Goines' classic novel of prison life, it has been called "one of the most revealing books ever written about prison life and the bigotry built into the system." This is the story of Chester Himes, who thought he was the baddest man to come down the street. Behind prison walls he was nothing more than fresh meat.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A compelling novel of prison life,
This review is from: White Man's Justice (Mass Market Paperback)
"White Man's Justice, Black Man's Grief," by Donald Goines, is a compelling novel about men in prison. The text's copyright date is 1973. This book tells the story of Chester Hines, an African-American man who is arrested during a police traffic stop at the beginning of the novel. The bulk of the book details his experiences in prison.Goines creates a vivid portrait of the lives of incarcerated men. He describes overcrowding, filthy conditions, violence, and other aspects of life behind bars. A major theme is the racially charged nature of prison life, with whites as an abused minority within the inmate population. Goines writes at graphic length about homosexual acts in prison; prison sex is always described in the most vile context. Goines' writing is crisp, and the story moves along effectively. His characters are memorable and disturbing. Some of the social protest (starting with the hit-you-over-the-head title) seems a little forced. But this is definitely not a white-bashing book; there are a couple of sympathetic white characters, and in fact the most abusive and twisted characters are black! Overall, a fascinating look at a "community" (i.e. the inmate population) that most people will probably never experience directly. For another literary work that offers a gripping view of life in a racially mixed prison, try Miguel Pinero's great play "Short Eyes."
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A real-life look inside the judicial system,
By soulonice (Arlington, TX) - See all my reviews
This review is from: White Man's Justice (Mass Market Paperback)
In this story, like his others, Donald Goines succeeded in painting a clear, vivid, and lively picture of life behind bars from the black man's point of view during that time. If you really take in the message Goines gets across, you'll see it's much more than a man complaining about this, that, the man not giving him a break, etc. Chester (the main character) was fully aware of his crimes and knew he would be punished. The severity, however, is what got to him, and really set the story in motion. The supporting cast Goines brings is terrific; later on in the story Chester and a friend of his befriend a white inmate, and while everything is cool between the three of them, you can see the tension mount when it's time for two of them to go to the parole board and see about their releases. A story this authentic and true can only be told by someone who's either lived it, or has been around it, and Goines more than qualified to do the job.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A page turner!!,
By
This review is from: White Man's Justice (Mass Market Paperback)
This is the 5th book I have read by Mr. Goines. While this is not my favorite(Whoreson), this is still an excellent read. I was able to complete the book in 1 day! So often televsion shows and books sugar-coat prison life, this book is so real it makes you believe you are actually serving time with the others. Donald Goines has a way of dragging the reader into each book. It's sad that his collection only has 14 books. I must say he and Zane are neck and neck in the race of becmoing my favorite author!
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