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sierraburrell's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Slowly moving through all of James Baldwin’s work. I’m going to sit with this one for a while. There were so many moments where it felt like he was writing about present day struggles.
emilyhays8's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
mvindc's review against another edition
4.0
What a timely read--sadly timely. It's short but dense, like all of Baldwin's prose, and I gave myself the time to reflect while reading it, to really think about what he was saying (and sadly, how little is changed since he wrote these words over 50 years ago). I highly recommend reading this in conjunction with Ta-Nehisi Coates' Between the World and Me; I'm also really enjoying reading "The Fire This Time" after finishing Baldwin's.
My favorite quote (though so much of it was so relevant it was shocking): "The subtle and deadly change of heart that might occur in you would be involved with the realization that a civilization is not destroyed by wicked people; it is not necessary that people be wicked but only that they be spineless."
My favorite quote (though so much of it was so relevant it was shocking): "The subtle and deadly change of heart that might occur in you would be involved with the realization that a civilization is not destroyed by wicked people; it is not necessary that people be wicked but only that they be spineless."
aidareads's review against another edition
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
this is a must-read even for those unfamiliar with nonfiction (such as me) and should be mandatory reading
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, and Slavery
naiilahreads's review against another edition
5.0
I’ve always been aware of this book and it’s legacy but never took the opportunity to read it. Then I read Jesmyn Ward’s, The Fire This Time and knew I could put off this read no longer. James Baldwin’s words ring as true today as when he wrote them to mark the centennial of the emancipation proclamation. This is both tragic and affirming for Black Americans.