A Gathering of Old Men

During the reading of this book, as a midwestern white woman, I developed a new appreciation for why today, blacks still feel the effects of past oppression at the hands of whites. The book was set in the 1970s, giving readers a good perspective on why the tensions still persist.

I enjoyed the sense of unity that was present in the black community in this novel, and cheered the determination of each of the characters while they stood to make their point.

The only negative I found in the book was the confusion brought on by the number of characters in the cast. At times it was difficult to keep them all straight. However, as I write this, Im thinking that maybe that was the point. I was forced to keep looking back and reviewing, as I learned to identify each of them as individuals.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is willing to work a little at a worthwhile read.

This book is well written. I loved the detail given to describe each character. This, I feel, is part of the uniqueness of the book. Mr. Gaines allows us the opportunity to explore many of the "old mens" decision making processes. I, then, analyzed my own feelings and what I would do had I been on that plantation in Louisiana.

Race relations, of course, is the gist of the book. It is not, however, a "take up arms, Im ready for a revolution" type of theme. It simply shows one incident in which black pride and cohesion was displayed.

The book is fairly short and difficult to put down. I read it in one sitting. I would highly recommend it. It was a nice deviation from my usual relationship novels.