Reviews with content warning for Sexual content - If Beale Street Could Talk

"It was as though we were a picture, trapped in time: this had been happening for hundreds of years, people sitting in a room, waiting for dinner, and listening to the blues."

I'm glad I gave Baldwin a second chance. I had read Giovanni's Room a few years ago and didn't enjoy it much at all (I know, unpopular opinion), but this book sounded more like my taste so I picked up a copy from the library.

This hooked me in right away. When I sat down to start it, I thought I'd only read the first few pages, considering my slump-ish state, but I ended up reading almost 30 pages in one sitting!

The plot is engaging but I think the narrative voice is what I liked most about it. This was written from the perspective of a young woman. The language feels believable, and I agree with the back cover describing it as "honest." Aside from a few slang words and phrases; it feels timeless. In some ways, the timelessness to the story is a bitter thing, considering the themes: systemic racism and sexual violence, corrupt "justice" systems, poverty; it's the type of thing you wish were outdated, but for many, it's no different from the present. This is also a story of love and hope, but my mind tends to hold on to the dim side of things.

There are no chapters, which I usually find to be challenging, but the mostly-casual yet sometimes-lyrical writing style kept the pace flowing smoothly. Some of the content was outside my comfort zone but the writing style and story made it worth it, this was a page turner for me. I finished in about four sittings. I would recommend this!

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rachelle_reads's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

There are reasons why this is a classic, and why it shows up on banned books lists. Corrupt cops, Black men going to jail on trumped up charges… and really, at this center is a well-loved young person pregnant and looking towards the future. The book moves back and forth in time to complete the picture as the story moves forward. Baldwin’s characters are incredibly vivid. I look forward to reading more of his work.

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pbraue13's review

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dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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mayareadsxo's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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kenz_reads_books's review

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4.25

This was my first James Baldwin book and I absolutely loved his writing style. This was a very impactful, thought provoking, devastating book that explored some very tough themes. I kind of wish the book was longer actually. At the end I was left wanting just a little bit more. There were quite a few good quotes in here and I ended up tabbing them! I also listened to this on audio and the narrator was fantastic. I will definitely be reading more from this author.

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alsira98's review

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dark emotional hopeful slow-paced

4.0

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charlieeew's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

Content Warnings

brittrowell's review

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challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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