A Lesson Before Dying: A Novel

Ernest J. Gaines

Jan 2004 · Sold by Vintage

About this ebook

NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD WINNER • A deep and compassionate novel about a young man who returns to 1940s Cajun country to visit a Black youth on death row for a crime he didn't commit. Together they come to understand the heroism of resisting.

"An instant classic." —Chicago Tribune

A “majestic, moving novel...an instant classic, a book that will be read, discussed and taught beyond the rest of our lives" (Chicago Tribune), from the critically acclaimed author of A Gathering of Old Men and The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman.

"A Lesson Before Dying reconfirms Ernest J. Gaines's position as an important American writer." —Boston Globe

"Enormously moving.... Gaines unerringly evokes the place and time about which he writes." —Los Angeles Times

“A quietly moving novel [that] takes us back to a place we've been before to impart a lesson for living.” —San Francisco Chronicle

Ratings and reviews

I read a lot, and when I heard the amount of hype towards this book, I thought it would be up on my list as an amazing read. Sure Gaines takes you through a very poor time in history, and through these deep emotions.. But honestly it wasn't the best on this topic that I've read. It's moving, but not that moving. It's deep, but not that deep. An enjoyable read if you have the time, or need a good book for a school report. (There are many different angles you can approach this novel for an essay.) But there are better classics out there. (And the quote on the front is very contradictory. Nothing can be an "instant classic" Classics mean they have been around a very long time and are still respected/loved. 15 years is nothing. Common' people, learn your English.)

I love A Lesson Before Dying By Earnest Gaines. I read this book in 8th grade and I found this book truly interesting. I usually dont like stories that take place in older times, but I found myself wanting to read more and more of the book. This book teaches many moral lessons and as a ninth grader I think it is a great book to read. I truly recommend this book to people looking for a great book to read because this book will pull you in on the first page!!! Read this book!!!

MY 12 YEAR OLD COZINE READ THE BOOK AND SHE REALY LIKED IT SHE SAID ''THIS BOOK IS ABOUT A MAN THAT LEARNS A LESSON ABOUT DYING AND STELLING PS..... SHE WANT TO READ IT ANOTHER SOMEMORE

About the author

ERNEST GAINES was born on a plantation in Pointe Coupée Parish near New Roads, Louisiana, which is the Bayonne of all his fictional works. He is writer-in-residence emeritus at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. In 1993 Gaines received the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Fellowship for his lifetime achievements. In 1996 he was named a Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, one of France’s highest decorations. He and his wife, Dianne, live in Oscar, Louisiana.