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A Gathering of Old Men
A Gathering of Old Men
Author: Ernest J. Gaines
A Gathering of Old Men — Ernest J. Gaines — "Early in this eloquent novel... a sheriff is summoned to a sugarcane plantation, where he finds one young white woman, about eighteen old black men, and one dead Cajun farmer. The sheriff is sure he knows who killed the Cajun -- although each of the men is toting a shotgun, only one of them could hit a...  more »
ISBN: 175833
Publication Date: 1983
Pages: 214
Rating:
  • Currently 5/5 Stars.
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5 stars, based on 2 ratings
Publisher: Vintage Books
Book Type: Hardcover
Other Versions: Paperback, Audio Cassette, Audio CD
Members Wishing: 1
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reviewed A Gathering of Old Men on + 813 more book reviews
This is a novel that is written in an unusual format. It is told through the separate recollections of several of the participants in a bizarre confrontation. In the 1970s, on a Louisiana Plantation, a Cajun farmer is shotguned dead, presumably by an ancient Negro. The proprietress, a young white woman, immediately takes charge and assumes responsibility. She gathers at the scene all of the old Negroes in the area with their shotguns and a spent cartridge; all of whom assume responsibility for the killing. Why? To stymie the sheriff, of course! But, also to confront an anticipated lynch mob: the victim's family. But, who really killed âCock Robin?â Here is a book that you can easily read at a single sitting. The outcome is not what you will expect.
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