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A review by astrozombies
Another Country by James Baldwin
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
3.75
as a first endeavor into baldwin’s work, i fear i may have bit off a bit more than i could chew.
the writing is phenomenal. every sentence evokes powerful emotion, which is probably part of why it took me so long to finish; yet still, i don’t feel like i’m done. i imagine this book is one i’ll have to revisit later to fully grasp the themes baldwin is trying to explore, as well as to understand the motivations of some characters, especially regarding rufus and his treatment of leona.
i think it was very moving to see how rufus was the connecting force between every character—even past chapter one—and how he motivated the actions of characters like vivaldo and ida especially.
it was frustrating, however, to watch as every character chose the worst decision to make at any given opportunity. the almost universal mistreatment of every female character and non-character was also difficult to parse beyond “well, they kinda were universally mistreated at this time” so maybe that was the point.
nevertheless, this book was a monumental emotional effort that i feel glad to have read, and i’m excited to see how baldwin’s other works fare. maybe after a bit of a break, though. lol
the writing is phenomenal. every sentence evokes powerful emotion, which is probably part of why it took me so long to finish; yet still, i don’t feel like i’m done. i imagine this book is one i’ll have to revisit later to fully grasp the themes baldwin is trying to explore, as well as to understand the motivations of some characters, especially regarding rufus and his treatment of leona.
i think it was very moving to see how rufus was the connecting force between every character—even past chapter one—and how he motivated the actions of characters like vivaldo and ida especially.
it was frustrating, however, to watch as every character chose the worst decision to make at any given opportunity. the almost universal mistreatment of every female character and non-character was also difficult to parse beyond “well, they kinda were universally mistreated at this time” so maybe that was the point.
nevertheless, this book was a monumental emotional effort that i feel glad to have read, and i’m excited to see how baldwin’s other works fare. maybe after a bit of a break, though. lol
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Homophobia, and Sexual content