Bloodline: Five Stories

This is a great collection of short stories. Mr. Gaines is a superb talent. I have never been disappointed by anything he has ever written! One of my favorite authors!

I was going for a Ph.D. in philosophy and wanted to be a professor until I read this book. I dropped out of the graduate program and started to write fiction. This book of short fiction is dark and haunting. The first two stories are the best (A Long Day in November and The Sky is Gray). The stories are simple with a lot of social commentaries of rural Louisiana life. Both deal with black kids trying to make it in a white world. This is a fine collection of stories by a young writer crafting his voice. The writing is simple--one can see the influence of Hemingway--yet there are a lot of social commentaries and subtle psychological insights that Gaines would later hone to perfection. Buy this book. The first two stories are classics and should be read by all people. Also recommended: The Gospel of Arnie

I was going for a Ph.D. in philosophy and wanted to be a professor until I read this book. I dropped out of the graduate program and started to write fiction. This book of short fiction is dark and haunting. The first two stories are the best (A Long Day in November and The Sky is Gray). The stories are simple with a lot of social commentaries of rural Louisiana life. Both deal with black kids trying to make it in a white world. This is a fine collection of stories by a young writer crafting his voice. The writing is simple--one can see the influence of Hemingway--yet there are a lot of social commentaries and subtle psychological insights that Gaines would later hone to perfection. Buy this book. The first two stories are classics and should be read by all people. Also recommended: How to Lose Your Faith in Divinity School

Bloodline is an excellent collection of 5 short stories that describe interesting plantation life in rural Louisana. As usual,Mr. Gaines, brings dignity , respect, and admiration to the ordianry African American characters. None of the characters are victims who are wise, who understand the system that has been designe to keep them oprreseed. In the genius understanding, they weave the situation sot hat they are clearly the winners even though the oppressors never recognize it. Above all, Mr. Gaines portrays African American males as real men inspite of the odds they encounter. This is a wonderful read and is a must. I have read Catherine Carmier(love it) and Lessons Before Dyinng. Plan to read The Gathering of Old Men and Of Love snd Dust next.

Mr. Gaines writes aboout places and people who my family readily recognizes. We are first generation Californians and our family base is in Louisiana. All the places,faces and social situations are so familiar that in my lit class I was able to answer questions from other students. This book is wonderful reading. If you want a sense of Louisiana without the travel time, read anything written by Ernest Gaines.