A Different Drummer [Paperback]

William M. Kelley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1990

Nearly three decades offer its first publication, A Different Drummer remains one of the most trenchant, imaginative, and hard-hitting works of fiction to come out of the bitter struggle for African-American civil rights.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

First published some 30 years ago, this is the story of Tucker Caliban, a black Southerner who one day salts his fields, burns down his house, kills his livestock and, with his wife and child, sets off a mass exodus of his mythical state's entire black population.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Publisher

Nearly three decades offer its first publication, A Different Drummer remains one of the most trenchant, imaginative, and hard-hitting works of fiction to come out of the bitter struggle for African-American civil rights.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Anchor (May 1, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385413904
• ISBN-13: 978-0385413909
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.5 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #718,875 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant. A True Literary Classic!, February 7, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: A Different Drummer (Paperback)

This is one of the most deeply imaginative, powerful books that I have ever read. William Melvin Kelley, clearly a master of the English language, gets right to the heart of the human spirit, in all of its bravery and its desire for dignity. It is the story of one man's leadership and impact. This novel will make you want to rise up and strive to make a difference in your life and in those of others. It is a haunting tale that will stay with you long past your first reading.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant. A True Literary Classic!, February 7, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: A Different Drummer (Paperback)

This is one of the most deeply imaginative, powerful books that I have ever read. William Melvin Kelley, clearly a master of the English language, gets right to the heart of the human spirit, in all of its bravery and its desire for dignity. It is the story of one man's leadership and impact. This novel will make you want to rise up and strive to make a difference in your life and in those of others. It is a haunting tale that will stay with you long past your first reading.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Story depicting onset of Civil Rights Movement., April 13, 2003

By 

Latoya Caver (Elyria, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Different Drummer (Paperback)

Different Drummer set in a fictional Southern state is a story about a former slaver, Tucker Caliban who is a descendent of a legendary African slave. Tucker Caliban a black Southerner burns down his home and his fields seemingly for no good reason and then packs up his family and personal belongings to head North. Consequently this event leads to a revolution and several blacks in Tucker's fictional town start to follow.

This story continues the African American slave narrative genre by including the element of "storytelling." Kelley uses a nonlinear plot sequence folk aesthetic to portray this powerful story about the Civil Rights Movement. The setting of the story is a rural setting and the story is told from the perspective of several different whites and former slaveholders. Also adding to the power of the story is the use of nonstandard English/Southern dialect.

The major themes of this book are slavery vs. freedom and also the quest for identity. Throughout development of the plot it became clear that Tucker had a clear motivation for his rebellion. Tucker Caliban's journey from the South is about searching for his true self, his identity as an African American without the remnants of slavery associated with living in the South. The story brings in the viewpoint of several characters including his former slavemaster and a character by the name of Reverend Bradshaw who becomes mixed up with Tucker Caliban's rebellion and is used in the book as a scapegoat. Kelley's writing style and careful plot make this a very interesting read.