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
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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 3,805 reviews

Moods

emotional 80%
sad 73%
reflective 64%
challenging 47%
dark 38%
tense 20%
inspiring 17%
informative 14%
hopeful 13%

Pace

medium 45%
slow 39%
fast 14%

Plot- or character-driven?

Character: 70% | A mix: 21% | Plot: 7%

Strong character development?

Yes: 80% | It's complicated: 14% | No: 4%

Loveable characters?

Yes: 53% | It's complicated: 35% | No: 10% | N/A: 1%

Diverse cast of characters?

Yes: 78% | No: 10% | It's complicated: 8% | N/A: 3%

Flaws of characters a main focus?

Yes: 75% | It's complicated: 18% | No: 5%

Average rating

3.85

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