A review by tawallah
A Gathering of Old Men by Ernest J. Gaines
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Whilst this is not as great as A Lesson before dying, it still the ability to mesmerize the reader.
Set in the 1970s in a dying small village(generous term I’m using) in Bayonne Louisana, old men are called to gather at the house of Mathu. There lies the dead body of Beau Boutan, a Cajun farmer from a family well known for mob violence.
It is quite difficult to tell a poly vocal narrative. And Gaines managed it with finesse in under 300 pages. Each adds to the story with a backstory and new perspective on current tale. This interweaving was seamless and cohesive. Unfortunately it flags in the last 50 pages but then has an unexpected twist.
Will be reading all of the author’s books and looking forward to dipping back into this one.
Set in the 1970s in a dying small village(generous term I’m using) in Bayonne Louisana, old men are called to gather at the house of Mathu. There lies the dead body of Beau Boutan, a Cajun farmer from a family well known for mob violence.
It is quite difficult to tell a poly vocal narrative. And Gaines managed it with finesse in under 300 pages. Each adds to the story with a backstory and new perspective on current tale. This interweaving was seamless and cohesive. Unfortunately it flags in the last 50 pages but then has an unexpected twist.
Will be reading all of the author’s books and looking forward to dipping back into this one.