A Different Drummer

by William Melvin Kelley

Book Overview

The stunning, thought-provoking first novel by a "lost giant of American literature" (The New Yorker)

June, 1957. One hot afternoon in the backwaters of the Deep South, a young black farmer named Tucker Caliban salts his fields, shoots his horse, burns his house, and heads north with his wife and child. His departure sets off an exodus of the state's entire black population, throwing the established order into brilliant disarray...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0385413904
• ISBN13: 9780385413909
• Release Date: May 1990
• Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.49 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.2" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

Great Story depicting onset of Civil Rights Movement.

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.

Brilliant. A True Literary Classic!

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.

Brilliant Story of Racial Disharmony

Kelley's book, set in a fictional state in the South, beautifully captures the complex relations between the races in America. Told from the perspectives of various white characters, it tells the story of farmer Tucker, descendant of a legendary slave. The book stirs complicated emotions when describing the tale of Tucker destroying his farm and moving with his family out of the South, an act of defiance that starts an exodus of the black population of the state, crippling the white economy. Caught up in the confusion is a family of so-called enlightened whites, who had once employed Tucker and his wife. The characters are intricately fleshed-out with flashbacks, including powerful stories of one-on-one relationships; Tucker's friendship with the family's young son provides a particularly stunning and painful vignette about the boy learning to ride a bike. A black preacher from the north who is drawn into the mess after Tucker's migration is a poignant example of a racial scapegoat, pick a black, any black. The subtleties of the many characters make this an engaging and powerful read, as important now as when it was first released.

Exceedingly entertaining, compelling, and thoughtful.

Kelley does a great job of describing the inner thoughts of each character, as he offers different perspectives. he draws up a bunch of interesting characters. His ideas about a conflict that is improtant as any other, in our country's breif yet rich history, are well thought out,and well represented. Perhaps the value of this book is best represented by Revrend Bradshaw's character. This gripping character, full of intricacies, also works in the rest of the book. This book is flowing with power, significance and thought.