A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines

A Lesson Before Dying

Ernest J. Gaines

256 pages • first pub 1993 (editions)

fiction classics challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

Description

A Lesson Before Dying is set in a small Cajun community in the late 1940s. Jefferson, a young black man, is an unwitting party to a liquor store shoot out in which three men are killed; the only survivor, he is convicted of murder and sentenced to...

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Community Reviews Summary of 3,102 reviews

Moods

emotional 79%
sad 73%
reflective 66%
challenging 47%
dark 37%
tense 21%
inspiring 17%
informative 14%
hopeful 11%

Pace

medium 44%
slow 41%
fast 13%

Plot- or character-driven?

Character: 73% | A mix: 21% | Plot: 4%

Strong character development?

Yes: 81% | It's complicated: 14% | No: 2%

Loveable characters?

Yes: 52% | It's complicated: 35% | No: 10% | N/A: 1%

Diverse cast of characters?

Yes: 73% | No: 12% | It's complicated: 10% | N/A: 4%

Flaws of characters a main focus?

Yes: 76% | It's complicated: 16% | No: 7%

Average rating

3.85

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Content Warnings

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