The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman

Very good story of one woman's life. I really enjoyed it and it is well written. The only reason I gave four stars is because the ending could have been tighter. I feel like some of it could have been removed without effecting the story at all. Still the history outweighs the slow wind up. It's worth your time!

I do enjoy reading about Africian History. I'v seen the movie several times, i must have really liked it. It was so amazing she lived to be over 100 years old and was able to share her life with us.

It turns out that it was a complete invention of the author. And we know how that can turn out. (I've read Alex Haley's Roots: The Saga of an American Family)

I'd thought that it was the autobiography of a REAL person who actually lived, as told to Ernest Gaines.

Verdict: I don't recommend this book.

Had to read it for school, and I think I'm not going to want to read ever again if I keep having to read boring books like this. I found myself not really caring much about Miss Pittman, she never does anything. She just cooks while people die around her with small reaction on her part. Really all she does is tell awful jokes like calling someone monkey boy dog and thinking it's hilarious. Avoid this book if you can, unlike me.

Very interesting first-person account of a young slave girl and her younger brother coming to grips with how far it is to get to (Free) Ohio as the Civil War moves past and provides her the opportunity.

Ernest J. Gaines' Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman is similar to Thomas Berger's Little Big Man in that one person with extreme longevity has witnessed a century of pivotal events and lived to tell the tale. In Little Big Man, Jack Crabb tells of his adventures, most of which occurred before 1900, in which he brushed shoulders with almost every famous figure from the era of the Old West. Unlike Jack Crabb, at the beginning of her tale Jane is a twelve-year old black girl named Ticey, a recently freed slave from a Louisiana plantation who is looking after a young boy whose mother was slaughtered by `patrollers' in the wake of Emancipation. The idea of moving to "Ohio," a free state, has lodged in her brain and she is determined to go where the Union corporal Brown, whom she met recently and who gave her the name `Jane,' told her to visit. Jack Crabb's freedom of mobility eludes Miss Jane, who never actually leaves Louisiana but returns to work for the white landowners. It doesn't take her long to realize that life for black people after slavery is not significantly different from life as slaves.
Jane comments on various historical figures and developments spanning the time period just following the Civil War to the Civil Rights movement in the early 1960's, including Reconstruction, Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington, the Spanish-American War, Huey P. Long, Joe Louis, Jackie Robinson and Martin Luther King. Simply by surviving on her faith in God for so many decades she acquires some level of respect from the white plantation owners on whose land she still lives. The novel encompasses the time period and events of another of Gaines' novels, A Lesson Before Dying. Ned, the little boy she raised as her son after his mother was killed, grows up to be a teacher. His attempt to establish a school to teach the black children of the parish precedes by several decades the church school where Grant Wiggins teaches. Sheriff Guidry appears in both novels.
Jane's tenacity and common sense approach along with her ability to choose her battles wisely is what enables her to survive and comment on the evolution of her race in the geographical area of Louisiana. She is the witness to a doomed black/white relationship as well as the murder of more than one black man taking a stand for equal rights. At the conclusion of the novel, she is ready to become an activist herself, although one might ask the question posed by one of the `old men' in Gaines' novel, A Gathering of Old Men: Do we wait until we get old to be brave? Jane has been brave as well as smart and that has ensured her survival. At the age of 110, what else does she have to lose?

Miss Jane Pittman was 110 when "interviewed" by Ernest Gaines. She was 10 or 11 years old when slavery was finally abolished, and The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman follows her through her life from the end of the Civil War to the Civil Rights movement. It follows her to 4 different plantations, as a slave, housemaid, field hand and wife of a horse-breaker. It follows her through every heartbreak, every death, every injustice, and every joy she ever experienced in her life.

As good as I thought this book was, I don't think I would have appreciated it enough if I hadn't read it for English class. Keep in mind that I am only 14 years old, and therefore do not know everything about American History, but I think this book would have been a difficult read if I did not have my teacher explaining the different historical event that take place. I recommend this book to any English or History teacher teaching about the Civil Rights Movement, but I do not recommend it to a person just looking for something to read. It was very informative, but not a spectacular read by any means.

I found The Autobiography of Jane Pittman to be a very interesting book. This book does not leave too much of the gory or violent details out, it tells it plain and simple. The book is almost like a history book about slavery but it just makes it more interesting and is based on one persons life after slavery not the whole African-American population. It doesnt make it look so one kind of race or person is better then the other it just tells what happened. It starts out with an eleven year old girl that is a slave and ends up with an elderly woman with much knowlegde. the experiences that Jane has are explained in detail but not so much detail it makes them boring . I found it very interesting to see what she thought or said in some of the situations that she was in , for instance when one fo her friends told her that they had to kill Ned. Ned is also and important part in this book , he was three when his mom died , so Jane cared for him and looked after him as though he was her child , even at the age of eleven. Some fo things Jane talks about I found to be very true even as of now. When she said "We all choose a person to be the "One". We might not say this out loud but we think this in our heads. We know if they are the "One" by their actions when they get older. I think this is a very true statement. I think in a group of friends or a close family we choose one person to rise above. We are a little bit harder on this person then we would normally be , just to make sure they succeed.This book helps you understand more about slavery and what it was like after they were free. It doesnt just teach you it helps you feel what you would have felt in their situation. It helps you to see how the people thought in all the different situations. It gives light to boths views on the situation, one side more then the other because of who is telling the story. This story shows that some people went out of the way to help the free slaves get on thier feet and going. There were more then I thought there would have been. It shows that the only reason some people didn't help because they were scared. For instance when Jane asked people for a glass of water she got yelled at sometimes but she always got her glass of water. It helped me to understand more of the emotion in this time. There was so much intensity. The way some people thought was odd yet not near insane. They believed in voo doo. They had doctors that practiced voo doo. The way that Jane tells it they knew things that noone else knew. Also some people would assume if you said something that in some way cursed you that you had really cursed them, even if it was just said casually or out of anger. Some people would even go crazy because of the thought of being cursed. For instance when Jane told someone that "The chariots of hell would come to get him and when they did the whole town would hear him scream." Jane never had anything to do with voo doo, but still this guy was scared out of his mind. He would not sleep by himself. He thought he could hear the chariots and the day he died everyone could hear him scream. All of that because of the words Jane said. I don't think anyone now would do that, but I thought it was interesting on how he believed it and everyone believed it. I would recommend this book highly. It is a very emotional, intense, informative, and interesting book.

This well-crafted novel is written as an editor's transcription of the oral memoirs of Jane Pittman, a 110-year old woman and former slave who reminisces about her life and times. Miss Jane, in her rambling, often opinionated, but always endearing narrative style, not only tells her life story but also that of the history of the black people from slavery up to their struggles for civil rights in the 1960s.
Around ten years old when freed from slavery, Jane decides to head to Ohio to find the friendly Yankee soldier who was kind to her when his troop passed through. Although she never gets out of Louisiana, she saves a young boy, taking him under her wing when the Confederate soldiers slaughter his mother, and sets off to find a better life for the two of them. Along with the other newly freed slaves, she deals with problems in finding shelter, jobs, and education. As she ages, she becomes the matriarch of her community, and in that role provides support, inspiration, and commonsense guidance to others as they seek their rightful place in society.
Jane is a colorful character with lots of spirit and determination. Her story is full of humor, wisdom, and irony. The emphasis of the book shifts about halfway through from Jane herself to the story of the people that pass through her life. Some chapters depart from the main story to cover a particular person or incident she observes. She discusses the discrimination and violence the blacks faced in the south. She is witness to the relationship between blacks and whites, including a doomed love interest. She chronicles civil rights advances and mentions the efforts of such black leaders as Washington, Douglass, and King. She speaks of the Freedom Riders and civil rights marches. One clever chapter digresses to discuss one of the floods in her town that was caused, according to Jane, by man's egotistical notion that he can change the course of rivers. Because the story covers 100 years of Jane's recollections, time passes quickly in some spots, leaving large gaps of time missing from her life. I found it was sometimes difficult to determine how old she was when a new chapter began and how far forward time had passed. In spite of this, the novel is educational, entertaining, and uplifting, and would be an excellent book to teach older children about black history.
Eileen Rieback

Miss. Jane Pittman is unsurpassed as a storyteller; this book is adapted from the oral dictation of a slave born before the civil war all the way through the 1960s to when blacks were gaining some respect.
This is an elaborate book starting at when Jane is serving water to different sets of soldiers. Her continual albeit fake admiration of the white men and woman is incredible. I could not imagine faking my way through life of liking persons. Her story tells us of how it was like to be hated, beated, tortured and given no respect whatsoever. It makes one wonder in awe how the world has cometo be.
Her story is poignant and mesmerizing. She speaks of how her life as slave was . . . how she was 'married' and bore her children. What amazes me most, is how she never lost her dream of becoming free; of never losing respect for 'the white people'. After all they did to her and her people, she never hated them. Jane Pittman felt this was her life, and God was going to do what he felt was right. What an incredible, selfless way to live!!
However true this book is, it seemed fake. Fake because I've never really known such injustice and racism like Miss. Jane Pittman suffered. This is a real book from a real woman. With the use of the language to the stories. For years I would start the book and it would never be completed. I am glad I have now. This is a book sure to be etched in persons minds forever.

I'd thought that it wouldn't be possible for a man to write GOOD fiction from a woman's point of view. "She's Come Undone" proved my point. "Memoirs of A Geisha" proved me wrong - and I thought I'd never again find a well written fictional piece about a woman and written by a man. Ernest J. Gaines proved me once again wrong in "The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman."
Jane, born Ticey, was "interviewed" by a man who was interested in the life of a woman who'd lived from Slavery to Civil Rights. Jane was given her name by a Yankee soldier whom she'd been told to give water by her Mistress, and it was Jane's name from then on.
When the slaves were freed, she set out with several going North. Secesh men who'd been soldiers during the Civil War (in other words, days before!) killed everyone they could find - everyone except Jane and the son of another former slave. Jane was either ten or eleven years old at the time. She traveled with the child, Ned, and raised him as her own.
This book goes through her life, through the triumphs and the disappointments, through the times she spent on different plantations and doing different jobs. Working my way through the vernacular was a challenge, but it added credibility to the story. Hatred based on skin color is rampant throughout the book; so is Miss Jane's knowing "her place." Nonetheless, she tells with touching sorrow of the love of a white man for a Creole teacher. Happiest in the fields, she was incredibly profound when she spoke of talking to the trees: "Anybody caught talking to a chinaball tree or a thorn tree got to be crazy. But when you talk to an oak tree that's been here all these years, and knows more than you'll ever know, it's not craziness; it's just the nobility you respect."
Her stories give new meaning to "Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose." There are those who will dissect the book for symbolism. It's not necessary to do so; "The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman" carries itself just fine.

I enjoyed listening to this book. Listening to it is very special because you get to hear all the accents. This book travels through 100+ years so you have to take on a slow pace and savor it as you would a talk with your favorite relative. I liked learning so much about the south and slavery and the gradual changes over time in the culture. I think there were some very insightful thoughts about change that are still timely today.

It all started out with a girl named Ticey who lived on a plantation in the south. At this time the yankees were passing by and they stopped at houses along the way. There was a soldier named Coporal Brown who renamed Ticey Jane Brown. Jane then tries to find Mr.Brown in Ohio. She meets a boy named Ned and finds out that his mom has been killed. She decides to bring him along with her. After walking a lot they decide to stay in "luzana." Then when Ned is older he leaves to join a commitee and changes his name to Ned Douglass. Jane meets a man named Joe Pittman and he asks her to marry him. She knew that she was barren so they agreed to live together. They then move to a place near Texas that was owned by Colonel Dye and poor Joe died there. Then a man named Albert Cluveau killed Ned. Jane moved to Samson and encountered many new people. A boy named Tee Bob fell in love with his teacher which ended in death for him. Then a boy named Jimmy was born and everyone thought that he was the One. They thought wrong. Miss Jane's story covers the Civil war days to Civil rights and makes the history comes alive.

More than anything, this novel is a record of the nascent Civil Rights Movement through the witness of one woman, Miss Pittman. In the format of oral history, she provides a first-hand account of injustice and brutality in the South over a period of one hundred years.
She was born just prior to the Civil War and the odyssey begins with her serving water to both Secesh (Secessionist or Confederate) soldiers and also Union soldiers on the same day. From there, the story spirals into brutality and she suffers one indignity after another. But what is redeeming about this novel is her vision of freedom--something to be fought for, something to sacrifice for, and something that, regardless of race, some are not willing to have. She speaks of people having a "black veil" over they eyes, they cannot see to reach and grasp freedom.
The strength of this novel is in its narrative power and vision for justice. This is one book that we should all read.

Jane Pittman finds an authentic voice through the schoolteacher who finally interviews her after she is more than 100 years old. An "authentic" voice does not mean a ringing oratorical style, but one that tells a story that makes the reader "see" the daily incidents and inner reflections of one who was born into slavery and ends her story in the era of the civil rights struggle. It is the very lack of drama in Jane's recollections of horrific events that moved me most.

It surprises me how many people think that The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman is an actual biographical/autobiographical work. It is not -- it is fiction. It is a brilliantly crafted work interweaving historical references and recollections into an overall framework of the life of a woman born into slavery who survived to the point of the beginnings of the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s.

The style of the book is one of oral history. The editor interviewed and transcribed Miss Jane's stories beginning in 1962 and going on for nearly a year. The editor also talked to other people, particularly when Miss Jane would fall silent or forget things (he couldn't tell if she was doing this deliberately or not), and also talked to people after Miss Jane's funeral.

In a small space, the author (who is to be distinguished from the editor, a character in the novel) shows his intention -- this is to be an overarching story of black experience from the Civil War to Civil Rights, seen primarily through the experience of one woman, but incorporating and representing the experiences of all others.

The telling of the tale begins in the Civil War, where Miss Jane is child (she can't actually remember when she was born). Her name at that point was Ticey. Her first story deals with negotiating the delicate balance between fleeing Confederate soldiers, arriving Union soldiers, and the dominant presence of the mistress of the plantation. It was a Union soldier who suggested the name of Jane to Ticey ('Ticey is a slave name' the corporal said). Thus she became Jane. Jane Brown, adopting the last name of the corporal.

Unfortunately for Jane, the mistress didn't like this, and tried to beat the name out of her. Jane refused to recant the name, and got put out in the field for her 'sass'. A year later, when the war ended, she set out for Ohio, the state where the corporal who named her had lived. The decision was a tough one -- the older folk didn't want to risk the journey, perhaps a case of better the devil you know. The young folks, however, were having none of the continuing presence of a master and mistress. They set out right away. Jane bid farewell to her Uncle Isom and set out with a group of people, some misfits, some smart.

Soon they had their first run-in with the forerunners of the Klan. From her hiding place, Jane watched the 'patrollers' kill Big Laura, the mother-figure of the group, and all of the rest of the travellers. Suddenly she was alone save for Ned, Big Laura's little boy. She was a mother figure right away. Being resourceful and pragmatic as a slave is forced to learn to be from earliest days, she grabbed the supplies and left with Ned, still hoping to travel to Ohio.

However, fortune and lack of proper directions led Jane and Ned into many encounters through the south, and when finding someone who has a map, they also come to the realisation that there might be difficulty in finding soldier Brown in Ohio. Which part of Ohio is he in?

Jane and Ned end up on a plantation, doing work like they had done before. Jane remained behind to experience ongoing strife and trouble, encountering carpetbagger politicians, business dealings, and abandonment. The plantation was purchased by an old Confederate office, Colonel Dye, and the people supporting the blacks all left.

Ned left for the North, having changed his last name to Douglass, after Frederick Douglass. His life was in danger, so he had to go. After Ned left, Jane began her relationship with Joe Pittman; living together outside of marriage at first, which Jane justified in a way by explaining that black folk didn't have church marriages in slavery times, and they just weren't sure what to do now.

Joe and Jane left for east Texas for their own land after a time, after having an altercation with Colonel Dye over $150, plus surprise interest. Joe worked at breaking horses, becoming 'chief' Pittman, something of which both Joe and Jane were proud. Jane worked in a house as a servant. They did this for about ten years. Joe was killed by a horse no one could break, including Joe -- Jane had premonitions of the death, but Joe had to go 'a man's way'.

The story of Miss Jane continues apace through experience on another plantation and finally ending up in the Quarters. This is where she helped give birth to and raise Jimmy.

Anytime a child is born, the old people look in his face and ask him if he's the One. No, they don't say it out loud like I'm saying it to you now. Maybe they don't say it at all; maybe they just feel it -- but feel it they do. "You the One?" I'm sure Lena asked Jimmy that when she first held him in her arms. "You the One, Jimmy? You the One?"

Jimmy was the one who would get Miss Jane involved in the Civil Rights struggle, a struggle which she had in fact been participating in all her life. Jimmy, like so many in Miss Jane's life, like so many in black experience, would end up being killed over protests for drinking fountains and bathroom privileges. But as Miss Jane said, just part of him was dead.

The greater part of Jimmy was still alive, and with the courage and example of Miss Jane, they went to Bayonne to stand up for their rights. Miss Jane was affected by many events; Miss Jane finally stopped reacting and acted up.

The author, Ernest Gaines, was born on a Louisiana plantation. His descriptions and situations are authentic and mesmerising. He left Louisiana and was educated at San Francisco State and Stanford. He has other novels and collections of short stories, but The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman published in 1971 is undoubtedly the work for which he will be remembered. Cicely Tyson's portrayal of Miss Jane in the film of the same name is an endearing performance, but one misses much if one relies solely on the film (plus some of the details are changed, sometimes inexplicably). One thing I would recommend is watching the film and reading the book as companions to each other -- some of the dialogue in the film supplements the book (like Miss Jane's final speech to the reporter), and the book fills in (as all books do) many of the details glossed over in the film.

"The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman
By Ernest J. Gaines
7-1.5 hour audio cassettes
Rental---$15.50
Purchase---$56.00
Read by Roses Prichard
Performance copyright 1982 B-O-T Inc.
Special Library Edition."

"This is a novel in the guise of the tape recorded recollection of a 110-year old black woman who was born a slave but has live to see the black militancy of the 1960's.

THE SECRET OF THIS BOOK'S SUCCESS IS THE CHARACTERIZATION OF MISS JANE.
She is a master of her people's language.
But more than that, she is unsurpassed as a storyteller.

"Ernest Gaines has written a book that comes down on the side of time, on the side of the future." (Editorial Review Service)
[from the back cover of the case of the piece paper]

Jane Pittman or Ticey as she was called when she was a slave, grew up on a plantation in Lousiana. She got off the plantation planning to go to Ohio to find the Colonel that told her to look him up if she was ever there. On the way there, she came upon a boy who had lost his mother, Ned was his name. They came upon very interesting people including Job who told them about Mr Bone and his plantation. They could probably get a job there. When Ned grew up he went off to join a committee. After a couple of years Jane left too. She met a man named Joe. They lived together. Then Joe died in a horse accident. Jane then moved into her own house and lived down the raod from Ned. Then Ned was killed by a man named Albert Cluveau. Jane then moved to Samson. She saw a boy named Tee Bob fall in love with the plantation's school teacher, which became fatal. She lived at Samson the rest of her life (a span of 110 years).

Well, I had to read this book for a school assighnmanet. I thought it was very good, it told you alot about what happened during those times, but it didn't put it in a way that a history book would. it was really moving, i acctully felt i was with the characters and feeling the same things that they did. Like when ned deid, i cried. i loved it so much, that i couldn't put it down, i was the first one done with the book. Well when we were discussing the book and it's events, everyone had the same comment, Two simple words, every one dies. although i didn't quite aggree, i just felt i had to metion it, cause well most of the people died. The only part that i didn't like was how it ended, it didn't leave you with anything, it just stated that she walked past him. I do get the piont of that, but i think it could have had some more of a sort of clousure to it. But overrall i thought it was remarable book, and i am glad that i had to read it, cause i wouldn't have normally picked it up otherwise.

A friend of mine encouraged me to read Gaines. I was not disappointed, I should say. And "The Autobiography" is the first of his novels that I read. Overall, I loved the text though at times you had the feeling that the plot was not moving. Gaines probably exceedingly multiplied the episodes, making the novel a bit unnecessarily long. But I loved the style, very close to orality and storytelling which the book is supposed to be constructed upon as it is narrated by Miss Jane Pittman. Gaines masterfully uses derision, irony and false naivety to create distance. Above all, Gaines is a master of suspense. The climactic scene of the pretended rape bears witness to that: the perplexity as to whether what happened besieges the reader until the narrator sorts everything out. The novel lacks a bit dramatization and "thickness" but I strongly advise you to read it.

Gaines has written a book that starts out promising but ends up being about as deep as Jane's slave name, "Ticey." He does nothing to transcend the hackneyed images of former slaves. It's almost as if, for all his groundbreaking intentions, he's afraid to change public perception too much. He seems to feel that, if he challenges common doctrine to the point where people will have to reconsider their convictions, then he will be overstepping his bounds. But isn't that the point of nonconformist novels such as The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman? To contest that which is accepted, no matter the cost or means of getting there? Instead Gaines pretends to be an iconoclast with this novel, and, in doing so, leaves his characters as mere caricatures, their motives and accomplishments just meaningless accessories to their sketchiness.

I thoroughly enjoyed this read. This was also the first book I have ever read by this author. this was an easy book to read. the author's writing style pulled me in from the very first page. I'm glad I finally took the time to read the book after seeing the movie so many times throughout my childhood

The book I read was Miss Jane Pittman.I thought this book was really good . It told about the black peoples trouble during the Civil War and after the Civil War.The story was about this girl that was growing up in the South. Jane was a slave until she was nine yrs. old. then one day while she was working out in the field this North solder told her in a couple days she was going to be saved and released. She told everybody this, but nobody believed her. When that day came she went out looking for the solder. She never found the solder but her adventures while she was looking for him were quite interesting.This book was execellent!!!!!

This is the story of an incredible, 110 year old black woman, as told to a writer on tape. Jane, born Ticey, was born a slave on a Louisiana plantation and lived through slavery, with all of its cruelties, the Civil War, WW2 and the beginning of the civil rights movement. It's a fascinating glimpse into the lives of people born as slaves with no rights whatsoever, and follows them as they progressed through the following 100 years, learning to assert themselves, gain an education and aiming for better lives for themselves and their children. Some of the language was a little incomprehensible to me as a non American and I couldn't make out the meaning of a lot of phrases that local readers would understand immediately. I'll now try to find the movie on DVD to go with the book.

I felt that this book really tells how it was for women in the late 1800's to earliy 1900's. This autobiography was well worth reading. At times I felt like I knew what was really happening. Reading this book made me appriciate how well I am respected by men. I gave it three stars because it was kind of hard to get through. Some of the chapters had thick dialog. Meaning it was hard to understand the way they talked. It's so different from the way we talk now. But on the other hand it was really informative. Reading this book (like I said before) really made me feel like I was there washing the dishes, or out in the hot sun pulling weeds.

I don't know how I managed to miss reading this book until now but am so glad I did. The writer Gaines is so talented in making me hear the voice of Miss Pittman telling her story, from a very young girl running for her life after slavery "ends", rescuing a young boy who becomes the child she never had. I hope people of all colors read this book to get a glimpse into what life was like for people not so very long ago. It may be fiction but it speaks the truth.

The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, by Ernest J. Gaines, chronicles the life of an African-American Woman searching for freedom and a peaceful life. Presented as an autobiography captured by a tape recorder, it is actually a work of fiction that mimics the style of an autobiography Although it was relatively dry, the author had an excellent idea and the theme of the book came across well. The story relates mainly to the fictional Miss Pittman's outlook on her life, and it gave an interesting perspective of the struggle for equality in African-American history. It also provides a down to earth commentary on complex issues such as racism, intolerance, and how human behavior changes much more slowly than the laws that attempt to control it.

The book begins with Miss Pittman and a group of slaves thoughtlessly heading north, with no plans, few provisions, and no idea of how far they must go, or where they were going. However, a group of patrolmen kill many of the slaves, leaving Miss Pittman at the age of twelve to care for another survivor, a child named Ned, who she later raised as her own. Miss Pittman however, never makes it north, but rather settles down on a plantation in Louisiana where she works a number of jobs. Ned, who was not content with still working for others, moved north to be free and work away from the racism of the southern plantations. Years later, Ned returns and opens a school, only to uncover the true wrath of the white plantation owners who fear change, and above all, fear what the African-American people can do with the proper education.

In this book, the author showed obvious talent in developing round characters with true to life personalities that reach deeper than any book I have read. The setting was perfect for the story, which allowed the plot to unfold easily. The beginning of the story was very interesting, and I felt sadness along with Miss Pittman when Ned left her, joy when he returned, and anger when Ned's assassin suddenly refused to speak to Miss Pittman. The story seemed very real, almost seeming that it was based on true events, because of how similar and true to life it was. The characters, and the setting flowed seamlessly with the plot, giving the reader the impression that it really is an autobiography of an old woman who has "lived through it all"

Although the characters and setting were well formed, I found the plot to be severely lacking. The story begins with a journey north, and continues in what would seem to be a logical progression, then switches to another story in the middle of the book, leaving the reader confused. After Miss Pittman begins working on the plantation, the book seems to blur into mutterings about things such as borrowing plates and fishing, with occasional moments in between, such as the story of her husband, that reel you back into the book. He plot seems to simply die towards of the end of the book. Another thing that was irritating was the misleading title. The title implies that the book is actually an autobiography about an actual person, when in reality it is a fictional account of a fictional person, blatantly misleading the reader. Although thought was put into the characters and setting, the plot was too weak to captivate the reader throughout the two-hundred seventy two pages of the book.

This story is an excellent book for someone interested in the happenings of Louisiana plantations in the early 1900's, or for those who enjoy reading biographies and want to try something slightly different. It has wonderful and interesting characters that appeal to the reader with their depth and authentic personalities, and the backdrop was set for an amazing story of a brave and strong woman who was fighting her way to freedom, but the plot was not strong enough to keep the reader fully interested throughout the book.

The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman is an inspiring novel. It explores many events that took place in our history. Miss Jane Pittman is a black woman who battled for her freedom during the time period of slavery. When she was eleven years old she began her battle of freedom. But she never relived that she would battle for her freedom for the rest of her life. When she was eleven she took on the resonability of a young boy Ned. He was about her age. When reading this novel chapter by chapter it was like watching Jane and Ned (the boy) grow into wise and hard working people. Befro I read the this novel I never relized how harsh and crul that people were treated in this time period. The setting of the novel was imporant. Both Ned and Jane was travling by foot to seek freedom. And the setting never changed through out the novel no matter were they went. The novel helped me discover history that I had never heard of. A few little wars went on in the novel that many people don't even know of. This was an very inspiring novel. The novel also made me relize how people struggle just to stay alive. It made me look at freedom in a compleatley diffrent way than what I had looked at it befor. I highley recomened this novel to evey one.

I read the Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman as an independent reading project for my English class this year, and I loved it. Although it was a little dry at times, it was a very thought-provoking book with a plot that made you want to keep reading. Although it is fictional, the author has a way of writing that will make you believe this story is a true autobiography. While reading, I could actually imagine being there with Jane, working by her side in the fields as a slave. It was almost as if I could feel the exact emotions she was feeling and all the pain that she was going through. Along with being entertaining, I also found this book to be educational. I learned so many things about the Civil War and slavery that I never knew before, but it was actually fun to read about. That's more than any text book can offer. My only warning for anybody who is planning on reading this book is that it's terribly sad in some parts. Some passages include a lot gory details, which I think are necessary to show what the characters are really going through, but others may find them to be a little excessive. In spite of that, I still ejoyed reading The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman. My next step will be renting the movie. If that is anywhere near as good as the book, I'm in for a treat.

This is one of the truest fiction books I have ever read. Gaines has a way of pulling you right in the story with Miss Jane! I actually felt that I was right there on the porch sitting with Gaines as he listened to her. I could feel the pain that Gaines describes as Miss Jane goes through the trials and tribulations after the civil war. How the black slaves felt when they were "set" free, known as "freedmen". I cried and laughed with Miss Jane throughout the book, reading this book gave me a true feeling of how things were for the blacks. Gaines does not leave out many of the brutal or violent details of the time. Gaines takes you right along with him on the journey of Miss Jane and Ned. I feel the language in the book was very appropriate for a lady from Louisiana. Gaines gave great insight on how the language was "really" spoken during that time. Gaines uses this book as an example of racism and discrimination. The theme of this story is that of the perseverance of the human spirit against persecution. I think this is a well-written book that helps you see what it was like to live as a black in those times in the American south.

This book was completely uplifting and sincere. Although fictional, my seventh grade gifted class did believe it was true for quite some time. Gaines had a beautiful way of describing things from Jane's point of view. It was a gorgeous story to read, but my class has one question: Why did Gaines end the book the way he did, instead of ending when Jane was with talking into the tape recorder? We have still not figured out this answer, and if you do have some kind of answer to it, feel free to email me at: [email protected]
If you have not watched to movie yet, I recommend that you do. It is sometimes foggy when reading it which characters are who, and the movie clears that right up.
I hope you enjoyed The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman...it was book that made my class cry, full of the emotions with Ned...then laugh when Miss Jane explained certain situations.
I give this book five stars.

I have been a fan of the movie forever. It inspired me and moved me ever since i have been a little girl! it's soo funny that i have had this book forever and i finally finished it. miss jane has such an inspirational story. thsi is a classic that no one should miss! for the longest time, i thoght miss jane was a real woman who lived and walked this earth for real. but i realized as i got older that her story is the story of my ancestors and i feel even more inspired! a great read, don't miss it!

Not sure why this wasn't required reading in HS or college, but I'm just getting to it now. What a wonderful book. Miss Jane's life is pretty incredible, a great read to give you an idea of what life before and after the Civil War.

I read this book for my sophomore English class. I truly enjoyed this book because it gave me an insight to the way things were during those times. I thought that Miss Jane was an exceptional character and I really enjoyed following her through the course of the book. The way that Ernest Gaines portrayed each of the characters was appealing to any generation. Being from the South, I especially enjoyed the southern dialect. I recommend this book to anyone. It would make a great book to read for pleasure. I became one and connected with Miss Jane. I suffered when she did and I rejoiced as she did. This book was wonderful!

Miss Jane Pittman,

It was an interesting book. I really liked her life's story. The way the author wrote was also interesting. I liked her concept of interviewing someone who is 110 years old. I mean if you are 110 years old you are not only pretty wise, but you have a life full of stories. Miss Jane Pittman had that!! I had to read this for school, at first I was not into it, but as the book progressed along I realized I was actually thinking about the character :)

I chose a book to read for English class. I figured that The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman would be a fun and/or interesting book. It was neither. The book started off great. Ticey "Jane" and the others from her plantation are released. Even though they are free from slavery, many whites still disliked blacks. They killed their whole group of northbound free men and women, other than Jane and Ned. Jane is repeatedly told to stop, however, she continues on and doesn't listen to anyone. Then all of a sudden. She decides to stop and live the next hundred years of her life in Louisiana! The person lived for 110 years. She lived through so many advances and yet the author isn't able to make her interesting to me. I also liked her boy, Ned, who grows up to be a teacher and does everything in his power to let everyone know what the whites had done to them, and to teach them the religion that they should know and couldn't learn anywhere else. Another horrible fact is that the book is untrue. It could be, and most likely is, partly true, however, I think it would be more interesting if it had actually happened because then you could admire the character and maybe relate to the characters doings. The book wasn't the worst I have ever read, but it ranked right up there. It is the most boring and most un-educating book I have read in years. Some people may like this book, but I certainly did not.

The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman is presented as the taped memories of a 110yo black woman whose life spanned the era from slavery, thru the Civil War, and on into the civil rights era in the 1960s. Ernest J. Gaines set his novel in rural southern Louisiana, and, listening to Jane's marvelous language, we follow her life from one of utter servitude to her ultimate confrontation of the white power structure. It is a book of grace, magic, history, and redemption.

The book is exceptional! I give the book three stars because there's too much killing in the book. Which is cool, but the young ones will read all that happens.I know that back in the 1800's the owners of the slaves would do tribal things to them.

This was a really interesting book, but it was a slow read and it wasn't very exciting to me. It was also very depressing. I did learn a lot from this book. For all you history and/or Civil War/Civil Rights fanatics, this is the book you need to read. For all you fantasy/adventure fans, you might want to read something else.

I realize this is classic American literature, or at least modern classic, but I didn't like it. The book isn't really an autobiography; Jane is merely a point of reference (a common element) in a story that depicts the changes in Southern American society from the Civil War to the 1960s. I think it is unlike other slave narratives in that the central character is not the one whose name is in the title. It is a story of characters, many black people, the people Pittman meets. And the antagonist is social construction. Pittman's life seems so very dull, even meaningless. Things happen around her. She is not a participant. Until the end, when she decides to march in Bayonne. In her old ago, she gives her life purpose by finally deciding to actively respond to the terrible things she has experienced. Style reminds me of Zore Neale Hurston --- it's just storytelling, complete with its vagueness, how and what one chooses to remember, digressions. It often becomes droll.

I sorta enjoyed the novel it was not really one of my favoorites but I was fascinated with the civil war era. The main thing I didnt like about this book was that it focused to much on the part of the united states where she lived Lousiana. But its definatly worth reading.

The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman stands the test of time. It is indeed a novel rich in the very fabric of America's story, for both Blacks and Whites. It's meaning and underlying messages are timeless; it is no less pure today than it was when first conceived 30 years ago. A "must" read for all that consider themselves to be historians and students of fine American literature.

Miss Jane Pittman (Ticey), a woman that lives to be over 108 years old, touches us with her stoic/down-to-earth outlook on life. From the naive Ticey that believes Ohio is a few day's walk from "Luzana", to the realistic yet excited member of the Civil Rights movement, the reader has a strong desire to meet Miss Jane Pittman and learn from what she has to offer.

The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Erenst Gaines is a good example of racism and discrimination.Erenst Gaines looks throught the eyes of Jane Pittamn to explore the world of racism and class in her jounery from Bayonne,LA to Ohio. The book takes place in many states but mainlyin Bayonne during the Cival War.The book is about a slave named Jane Pittman who finaly gets freedom and her journey's to ohio.

This book was terrible! One minute someone is teaching about equal rights, and the next minute he is dead! The book doesn't go into any detail about anything important. All the stories are also totally irrelivent to eachother! This book was terrible so i suggest that you don't read it!

This book was terrible! One minute someone is teaching about equal rights, and the next minute he is dead! The book doesn't go into any detail about anything important. All the stories are also totally irrelivent to eachother! This book was terrible so i suggest that you don't read it!

This book provided great insight to the hardships that faced African-Americans as they struggled for equality. The story was very believable, but it was a little hard to place it on a timeline. A little slave girl is renamed Jane Brown by a soldier. When she is freed she searches for him. She sets out walking and never makes it out of Louisana. In the end she lives on a plantation until her death.