Rating: 
Summary: A Changing of Age
Review: A Gathering of Old Men was assinged to me by my 10th grade literatere teacher. I did not think it was going to be that good but it turned out to be good. I tought it was good of the author not to take a side. I would have never have thought it would have been Charlie since he did let everybody hit him. But that day he changed Beau was there. So Charlie took it out on him. Gil,Beau's brother,Fix's son also changed of age. He stood up to his father. I think the author should have told more about the whites. The end ended good with one of the whites and one of the blacks dead. Many people thought it was about rascism but a don't because it shows favor to both the whites and the blacks.
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Summary: "Gathering" forces coming of age and confronting racism
Review: "A Gathering of Old Men" is one of Gaines premier works. As with his other novels, it takes place along the St. Charles River in Louisiana. Unlike some of Gaines' other works, this book has better and more balanced characterization than any of his other works. It is very important for me as an educator that books dealing with racism present an even and balanced view of the issue--that it not simply show blacks as always and entirely the complete victim. It is also important that all white characters are not presented in a flat monolithic manner. Pleasantly, Gaines accomplishes these goals in "Gathering." The novel, which takes place during the 1960's, is a murder mystery in which the victim is a white overseer on a sugar plantation who is killed by a black man. When news of the murder reaches other black in the parrish, several old men fire their shotguns and go to the crime scene to take credit for the shooting. Countering these characters are the family of the victim who are notorious for exacting Klan-like revenge for any violations of the unwritten race rules in that area. Everyone, the old men, the young people, and the white victim's family, is looking for a fight. The question is who, if anyone, will stand up and say that enough is enough. This is the question Gaines dares to answer in "Gathering." His handling of this question, the question of when it is time to forgive, is very eloquently played out in the ending scenes. It leaves no clear bad guys and no obvious victims. His ending forces each person to admit his or her on complicity in perpetuating racism. For these reasons, I would highly recommend this novel as a classroom or individual read for high school students in grades 10-12 or for any adult reader..Violet R. Jones
Rating: 
Summary: Still A Fan
Review: I have always been an Ernest Gaines fan and I still am. While this book did not bring me to tears like A Lesson Before Dying, it did move me in many ways to read how much the elderly black men endured at the hands of white men early on in their lives. They dealt with so much that they all decided to gather with their weapons and simultaneously confess to a murder that none of them committed. The basis of the storyline itself is ingenious and worth the read. Ernest Gaines is definitely a master of the written word and he proves it yet again.
Rating:
Summary: A great classic!
Review: A GATHERING OF OLD MEN by Ernest J. Gaines is referred to by many as one of the best-written novels on Southern race relations in over 20 years. This story, which takes place in Louisiana during the 1970's, is about how one young white woman and 18 very old black men toting 12-gauge shot guns take a stand to protect a member of their community from some Klansmen who want nothing better than to take the law into their own hands. Beau Boutan, a mean spirited and hateful Cajun farmer, has been shot and killed by a black member of the community. To ensure that this person lives long enough to face a fair trial for the murder, 18 old men stand vigil with their guns, until they are satisfied that the law will be carried out properly. The real dilemma that Sheriff Mapes face upon dealing with these men, is determining which one of them really committed the crime. No amount of bullying and slapping around of them reveals the killer. In fact as each man is questioned, their account of injustices and hatred done to them by Beau Boutan and others like him in the community, made them all justified in killing this man. Still, the law is the law, and killing someone is against the law. Just when it seems a confession is near, this story takes a very surprising turn that no one in this small Southern community expects or will ever forget. It saddens me to hear some reviewers of this story say that if Gaines had written this book today, the "race factor" would probably not have been there; and therefore, the real meaning of this book would have been lost. It is obvious that these folks either have no idea what black life is like in the South, or, they're in serious denial about race relations in America's past and/or present as a whole. I simply hope that those who read this book don't miss out on the fact that this was a story about change and hope. For the first time, these 18 old men who have been submissive all their lives to abuse and racism, finally find the courage to take a stand for what is right. For them, this becomes "their first taste of power" and a passing from the old to the new South.
Rating:
Summary: Taking a Stand
Review: Ernest Gaines clearly demonstrates his love of the land and people of Louisiana in A Gathering of Old Men. In a storyline which has similarities with Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express, eighteen old Afro-American men take a stand by admitting to a murder of the local racist bully Beau Boutan. Their position gives them the authority to redeem their dignity. Ernest Gaines is a masterful writer and a compelling story-teller. The book is structured almost as a number of short stories. Each chapter adds to the whole and is told from a different persons point of view. Each short synapsis provides insight into a new character and the choices and perspectives which they hold. This is a story about changing times, the late 1970's. This is a story about strength and dignity. This is a story about father and son. This is a story about black and white. There is so much involved in this short novel. In addition to that, it is told in a way that is interesting and readable. I had trouble putting the book down. It certainly was one of the more important books I have read in years. I advise anyone concerned about the vitality and diversity found in American Literature to read this.
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Summary: A gathering of old men - faces of a diamond
Review: Gaines carves facets of emotional first person dialogues from the complex diamond of the plot through which the motives for racism, repression, and revenge can be clearly seen. Each testimony, each a gem on its own, spoon feeds the reader glimpses into the buried guilt, anger, and shame of eighteen worn black men. Gaines uses his own brand of regionalism to make the story credible, making each anecdote, each person, distinctive in speech and accent. Similar to the novel, The Grapes of Wrath, in style and diction, Gaines effectively ties together simple sentences of home grown words. The diamond is refined with antitheses and foils. The poise and austerity of old Mathu are reflected in the meekness and inferiority of the preacher Jameson. The core of the diamond is the death of the infamous night rider Beau Boutan. Mapes, the prejudiced sheriff, is called out to investigate the situation and arrest the murderer. Beau Boutan represents the vigilantism and racism of the past and it is ironic that his family, night riders themselves, fight to protect a dead cause. Mapes, the supposed law, would rather apprehend the killer than the cause, characterized by his sucking on a perpetual lifesaver, able to taste but unable to change society. Each blank in every rifle of all of the eighteen old men represents a potential for the past and the future, a chance to forgive and to grow. From these three perspectives the shards of the diamond are built refined and cracked and the diamond focuses light on the future, one without prejudice and hatred.
Rating:
Summary: Good book for advanced readers
Review: This book took place in the 1970's in a small town in the southern united states. I think Charilie realized at the end of the book that he had done many wrongs in his past. When he say what happened to everybody he realized the wrongs in his past ways, and attempeted to put his life on the right track. The suymbolic meaning of the old black men with the shotguns showed how they had a tight knit community. Because if they were willing to put thier innocents on the line for an unknown somebody by holding the possible murder weapon and confessing to the sherrif Mapes. That shows that they would sacfrice themselves for the good of the community. I would compare the town to the town of Mayberry on The Andy Griffith Show. Because how everybody in the town was laid back in the town. Even the sherrif was like Andy Griffith, because he didn't always go by the book. Mapes also had clever ways of investagting and relating to the towns people. I was not a big fan of this book. I had alot of trouble wiht the southern dialog. But if you are into those kinds of books, go check it out. I also had alot of trouble with the chapter setup. Instead of the traditional timeline chapert when each chapeter is a section of the story. It had a chapter for every chacters point of view on the situtaion. Its a challanging book to read, but again if you are into that type of thing I recommend to read it. It is an advanced book for an advanced type of reader, but if you are an easy reader go on to your next choice.
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Summary: Time, social life, and language
Review: In the book "A Gathering Of Old Men" talks about the 1970's in Louisiana, in a huge sugarcane plantation, by this time the social life was very racial, and diferent than how it is now. A white men was murdered and the sheriff though it happened at the hands of a black men, but there was to many people claiming to be guilty, but the sheriff knew than only one had done it. The language used in this story is more like how blaks talk. In my personal opinion this book is a good book but its to confussing at the same time. Its a great book for people who like to read a lot of science ficcion stories.
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Summary: The Discussion of Gathring of Old Men
Review: The Gathering of Old Men is a story that takes place in Lousiana in 1970. It is in a small down town . During this time era there was still racial conflict amoung the white and black communities. One day when a white man in the town is killed named Beau they automatically blame it on a black man. They blame it on an old man Mathu because he was the only one at the scene and he had a shot gun. So all of the old black men in the community go to Mathu's house with shot guns and they don't know who did it. The old men had confused everyone in the town. It ended up being Charlie one of the old men. It is good book because each charcter has symbolic meaning.I wouldn't normally read a book like this one but I thought it was a good a really good book and is very educational.
Rating: 
Summary: old men
Review: This story took place in louisiana. this story can kind of be rlated to maybarry on the andy griffith show. everyone is so layed back.Personaly i think this book was extremely boring. I just could'nt seem to get interested. I would'nt recomend this book to any enthousiest readers.
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