A review by marc129
Tell Me How Long the Train's Been Gone by James Baldwin

For 30 pages, James Baldwin had me hooked: the description of actor Leo Proudhammer's heart attack, on stage, - told in his own words -, and what happens immediately after, is haunting and intriguing. But then a series of flashbacks starts that gradually clarify who Leo actually is and what has colored his life until then. Leo is an African American (raised in Harlem and scarred by poverty, segregation and discrimination) and, apparantly, he had an on-and-off relationship with Barbara, a privileged white person. After 100 pages Jerry appears in the story, also white, and clearly gay. But then the book has already degenerated into a succession of scenes, set in the actor's milieu, endless dialogues with no apparent connecting thread, and a Leo who is constantly analyzing himself.

I must confess that I gave up just before half way (so I won’t rate this). Baldwin had a superior style, no doubt, the social issues he addressed are highly relevant, and the evocation of how a special person (Leo in this case) deals with feelings and situations is intriguing. But in this book, he's drowned the storyline in too much meandering dialogues, mixed with introspection, like in an elongated, theatrical setting. No, this didn't resonate. I guess it's my bad, because I really love his [b:Go Tell It on the Mountain|17143|Go Tell It on the Mountain|James Baldwin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348424233l/17143._SY75_.jpg|1027995] and [b:Giovanni's Room|38462|Giovanni's Room|James Baldwin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1501485157l/38462._SY75_.jpg|814207].