The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman
by Ernest J. Gaines
This is a fictional autobiography. Regardless, it is historically correct in the social aspects.
A reporter comes to see Jane who is turning 110 years old and he asks if she would share some of her life stories. This is 1962. The book then flashes back to her life as a slave, her freedom but working like a slave, on up til present. It's a book of sorrow, pain, joy, love, and strength. A lot is happening in their town with civil rights in 1962. She has one last adventure left in her before she dies. I enjoyed it but keep tissue handy. ( )

The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Earnest J. Gaines is a 1971 publication.

A very realistic classic

I don’t remember what grade I was in, but one of my teachers offered the class extra credit if they watched the made for television movie based on this book. My family gathered around our console TV and sat riveted by Cicely Tyson’s performance. I had big fat tears streaming down my cheeks at the end, and the movie made such an impression on me, I still own a DVD copy of it. I will confess that for a long time I thought this was a true story-

For the record, this is a work of fiction, but it is presented in such a way, it would be very easy to believe it was a true story.

Before Ms. Tyson passed away, I had already put her memoir on hold at the library, but after her death, I found myself mulling over her iconic roles, and while Sounder and Roots are still prevalent in my memory, it was her role as Miss Jane Pittman that made the biggest impression on me.

After re-watching the movie recently, I was once again reminded that it was based on a book, which I had completely forgotten about.

How could I have gone all this time without reading the book? That seemed totally unacceptable, so I set out to find a copy, and once again, my library came through- as did Scribd, which has the audio version.

In Jane’s long life she sees the aftermath of the Civil War, lives through the Jim Crow south, and decides, well past the century mark by this time, to set an example, by taking part in the Civil Rights movement.

Her life is filled with hardships and tragedies, but before her life ended, she became a true inspiration, doing what others were too afraid to do.

The book version does vary some from the television production, which left out a sad interracial relationship Jane witnessed, for example, and really, really, toned down the use of racial slurs.

The book, unfortunately, severely lacked inflection, and was devoid of the emotion that the movie generated- especially the iconic conclusion. I admit I was a bit let down by the flat tone of the narration, including the audio version, which was also strangely pedestrian.

This may be one of those very rare times when the movie version was better than the book. Still, I am glad I took the time to read it, as it did teach some lessons the movie left out, and the lack of glossiness was very effective during a few specific passages.

Overall, while the book is fairly dry, it does hold an air of authenticity, and should be read as a companion to the movie for the full experience.

3 stars ( )

Until I reached the last page of the novel, I was certain I would award it four solid stars. The ending is unsatisfying in a general sense but more so in the context of an autobiography, a genre which doesn't conventionally rely on artsy ambiguity. Since the fictitious interviewer explains in the foreword that Jane lived for several months after the final interview, the lack of resolution is especially inexplicable. ( )

Chronicle of African American struggles from the time of slavery to the 60's seen through the eyes of one woman. ( )

Miss Jane Pittman begins her story when she is about eleven years old, just as she and her fellow slaves learn that they are now free. Then she tells of her life over the following hundred years, as she lives through reconstruction, Jim Crow, and the beginnings of the Civil Rights movement. Gaines brings Jane alive and, especially in the beginning of the novel, I was riveted by her story. Some of the later incidents (excepting the final one, where I was again riveted), didn’t engage me quite as much, but on the whole I am very glad to have read this novel and feel like I learned things in the best way that story telling can teach. I’ll be looking out for more by Gaines. ( )