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mayawinshell's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
these are all stories about suffering in some regard, but beware, the final story in the collection (i read them in order) sickened me so much that i had trouble recollecting the other stories i’d just read. so before all else, huge TW for the eponymous tale Going to Meet the Man (CW: horrific, graphic lynch mob scene and copious use of slurs). to be clear, the story is not bad or poorly written—in fact it’s written with the immersive level of detail i’ve come to expect from any baldwin i read—so for that reason, only go into it if you’re ready for all that. it is terrifying and disturbing
below, i have placed the short stories in this collection in order from i think most re-readable to least (my “favorites” first? i suppose?)
below, i have placed the short stories in this collection in order from i think most re-readable to least (my “favorites” first? i suppose?)
- Sonny’s Blues (fantastic narrative structure for a short story (starting in the present, then jumping to a reflective past, which we stay in through the end of the tale, leaving us wondering what will happen now). the characters and their familial dynamics felt so real in such little time/so few pages, and i was left feeling very, very moved by the final scene in the jazz bar and the final lines of the sorry. such vivid, mesmerizing, loving descriptions of jazz and the people that play it)
- The Outing (an exciting expansion on characters i became so familiar with through first reading Go Tell It On the Mountain. sweet, sad, and altogether interesting. i like that baldwin kind of cracks the delicate egg of john’s possiblr queerness, which can be read just barely between the lines in GTIOTM, but is given clearer focus here)
- Come Out the Wilderness (i have seen people critique baldwin writing women but i quite like the way he writes them. i do! idk if there’s a way to capture the entirety of womanhood correctly, but i think he takes women seriously, which is crucial. i think this story is so, so sad: a crumbling/crumbled relationship, internalized racism and low self esteem, feelings of being just totally lost. it’s sensitive, honest, very good)
- Previous Condition (i’m just now starting Another Country and the two works remind me of one another—a Black man protagonist suffering, going positively mad from the exhausting and never ending trials of american anti-Black racism, surrounded by white friends and lovers who will never, never understand what it is to be Black in america. this short reads pretty modern, and it’s bleak, and again, it’s amazing how much he can bring a character to life in so few pages)
- This Morning, This Evening, So Soon (this one’s got some actual joy in it between the mixed, mostly negative feelings, and an ever-rare loving relationship in these pages about so much pain and oftentimes, emotional abuse. its most unique thematic exploration regards the different experiences for Black people in America vs in France, and for Black Americans vs Black Arab Africans in France)
- The Rockpile (i liked this one but coming right out of reading Go Tell It On the Mountain—and this is the very first short story in the collection—it wasn’t a super fresh update to the characters, and didn’t captivate me the most. still a well written story with gorgeous prose of course)
- The Man Child (this one had a really interesting southern gothic quality to it, ultimately ending in a scene of true horror, but it struck a pretty different tone than all the rest of the stories. much more mysterious motivations for its antagonist. he’s another na who’s been pushed to the edge of his sanity, though, that’s for sure)
- Going to Meet the Man (just so NOT re-readable. as i said at the top: really horrible content. it’s a very thorough journey into the dark, entrapped, panicking mind of a racist, violent bigot. the flashback to childhood is a haunting scene. it’s a tonal shock and a major perspective shift).
as always: james baldwin is spectacular. the blues and jazz are common threads throughout that weave in seamlessly. i’d recommend this to anyone looking for gorgeous prose and dark meditations on selfhood and american racism… he’s always brilliant
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, and Rape
Minor: Child death
annelives's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
James Baldwin might be the best writer I've ever read. His writing is compelling and his characters feel real. He's able to do so much in each story. The short story is an art form and a lot writers can't do it well, because honestly it's hard to make a fully fledged story with well developed characters in 50 pages or less. Every story pulled the reader in, even when the actual plot is kind of mundane. Seriously good writing. I highly recommend the collection.
The Rock Pile - the last line literally gave me chills. Even though the scene ends there the line perfectly encapsulates what’s going to happen even though intentions aren’t clearly stated.
The Outing - there's a whole lot going on in this short story. Grappling with religion and romantic attraction. That fear of knowing you might be different but you're not quite sure what it means. There's a hint of parental abuse as well. It honestly feels like a snapshot in time.
The Man Child - throughout the story there's this underlying tension between the adult characters and a child who is trying to make sense of what's going on around him. We're mostly in the child"s thoughts throughout which is especially horrifying towards the end. Like the atmosphere in this short story builds to where you know something is off and you're waiting in dread for something horrific to happen, but when it does finally happen you're still not quite ready.
Previous Condition - this short story is just so fucking sad because of how so little has actually changed. You feel the protagonist's anger, fear, and utter exhaustion as he tries to just exist in a world that makes it so difficul for black people to exist. I teared up multiple times at his desperation and an agony he couldn't adequately explain to his white Jewish friends, who could understand oppression and prejudice, but couldn't truly understand being black in America. How you can't hide from it and pass as white. How the system is suffocating and all around him. The isolation and loneliness reaches out from the page. It's heartbreaking.
Sonny's Blues - this is the first of the stories in here where I feel like there is some hope. Although I feel like it wouldn't quite fit with the rest of the stories if that hope wasn't ambiguous and fragile, like it could be taken away at anytime. The Man knows how to write. The complicated feelings and guilt between siblings and the effects addiction has on everyone. Also, the way he describes the jazz being performed at the end almost as a conversation and story is perfect.
This Morning, This Evening, So soon - Baldwin writes emotions and lived experiences so well. I love how love and family is portrayed in this short story. It's everything love and family should be, but realistically portrayed.
The exploration of black identity and how it compares to France and America while also exploring the tense relations between the Arabs and Frence was interesting. The complexity of the relationships between the protagonist who is a black American, who has found freedom in France, and a white Frenchman, and Tunisian Arab was fascinating. How the protagonist was kind of in the middle of these two groups and kind of had a loyalty to both.
Baldwin is really good at taking a normal everyday scenario and giving it so much weight and meaning even though it still remains ordinary. Like these two things exist at once.
Coming Out the Wilderness - The internalized misogyny and shame the heroine is dealing with is awful. I honestly just want to give her a hug and tell her she's worth so much more than how any of these men see her or even how she sees herself. I really wish there was a more hopeful ending to this one.
I can't decide if Baldwin recognized the double standards that his female protagonist is held to or not. I don't know enough about how he viewed women, particularly black women who are in interracial relationships, to really understand what he was trying to say with this character.
In the last short story the male protagonist is in an interracial relationship and there's no sense of shame with it. However. The protagonist was concerned when his white French friend and Arab friend were interested in a black woman they had all just met. Even the protagonist didn't quite understand why he was disturbed by it. So it does make me wonder if there's some hang ups there by the author. I'll need to read more by him to see if this perception has merit.
Like everything so far it's well written and compelling. You feel with each of his protagonists.
Going to Meet the Man - the amount of vitriol in this protagonist's mind is repulsive. Like the amount of hate and abuse he espouses, and knowing it was the norm (and for some people still is). That he has power over people is infuriating.
The description of the abuse black people endured while protesting for their human rights was hard to read. It's eerily familiar to how cops still deal with those protesting like during the BLM protests and now with the Pro-Palestinian protests. That so very little has actually changed with how law enforcement polices black, brown, and poor bodies is literally a crime against humanity.
Also, how he uses music throughout this story to help weave everything together is such good storytelling. He's also really good at using flashbacks where it flows seamlessly with the present.
Speaking of flashbacks, the one in this story was hard to get through. So much violence and hate. This was the hardest story to get through, and that's saying something considering how some of the other stories ended.
The Rock Pile - the last line literally gave me chills. Even though the scene ends there the line perfectly encapsulates what’s going to happen even though intentions aren’t clearly stated.
The Outing - there's a whole lot going on in this short story. Grappling with religion and romantic attraction. That fear of knowing you might be different but you're not quite sure what it means. There's a hint of parental abuse as well. It honestly feels like a snapshot in time.
The Man Child - throughout the story there's this underlying tension between the adult characters and a child who is trying to make sense of what's going on around him. We're mostly in the child"s thoughts throughout which is especially horrifying towards the end. Like the atmosphere in this short story builds to where you know something is off and you're waiting in dread for something horrific to happen, but when it does finally happen you're still not quite ready.
Previous Condition - this short story is just so fucking sad because of how so little has actually changed. You feel the protagonist's anger, fear, and utter exhaustion as he tries to just exist in a world that makes it so difficul for black people to exist. I teared up multiple times at his desperation and an agony he couldn't adequately explain to his white Jewish friends, who could understand oppression and prejudice, but couldn't truly understand being black in America. How you can't hide from it and pass as white. How the system is suffocating and all around him. The isolation and loneliness reaches out from the page. It's heartbreaking.
Sonny's Blues - this is the first of the stories in here where I feel like there is some hope. Although I feel like it wouldn't quite fit with the rest of the stories if that hope wasn't ambiguous and fragile, like it could be taken away at anytime. The Man knows how to write. The complicated feelings and guilt between siblings and the effects addiction has on everyone. Also, the way he describes the jazz being performed at the end almost as a conversation and story is perfect.
This Morning, This Evening, So soon - Baldwin writes emotions and lived experiences so well. I love how love and family is portrayed in this short story. It's everything love and family should be, but realistically portrayed.
The exploration of black identity and how it compares to France and America while also exploring the tense relations between the Arabs and Frence was interesting. The complexity of the relationships between the protagonist who is a black American, who has found freedom in France, and a white Frenchman, and Tunisian Arab was fascinating. How the protagonist was kind of in the middle of these two groups and kind of had a loyalty to both.
Baldwin is really good at taking a normal everyday scenario and giving it so much weight and meaning even though it still remains ordinary. Like these two things exist at once.
Coming Out the Wilderness - The internalized misogyny and shame the heroine is dealing with is awful. I honestly just want to give her a hug and tell her she's worth so much more than how any of these men see her or even how she sees herself. I really wish there was a more hopeful ending to this one.
I can't decide if Baldwin recognized the double standards that his female protagonist is held to or not. I don't know enough about how he viewed women, particularly black women who are in interracial relationships, to really understand what he was trying to say with this character.
In the last short story the male protagonist is in an interracial relationship and there's no sense of shame with it. However. The protagonist was concerned when his white French friend and Arab friend were interested in a black woman they had all just met. Even the protagonist didn't quite understand why he was disturbed by it. So it does make me wonder if there's some hang ups there by the author. I'll need to read more by him to see if this perception has merit.
Like everything so far it's well written and compelling. You feel with each of his protagonists.
Going to Meet the Man - the amount of vitriol in this protagonist's mind is repulsive. Like the amount of hate and abuse he espouses, and knowing it was the norm (and for some people still is). That he has power over people is infuriating.
The description of the abuse black people endured while protesting for their human rights was hard to read. It's eerily familiar to how cops still deal with those protesting like during the BLM protests and now with the Pro-Palestinian protests. That so very little has actually changed with how law enforcement polices black, brown, and poor bodies is literally a crime against humanity.
Also, how he uses music throughout this story to help weave everything together is such good storytelling. He's also really good at using flashbacks where it flows seamlessly with the present.
Speaking of flashbacks, the one in this story was hard to get through. So much violence and hate. This was the hardest story to get through, and that's saying something considering how some of the other stories ended.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, and Violence
The last story is pretty graphic and most of the content warning tags I used is because of this story.frankiereadstoomuch's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Required reading for a literature class
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Child death, Drug abuse, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Violence, Grief, and Classism
bibliorama's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
James Baldwin is a great writer and he makes it easy to fall into the narrative of each short story. You know it's interesting when it has me googling articles for the summaries and meanings to each story like I'm back in school. I can tell this one will get better upon rereads.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Violence, Police brutality, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Child death, and Cursing
ellareads2's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This collection was absolutely beautiful! It was the first time I've completed a work by Baldwin and I am excited to finish the rest of his fiction works this summer. Here is my ranking of the short stories because I do not feel that my overall star rating does justice to what I really thought of each story:
1. The Outing
2. Previous Condition
3. The Rockpile
4. The Man Child
5. This Morning, This Evening, So Soon
6. Sonny's Blues
7. Come Out the Wilderness
8. Going to Meet the Man (MAJOR TRIGGER/CONTENT WARNING FOR LYNCHING)
What I like most about "The Outing" is how close to home it feels. Baldwin perfectly captures what it's like to grow up in the Church around very religious people and feel all that shame, guilt, and trauma even as a child. Along with these religious power dynamics, he also explores how this intersects with gender and age within the congregation. I love the descriptions of male intimacy-whether platonic or romantic it could be read-between the two boys Johnnie and David. These boys, as well as their friend Roy, do not buy the narrative of salvation that others around them do. But Johnnie, being the preacher's son and living and breathing this religion, still desires the great love and intimacy all the worshippers around him display during the service on the boat. It is a beautiful scene that Johne observes, but he is not truly apart of. I felt that as a queer person with religious trauma, the seamless parallels Baldwin makes are very powerful.
*full review will be on blog*
1. The Outing
2. Previous Condition
3. The Rockpile
4. The Man Child
5. This Morning, This Evening, So Soon
6. Sonny's Blues
7. Come Out the Wilderness
8. Going to Meet the Man (MAJOR TRIGGER/CONTENT WARNING FOR LYNCHING)
What I like most about "The Outing" is how close to home it feels. Baldwin perfectly captures what it's like to grow up in the Church around very religious people and feel all that shame, guilt, and trauma even as a child. Along with these religious power dynamics, he also explores how this intersects with gender and age within the congregation. I love the descriptions of male intimacy-whether platonic or romantic it could be read-between the two boys Johnnie and David. These boys, as well as their friend Roy, do not buy the narrative of salvation that others around them do. But Johnnie, being the preacher's son and living and breathing this religion, still desires the great love and intimacy all the worshippers around him display during the service on the boat. It is a beautiful scene that Johne observes, but he is not truly apart of. I felt that as a queer person with religious trauma, the seamless parallels Baldwin makes are very powerful.
*full review will be on blog*
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Hate crime, Racial slurs, Sexual content, and Car accident
Minor: Slavery and Abortion
elchivovivo's review against another edition
challenging
dark
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
5.0
Beautiful mid XX century american prose.
Baldwin’s plots move forward like a river, and also like a river, they plunge into depths, pausing like whirlpools into the souls of character or into deep insights contained in the scenes.
Baldwin’s plots move forward like a river, and also like a river, they plunge into depths, pausing like whirlpools into the souls of character or into deep insights contained in the scenes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Violence
asililydying's review against another edition
4.25
Sonny's Blues and Previous Condition are my favorites, Going To Meet The Man itself as a story may be the most disgusting thing I have ever read ~ not unintentionally of course.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Murder, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation
rzh's review
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
as with most short story collections, this is difficult to review. the very medium itself preempts a “mixed bag” of stories, either all too similar or inevitably containing a few duds. this is arguably even moreso the case with baldwin, who with his careful crafting of character and scene being one of the main reasons i fell in love with his writing, perhaps wouldn’t be able to develop those as well in a shorter medium. of course, his books are short anyway; but the characters are forged so lovingly and vividly in them that i wasn’t entirely sure if i was going to connect to the characters in his short stories as well as i did in his novels/novellas. well: i did! for the most part. each story feels like it is held together by a common thread: according to the blurb, the “role of inherited prejudice in shaping man’s destiny”: inevitably for a baldwin piece, this takes the shape of racism, sexism and homophobia. the family dynamics play a starring role in most of the stories, whether this be to the benefit of the characters in question or to their downfall. some stories give me echoes of baldwin’s other work, like the american in paris in “This Morning, This Evening” (a la Giovanni’s Room), the lament of sonny’s brother at his incarceration (a la If Beale Street Could Talk), and the church community with the closeted young boys in “The Outing” (a la Go Tell it On the Mountain”). though i understand that baldwin is want to explore the same themes throughout his work, i couldnt help but wish for a fresher perspective, rather than the same feelings and emotions over again.
the last eponymous story was absolutely haunting. the weakest stories, i felt, were “Previous Condition” and “Come Out the Wilderness”; which just felt like sketches at best. saying that, i do think baldwin is extraordinarily good at writing women and portraying women’s voices in general; the woman in the latter story felt uncharacteristically underdeveloped.
a mixed bag, but overall a good collection with a decent length for short stories: would recommend to someone who wants to dip their toe into short-form fiction. 3.75/5 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racism, Torture, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Racial slurs
library_raider's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Violence
gayliott's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Racism, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, and Murder