namakurhea's review against another edition
4.0
It’s been ages since I read a Baldwin! Got my copy back in 2020 (or 2021?) and finally got around to read it now and I MEAN… yo it’s THE James Baldwin! And you know you are up for great writing.
There are people who say that love is the greatest power in the universe. But what if this love needs to be pit against structures of our world that may be racist and discriminatory. Can love thrive in such an environment? “If Beale Street Could Talk” is a story of love, family, and what it means to be Black in America. If you’re into a plot-driven story and looking for something short (less than 200 pages!) but keeps you on the edge, I would definitely recommend this.
There are people who say that love is the greatest power in the universe. But what if this love needs to be pit against structures of our world that may be racist and discriminatory. Can love thrive in such an environment? “If Beale Street Could Talk” is a story of love, family, and what it means to be Black in America. If you’re into a plot-driven story and looking for something short (less than 200 pages!) but keeps you on the edge, I would definitely recommend this.
jtferdon's review against another edition
4.0
This was my first James Baldwin but it will not be the last I read. He writes so wonderfully of Fonny and Tish's love story and life in 1970's Harlem. Fonny is wrongly accused of a crime and the book tells the story of how Tish, her parents and sister and Fonnys father all work together to try and free him. It is a book of love, hope, despair and injustice.
I did really enjoy the book but reduced my rating from 4.5 to 4 stars at the very end. Still thinking about the ending...
I did really enjoy the book but reduced my rating from 4.5 to 4 stars at the very end. Still thinking about the ending...
samuel_peterson's review against another edition
4.0
Paperback 4 stars
I loved all of the literary surprises within this book. While reading, I was constantly in shock by the creative descriptions of moments. Tender and tense moments alike were alive with new perspectives.
"We are going to make it, somehow. Somehow I stand, and smile, and raise my fist He turns into the inferno. I walk toward the Sahara."
I loved the humanity throughout the book. The backdrop of incessant racism - a truly dehumanizing experience - was subverted as the Rivers and Hunt families were full of life and love through this dehumanizing while the enemies, state prosecutors, were always behind a curtain. It was a special book to challenge the empathy of the reader.
I recommend to everyone.
I loved all of the literary surprises within this book. While reading, I was constantly in shock by the creative descriptions of moments. Tender and tense moments alike were alive with new perspectives.
"We are going to make it, somehow. Somehow I stand, and smile, and raise my fist He turns into the inferno. I walk toward the Sahara."
I loved the humanity throughout the book. The backdrop of incessant racism - a truly dehumanizing experience - was subverted as the Rivers and Hunt families were full of life and love through this dehumanizing while the enemies, state prosecutors, were always behind a curtain. It was a special book to challenge the empathy of the reader.
I recommend to everyone.
sadiecatherine's review against another edition
4.0
Difficult, thought-provoking, and very very good.
benjobuks's review against another edition
4.0
Beautifully and powerfully centers friendship, love and kinship as bulwarks against racism and poverty. Empowering novel.
eveemilie'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? It's complicated
5.0
kayjayelle's review against another edition
dark
emotional
fast-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? It's complicated
4.75
moseslh's review against another edition
2.0
I really want to like Baldwin, but this book just didn't do it for me. I felt similarly about [b:Going to Meet the Man|38469|Going to Meet the Man|James Baldwin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1609419366l/38469._SY75_.jpg|370826], his book of short stories. It was well-written, I suppose, but I didn't really connect with it. It was easy to read but also easy to stop reading.
The narration in If Beale Street Could Talk confused me a bit. The story is narrated in first person but includes many scenes that the protagonist/narrator is not a part of, which was jarring and didn't seem to serve any obvious literary purpose.
The narration in If Beale Street Could Talk confused me a bit. The story is narrated in first person but includes many scenes that the protagonist/narrator is not a part of, which was jarring and didn't seem to serve any obvious literary purpose.