Rating: 
Summary: The Real Lessons
Review: Gaines presents the stories of two different yet similar African-American men in the South during the late 1940's. One man, Jefferson, is wrongly convicted of a crime and now believes himself to be less than a man, a hog. Grant, the teacher in the Quarter, feels trapped in a stereotypical cycle and has not yet learned how to be a man. Together, these men break down inner walls of self-hate, pain, and ignorance to become the men that they truly are. Also A Lesson Before Dying is about defying stereotypical roles and assumptions, especially racial stereotypes. In fact, if the reader just reads the book for historical content, then he/she is missing out on the true purpose of this novel. A Lesson Before Dying is about love of self, love of your community and heritage, courage, and inner strength. The book may seem slow, but sometimes the best lessons learned in life are the ones learned over time.
Rating: 
Summary: A lesson well worth learning
Review: A Lesson Before Dying is a simple novel with a life-changing lesson. Set in rural Louisiana in the 1940's, it is a story centered on Grant Wiggins, the local teacher who is sent to teach Jefferson, a man wrongly sentenced to die for a murder he did not commit because he was a black man in the wrong place at the wrong time, to be a man and walk to his death.The novel forces the reader to examine what it is that, makes a man a man, and not an animal in the face of oppression. Jefferson learns that his education and his possessions do not define a man, but rather the respect he has for himself and others. Grant, while teaching Jefferson something to do something Grant could not do himself, learns an important lesson about the value of sacrifice and family. The lessons learned in this novel can be applied not only to the characters themselves, but also to today's society, where dignity and pride are often secondary to material possessions. A thought provoking book that is readable on many levels, A Lesson Before Dying is well worth reading.
Rating:
Summary: A Lesson Worth Learning
Review: A Lesson Before Dying is a novel about Jefferson, a black man sentensed to death for a crime he did not commit. Jefferson is accused of being at the worng place at the wrong time, yet it is because of his color that he is not given a fair trial. This novel shows the hardships, trials, and crooked morals of a white society on a black man.
It is Grant Wiggins, Jefferson's, teacher, who instructs Jefferson to stand up to society and die with dignity. The task undertaken by Grant is not easy because he too being black is treated like a criminal when he visits with Jefferson. However, it is through his unwillingness that Grant himself has a change of mind and wants to visit Jefferson to help him overcome his fear and walk. In short A Lesson Before Dying in the end is a classic.
Rating:
Summary: Struggles in an Unjust Society
Review: Ernest J. Gaines, the author of A Lesson Before Dying, has written a novel that is difficult to put down, though the conclusion is inevitable. Gaines creates a strong emotional power that is set in the story, one that the reader will not likely forget. As the first chapter was read, I began to instantly visualize what the characters were actually seeing. This is definitely a compassionate novel that left me tearful. The story, about two young black men struggling in their unjust society, is set in a small community in Louisiana during the 1940's. Jefferson, who just so happens to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, witnesses a shootout between a white store owner and two black men. It also just so happens that Jefferson is the only survivor and witness. He is put on trial and because of his race, convicted of murder, sentenced to death by electrocution. But before his execution, Jefferson's sickly Godmother's only wish is for him to believe he is a man and not a hog, as the defense had cruelly stated him as. His Godmother believes this can only be done by persuading Grant Wiggins, the school teacher, to gain access to visit Jefferson in prison and help him face his death with dignity. Grant, the educated school teacher, who has returned from the University back to his hometown, is living a life full of problems. Grant struggles with his decision to run away with the woman he loves, although deep inside he knows he cannot leave his aunt. He is also involved in many arguments with his aunt over him not believing in God and also him dating Vivian, his girlfriend. Now Grant must fulfil a wish of a dying old woman, and help Jefferson to die like a man. Eventually through the story the two men acquire a relationship that changes them both.
The beginning of the story was a little boring, but with an urge to finish the book, I kept reading, and it kept getting better the further I read even through the end of the novel. The chapters contained events from one day to the next so it was very easy to understand and pick up where I left off. The only confusing chapter was reading Jefferson's diary. Although I believe it was essential to the novel to include this chapter, it was difficult to read. This chapter lets you understand and realize what exactly Jefferson was thinking and going through right up until his execution. The words written, in this part, would have been exactly like the poor grammar Jefferson would have used because he was almost illiterate. The words written were parts of words with misspellings and no punctuation making me have to slow down the reading and at times think of what words he was actually referring to. This story, I think, dealt with heroism that does not always have to be shown through a persons actions. It also dealt with major issues of race and identity. For example, Grant struggled with being the well educated man he thought he was or being the ... they (meaning the white people) knew he was. This story made me also think how unjustly blacks were treated. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an emotional story that has a meaning to it that can be different to each person depending on how they look at it. Just remember that when you read it do not stop reading it just because you know what the ending will be because each chapter brings more and more meaning to the story.
Rating: 
Summary: Painful but strangely uplifting
Review: Hard to read because of the inevitable outcome: you know from the beginning that this will not have a happy ending.
But definitely a special and emotionally uplifting book, the story of a ignorant man condemned to die for a murder he didn't commit and his rise to pride, his sense of growing self-worth, his ability to go to his death A Man in the best sense of the word, through lessons taught during his prison stay by the village schoolteacher, a man full of education and rage with no outlet. Of course, the schoolteacher is the beneficiary of the lessons learned in ways that will endure beyond the senseless death with which the book of course concludes.
Powerful
Rating:
Summary: well written and good food for thought
Review: I read the cover of this book and decided to read it based on the fact that it is regarded as a classic and seemed interesting. Since this book is fairly well known and the editorial review gives a good synopsis of it, I won't get too much into the details of the story. Instead I'll just focus on what I got out of this powerful novel. It has been said many times that living as a black man even in a highly racist society is easy. If one wishes to fight the white supremist establishment however, it will be hard. Sometimes the hard way is the best way though. In the time period depicted in this book, if a black man stepped out of his place and wanted to be something other than subhuman, then he found much opposition. Grant Wiggins, a school teacher was one of a few blacks from a small cajun community in the late 1940s who found empowerment through resisting the white power establishment. Grant Wiggins grew up around mostly uneducated people none of whom encouraged him to go the college and become a teacher. He did however have people discourage him and tell him that he will always be nothing more than what the white man wants him to be. Wiggins aunt (Jefferson's godmother) encourages him to visit Jefferson in prison and make him a man. After a certain point in the story, the best that Jefferson could do was to become something that none of the whites thought he was or could ever become. The main message I got out of the book is the importance of standing up and being who you really are regardless of the situation. Applying this in our everyday lives sends a very powerful message others who wish to break our spirit.
Rating: 
Summary: You'll Probably Read This In High School
Review: I was force fed this novel in 11th grade English. I won't go into the details of the story as they're written above, but there is one chapter that must be mentioned. The chapter titled "Jefferson's Diary" is the highlight of this novel. It is written without punctuation and with no grammatic consideration. This is where Gaines' ability to write shines through. This chapter is a much needed rest from the previous chapters. I did not find the novel appealing in anyway. The protagonist is weak and annoying. The story drags on and on as Grant tries to help Jefferson become a real man. The metaphors and other literary techniques are present, but the novel is so boring it's not even worth looking for them. The author's writing style is noteworthy, but again it's overshadowed by everything else in the novel. Don't pick it up unless you really need to, and if that's the case, get some kind of summery.
Rating:
Summary: Down South in 1940
Review: A Lesson Before Dying takes place in the South during the 1940's. The main character is a black man named Jefferson who is being put to death for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. As the story goes Jefferson had been picked up by two other black guys who were on there way to a liquor store. The intentions of the men who picked Jefferson up were to ask the owner to give them free liquor. When the men ask the owner for the free liquor he turns them down. This upsets them and cause them to rob the owner. In the battle everyone is shot and killed except for Jefferson. Jefferson notices that everyone is dead and that he had nothing to do with it so to calm his nerves he drinks some whiskey. As he drinks the whiskey he notices that the cash register is open and takes the money. As he is about to leave he runs into some white men who catch him. At the trial he is sentenced to death.
While in jail a man named Grant goes to visit Jefferson and during his visits becomes really close to him. Everytime Grant goes to see Jefferson he tried to explain to him dignity but Jefferson isn't willing to listen but Grant keeps trying. On Grants last visit he gives Jefferson a journal and asks him to write about his thoughts. Jefferson fills the journal with ideas between men and hogs.
I liked the book it made me think about how unjustly blacks were treated. I think it was wrong to put Jefferson to death and all because he was black. This book was very emotional and intense at times. Sometimes the langauge was hard to follow making the book quite difficult.
Rating:
Summary: Touching story
Review: This book was based on a touching story with many lessons to be learn, especially about pride and the tenacity of the human spirit. Gaines pulls you in his world of emotion and doesn't let you go until the last page.
Rating:
Summary: A Mediocre Book for Gaines
Review: I recently read the book, A Lesson before Dying, by Ernest Gaines. I picked up the book because the title grabbed my attention. The actually book is a lot less exciting than the title makes it sound. The first few pages were very interesting but after that it is all down hill.
The book begins with a poor black man, Jefferson, being tried for murder. Although he wasn't the one with the gun that killed the poor white store manager, or the one that actually pulled the trigger, he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Jefferson's lawyer knew he was going to be convicted he asked the jury to not give Jefferson the death penalty because he said why would you want to kill a hog? After the lawyer said that comment it upset Jefferson's grandmother so much that she bound and determined to convince Jefferson that he was a man before he died. And who better to do it than, the black school teacher Mr. Grant Wiggins.
Although you follow Mr. Wiggins' journey to make Jefferson realize that he is a man, you find yourself reading the same thing over and over. There seems to be no big climax and no surprising ending. Gaines does a good job with description of the town and lets you know how hard it was for a black man in that little southern town. But he doesn't go in-depth with any conflicts or make anything happen that would throw a twist in the story.
A Lesson before Dying, was a very disappointing book. I thought that Gaines could have done a better job of making this story interesting but unfortunately he was far from that. I wouldn't recommend this book for a person that enjoys reading a book that has twists and surprises or even a climax.
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