Scan barcode
A review by snailslowreader
Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
Book 1 for 2024 (reviewed for HBR):
Go Tell It on the Mountain's emphasis on Christianity and how characters interact with it may seem alienating for a reader who isn’t interested in the topic, but by grounding the book in fundamental human emotions, it's made far more accessible. Baldwin is particularly interested in the deep anxieties and pressures of conforming with those who truly believe in God, and not knowing if you want to conform. The question of how someone knows they are “saved” is one way that the book expands into themes of self-hatred, understanding yourself, and insecurity in one’s past and future. The book is told by multiple members of a family: a boy, his aunt, his stepfather, and his mother, who all ruminate on their own callings—religious or not—and how they have strayed, or the costs of following them. Baldwin captures his characters’ intense and contradictory feelings in a way that’s insightful and beautifully written without being pretentious. By inviting some of the other characters to tell their stories and secrets, Baldwin is able to more subtly explore how their trauma ripples through generations.
Go Tell It on the Mountain's emphasis on Christianity and how characters interact with it may seem alienating for a reader who isn’t interested in the topic, but by grounding the book in fundamental human emotions, it's made far more accessible. Baldwin is particularly interested in the deep anxieties and pressures of conforming with those who truly believe in God, and not knowing if you want to conform. The question of how someone knows they are “saved” is one way that the book expands into themes of self-hatred, understanding yourself, and insecurity in one’s past and future. The book is told by multiple members of a family: a boy, his aunt, his stepfather, and his mother, who all ruminate on their own callings—religious or not—and how they have strayed, or the costs of following them. Baldwin captures his characters’ intense and contradictory feelings in a way that’s insightful and beautifully written without being pretentious. By inviting some of the other characters to tell their stories and secrets, Baldwin is able to more subtly explore how their trauma ripples through generations.
If anything, I wish that the novel was a bit longer so that everyone’s perspectives could be tied together. I do understand that Baldwin was mostly trying to show snapshots of people’s lives and how those experiences have affected them as people in a succinct way—almost half of the book is composed of memories recalled in a single prayer session—and I think he was largely successful. Nevertheless, no matter how much I did like the open ending, it still felt like there was more to tell, and a larger audience waiting and listening.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs
Moderate: Sexual content and Violence