Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin

33 reviews

sofipitch's review against another edition

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

4.75

This book was amazing. The focus on how Christianity corrupts, how it can enable ppl to do cruelty or at least feel entitled to it. Or the way it can make ppl feel remorse over things that were good, like Elizabeth with Richard just bc she wasn't married to him doesn't mean he wasn't 3000x better a husband than Gabriel. Also John hating his narcissistic and arrogant and abusive father, def can't relate to that at all, wouldn't be me. (/s) The sermons read or just the way religious figures talked constantly had me gritting my teeth in anger, I think Baldwin really got to the core of what I dislike about Christianity while never fabricating anything or displaying it as more than it is.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Infidelity, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Police brutality, and Racism

Minor: Suicide

rzh's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-paced

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

4.25

again, i just LOVE james baldwin and he never lets me down. beautiful beautiful prose, really evocative and beautifully shapped characters, all with their own individual struggles and stories. i loved how it told the tales of the parents generations and treated them as the flawed young people they were: sometimes a difficult thing to do with older generations. i would maybe mark it down just a tad for being a bit slower paced than the other baldwin books i’ve read and maybe a little harder to follow with the abstract poetics of it but still loved it nonetheless. 4.25 stars

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Religious bigotry, Suicide, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Hate crime

Moderate: Gun violence and Rape

maria_winther's review against another edition

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse

Moderate: Death, Suicide, Racism, and Violence

aloy's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective 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

Moderate: Death of parent, Pregnancy, Infidelity, Infertility, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Death, Physical abuse, Suicide, Violence, Child abuse, Grief, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, and Misogyny

Minor: Racism and Slavery

anniefwrites's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad 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

This was my first James Baldwin, and WOW. Moving plot, language that sucks you right in, vivid interior worlds of all the characters. What a magnificent writer. I especially loved the parts where I got to live inside the mind of such a tender, confused, emotional boy. The way the story concluded wasn’t what I expected, and it’s going to be a while until I can unravel my complex feelings about it. But all in all, Baldwin has such a strong yet delicate voice, and I’m looking forward to reading more of his work. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Suicide, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Death, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, and Rape

Moderate: Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, Blood, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Infertility, Pregnancy, Vomit, Chronic illness, Homophobia, Police brutality, and War

jamieruwen's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated

3.5

It was beautiful, but also extremely painful.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Racism, and Suicide

Moderate: Sexual violence

menomica's review against another edition

challenging dark informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

This book is so tense and at times emotionally demanding, and I mean that in a good way. The way the story unfolds is so incredible. There were moments where I had to put the book down because I was just getting flashbacks of growing up in church 😵‍💫.

I thought we were gonna get a John-gay-awakening arch, but that did not happen

Gabriel is a total bitch, and I love that Florence was there to clear his ass. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Racial slurs, Racism, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Child abuse, Death of parent, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racism, Suicide, and Violence

Minor: Infertility, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and War

milliebrierley's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective slow-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

Moderate: Abandonment, Death of parent, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, and Suicide

jojo_'s review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective slow-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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Child abuse

Moderate: Child death, Death, Death of parent, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racial slurs, and Suicide

Minor: Abandonment, Blood, Infertility, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual content, and Slavery

annreadsabook's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad 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

Go Tell It on the Mountain is a true literary masterpiece. The writing is simply stunning. While it’s framed as a coming-of-age novel, it is so much more: it examines religion/spirituality, hypocrisy within the church, the lack of respect and care towards Black women (particularly by Black men), and racism. Moreover, while the novel is bookended by young John Grimes’ exploration of faith, family, and identity, embedded within the book is a deep look into the lives of the people who raised him and who form his community. It is a testament to the ways in which we are in part a product of the people who bring us up and surround us.

Especially as someone who grew up in the Black church (and who still attends a Black church), Baldwin’s depiction of the community within the book was provocative—on the one hand, there is a strong collectivist spirit that pervades the church, and on the other, one’s relationship with God is incredibly personal. Baldwin expertly deals with all of these dynamics and nuances without really hitting you over the head with them. And, while the novel actually covers a lot of topics to varying degrees, it never feels overwhelming. It just feels more like life.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Death, and Racism

Moderate: Pregnancy

Minor: Domestic abuse