Scan barcode
A review by mvindc
Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin
3.0
I struggled with this book of essays for a few reasons, which disappointed me because I really did want to be blown away by it. One of the big barriers for me was the first section of the book, which is 3 (if I remember correctly) review of books and movies that I haven't seen or read. Not having the context for these works pretty much made it useless for me to read them. The second and third sections of the book focus more on Baldwin's direct experiences, so at least I could follow the personal narrative, but I did still struggle a little with these sections as well. Baldwin is a great writer, but his writing is dense--it's not easy to pick up in the middle of an essay if that's where you left off.
I haven't read very many black authors writing about their experiences in the 50s and 60s, but I'm sure Baldwin is one of the top writers from this time. Being black in America during this time is vastly different from being black in America today; at least, that was the sense I got from his writing. Some of the most beautiful and heart-wrenching paragraphs were around the lack of culture and society among black communities, and the feeling of isolation among black people. I couldn't help but contrast this writing with a book I read last year, "Between the World and Me," which talked more about the shared sense of burden, the weight of fear and history, that only people of color shared in this country. After reading this, I am interested to read Go Tell It on a Mountain, to help get more of a perspective on his life and the lives of the black community during the middle of the 20th century.
I haven't read very many black authors writing about their experiences in the 50s and 60s, but I'm sure Baldwin is one of the top writers from this time. Being black in America during this time is vastly different from being black in America today; at least, that was the sense I got from his writing. Some of the most beautiful and heart-wrenching paragraphs were around the lack of culture and society among black communities, and the feeling of isolation among black people. I couldn't help but contrast this writing with a book I read last year, "Between the World and Me," which talked more about the shared sense of burden, the weight of fear and history, that only people of color shared in this country. After reading this, I am interested to read Go Tell It on a Mountain, to help get more of a perspective on his life and the lives of the black community during the middle of the 20th century.