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 2,608 reviews

Moods

emotional 75%
sad 71%
reflective 67%
challenging 44%
dark 31%
tense 19%
inspiring 18%
informative 13%
hopeful 11%

Pace

medium 46%
slow 43%
fast 10%

Plot- or character-driven?

Character: 77% | A mix: 18% | Plot: 4%

Strong character development?

Yes: 81% | It's complicated: 16% | N/A: 1% | No: 1%

Loveable characters?

Yes: 50% | It's complicated: 38% | No: 9% | N/A: 1%

Diverse cast of characters?

Yes: 74% | No: 10% | It's complicated: 9% | N/A: 6%

Flaws of characters a main focus?

Yes: 77% | It's complicated: 15% | No: 7%

Average rating

3.84

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Content Warnings

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