Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin

21 reviews

mattyvreads's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Baldwin is so impressive. This book came out in the early 50s, and it still reads incredibly modern and just as relevant. Besides that, the writing is perfection. It is beautiful, poignant, and the characters feel so real. They are complex, layered, flawed, and relatable.

Baldwin has an exceedingly rare understanding of humanity. He is able to show a character’s abject cruelty, show us why that character is the way they are, without trying to redeem or justify their actions. “This is true and this is also true.” We understand that character without forgiving them. By the same token, Baldwin can show the depth of, say, a mother’s love for her child and explain how she came to love him so much. We will fall in love with this character. And then he’ll go on to show us her disdain for her other son. There is nuance and depth in every line.

This story tackles religion, namely the oppressive weight of Christianity, and its (seemingly rare) healing qualities, as well. The way each character talks about religion is fascinating. These characters are G*d-fearing, not G*d-loving. They live terrified of sinning, and the anguish of Hell fire. Yet there is a line between living life to an impossible standard (never having sexual thoughts, never drinking, never feeling jealousy, etc..) and the other side. We see Christianity give John hope in his own head (even if it seems like he unwillingly submitted to the religion). We see Christianity steer bad people away from infidelity and violence, until those villains inevitably stray. So it seems largely ineffective, too.

It presents the good and the bad.

In The Fire Next Time, Baldwin states “If the concept of God has any validity or any use, it can only be to make us larger, freer, and more loving.“ I believe that that assertion colors this entire text. 

Loved this book and would love to read it again.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Racial slurs, and Racism

Moderate: Sexual violence

molliford's review

emotional reflective sad slow-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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Child abuse, and Racism

Moderate: Rape and Racial slurs

fatkingslug's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Violence, Religious bigotry, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Hate crime, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Physical abuse, Infidelity, Racism, Child abuse, and Misogyny

Moderate: Body shaming, Gore, Alcoholism, Rape, Sexual content, Pregnancy, and Police brutality

Minor: Homophobia

theremightbecupcakes's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Death of parent, Racism, Slavery, Suicide, Terminal illness, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Rape, Toxic relationship, and Violence

romeri's review

challenging emotional reflective tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Domestic abuse, and Violence

Minor: Sexual assault

ohgull's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.75

I read this book for my Multicultural Lit class. It was an interesting read, definitely not something I would pick out for myself, but I'm glad I read it. I liked the main protagonist John and seeing his character growth, but it felt a little stifled. The second half of this book was basically just exposition on how the Grimes family ended up like this and why the characters are the way they are. I don't know, it had good material in it, specifically talking about religion and race, but I wish there was more plot in the present and not all of the action happening 20 years before the novel begins. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Child abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Death, Violence, and Police brutality

Minor: Rape, Pregnancy, Infertility, Blood, Death of parent, Drug use, and Suicide

mcasey11's review

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Racial slurs, Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, and Racism

Minor: Suicide

bjdarby's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Sexual assault, Rape, Child abuse, Violence, and Police brutality

grace_farrimond's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Racial slurs

lizziaha's review against another edition

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.75

I think that a lot of this book went straight over my head. I did appreciate the idea of a reckoning coming for some of the characters. And I liked Florence. And writing was, of course, beautiful. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Police brutality, Racism, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Sexual assault, Infidelity, Child abuse, Suicide, Death, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Sexual violence, and Rape

Minor: Infertility