Reviews with content warning for Racism - Go Tell It on the Mountain

Reviews tagging 'Racism'

Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin

47 reviews

gvstyris's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective 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? Yes

3.5

There was not, after all, a great difference between the world of the North and that of the South which she had fled; there was only this difference: the North promised more. And this similarity: what it promised it did not give, and what it gave, at length and grudgingly with one hand, it took back with the other.

A sensitive, multi-faceted insight into the relationship between black America and religion. Each character is affected pretty differently by Christianity, and each story was well-executed and fascinating. Ultimately, I'd argue that Baldwin presents religion both as a guiding force and a tool that encourages black Americans to endure their oppression.

Go Tell It on the Mountain is absolutely deserving of its place in the literary canon, but was at times painful to parse through because of its religious jargon and (mostly) young narrator. That being said, I really liked the contrast between the sea and fire imagery, and am constantly in awe of Baldwin's female characters.

Honestly, I probably just wasn't in the right head space for this book, but am excited to continue diving into Baldwin's works.

Content Warnings

jfcoombs's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Content Warnings

mattyvreads's review against another edition

Go to review page

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.

Content Warnings

ellieg2604's review against another edition

Go to review page

slow-paced

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

3.0

It was not what I expected, and was really hard for me to get into. I ended up enjoying it, but not until it was almost over and I finally understood what was happening.

Content Warnings