For challenge day six, a modern classic, I am choosing the great Mr. Ernest J. Gaines. Gaines' writing resonates with me in a way that stories are supposed to. When I read a book by Ernest Gaines I have an instant sense of recognition. I have the feeling of knowing something of who his characters are and have a sense of familiarity in his settings. For me, Gaines is one of those authors who strikes a bell in his stories and I experience the thrum of his intentions through them. I know that sounds dramatic, but he really does bring it out of me!
His ability to set his reader down smack dab in the middle of the place that he is describing is amazing; especially since all of his stories are relatively short. I can almost hear the characters talking and visualize their mannerisms. Gaines tells his stories in a straight forward way, but brilliantly manages to invoke complicated human emotions, flaws, strengths, and vulnerabilities, in his characters. I know that one hundred years from now Gaines' works will be just as relevant as a look into periods of time in America as it is today.
Now here is where a confession comes in! Last year I had grand plans of having 2017 being my year of Ernest Gaines. I wanted to read/re-read and review all of his work during the course of the year. Now y'all know that was a big fat failure! I had good intentions, heaven knows that I did; but you all know what the road to hell is paved with! I do still plan on collecting and most of all READING all of Ernest Gaines' backlist, I'm just going to be realistic by taking my time, picking them up when the mood strikes, and actually enjoy and appreciate them the way that they should be.
If you'd like to see the post where I lay out my failed plans you can see it here. It really is a good post, if I do say so myself! It has all of his books with descriptions and links to the couple of reviews that I managed to do, a short biography of Ernest Gaines, and a couple of videos of the man himself!
His ability to set his reader down smack dab in the middle of the place that he is describing is amazing; especially since all of his stories are relatively short. I can almost hear the characters talking and visualize their mannerisms. Gaines tells his stories in a straight forward way, but brilliantly manages to invoke complicated human emotions, flaws, strengths, and vulnerabilities, in his characters. I know that one hundred years from now Gaines' works will be just as relevant as a look into periods of time in America as it is today.
Now here is where a confession comes in! Last year I had grand plans of having 2017 being my year of Ernest Gaines. I wanted to read/re-read and review all of his work during the course of the year. Now y'all know that was a big fat failure! I had good intentions, heaven knows that I did; but you all know what the road to hell is paved with! I do still plan on collecting and most of all READING all of Ernest Gaines' backlist, I'm just going to be realistic by taking my time, picking them up when the mood strikes, and actually enjoy and appreciate them the way that they should be.
If you'd like to see the post where I lay out my failed plans you can see it here. It really is a good post, if I do say so myself! It has all of his books with descriptions and links to the couple of reviews that I managed to do, a short biography of Ernest Gaines, and a couple of videos of the man himself!
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