Reviews

Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin

teresatumminello's review against another edition

4.0

I'm very impressed with how self-assured and commanding Baldwin's first novel is, especially in its structure, and its gritty and poetic prose.

The author's empathy for his characters, even an extremely hypocritical one, is strong too. The difficulty of the adult characters' pasts was most compelling to me, as they can't help but look backward even as they try to forget. The bitterness of the main character's mother, on a day when she might be happy, is subtle and understandable after you know her back story. The reader knows the future will be hard for all of them.

Though the characters live in Harlem, their past lives in the South are what is revelatory, making it easy for me to understand why authors Dorothy Allison and Susan Straight say this book was a major inspiration for them.

billmars's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I got from this book a similar feeling to what I got from Catcher in the Rye. Sympathetic and sad focal characters (predominantly)

obletron's review against another edition

4.0

Giving this 4 stars because it was challenging to read with all the biblical allusions. If I was more familiar with the Bible I would give this 5 stars. The story itself was powerful and James Baldwin did an amazing job of making the reader feel fully emerged in the main character's conflicts. This was a great, heartbreaking, coming-of-age story with a lot of racial and religious undertones.

daphnec121's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

bartikk's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

orianaframe's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

washingmachineoverlord's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

evergs's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

walby's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

quintusmarcus's review against another edition

4.0

This is my year of James Baldwin--I am going to read the three volumes of his works in the Library of America. His first novel is a tough one, a semi-autobiographical story of his early life with a brutal father who was preacher. Beautiful prose throughout--it's amazing to me the Baldwin achieved such an expressive and elegant style so early in his career. Moving on to Giovanni's Room next.