, what could have been a standard potboiler with preachy overtones (something along the lines of Grisham's A TIME TO KILL) becomes instead an almost profound examination of what it means to be human, and to live (or die?) with dignity. This is in no small way achieved by Gaines' inherent restraint. In telling the story, the elements of anger and violence are there, but not exploited. This is no easy task; among the themes are prejudice and oppression. Yet Gaines makes the reader feel their presence without acting as a literary hammer. It's this approach which makes the quiet desperation of his protagonist seem so realistic. Wiggins always seems about ready to crack at the seams in his frustration, and his "tutoring" of Jefferson is for him, at first, just another unwanted burden. But as he faces the oppression in his own life, he begins to see how important his mission actually is, both to Jefferson and to himself. "I want you to show them the difference between what they think you are and what you can be," Grant says, trying to reach the doomed teen. "To them, you're nothing but another nigger--no dignity, no heart, no love for your people. You can prove them wrong. You can do more than I can ever do. I have always done what they wanted me to do....But you can be better. Because we need you to be and want you to be." It's a naked moment for Grant, and one that explains the inner hatred he has for his job, his family, and himself. A LESSON BEFORE DYING has recently received a boost from Oprah Winfrey (she has recommended it on her show as part of her Book Club), and in this she has served the reading public well. It's rare these days to read a novel with a somewhat legalistic theme and come away with a better understanding of humanity. It is also a fine way to be introduced to Gaines, a consistently good writer whose work deserves an even wider audience.
Rating:
Summary: Powerful and Poignant
Review: Even though it wasn't set in my hometown, A Lesson Before Dying took me back to growing up in Memphis, Tennessee a little over 30 years ago. Mr Gaines captured the texture, the feel of the time, that two-sided behavior that African Americans (then Negro or Colored) had to follow. He caught all of the frustrations of being a second class citizen, the expected subserviant behavior that all people of color were supposed to maintain, even when your learning surpassed those who held onto supremist attitudes. The story was moving, very real. Racism was in the story, but it wasn't racist. I grew up with people like those represented, both black and white. At times you wondered who the real prisoner was, those inside the bars, or those on the outside.. Mr. Gaines, I applaude you. (eric jerome dickey, Author of " Sister, Sister" and "Friends and Lovers")
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Summary: It touched my heart...what a great book!
Review: As a voracious reader, I find that many books disappear from my memory pretty quickly. This book really touched me--it made me think...care...feel ...cry. I have passed it on to 5 of my coworkers so far, and it's still going. Every single one of them loved it, and I love getting to talk to them about it after they finish. Mr. Gaines, my thanks for a truly inspiring piece of work.
Rating: 
Summary: real disappointment
Review: This was a real overwrought tale of "injustice". What surprised me the most was how truely racist it was, not against blacks, but against whites. The plot may have occurred years ago, but the writer's sentiments were clearly written with a racist attitude from right now. Want to read a real story of injustice, read "Snow In August" by Pete Hamill. He doesn't color the time about which he is writing with his own current attitudes and opinions.
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