A review by worldsworstreader
Another Country by James Baldwin

dark emotional reflective tense slow-paced

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

2.0

Though I loved Giovanni’s Room, and was excited to read Another Country, upon reading I found it to be pessimistic, fatalistic, violent, cruel, and lonely. I was not invested in the characters like I had been when reading Giovanni’s Room. I thought they were flat and uninspiring, and much less real than David, Giovanni, and Hella had been. I thought the writing was tired and disjointed, and I found it much less impactful than James Baldwin’s other work I’ve read (Giovanni’s Room and The Fire Next Time). Honestly I thought there was quite a big comparison between Another Country itself and Vivaldo’s unfinishable and lacklustre novel. There were a few lines I quite liked: “so long, genius” from Ellis to Vivaldo; and “he wanted to leave before Jane precipitated a race riot” about Vivaldo. I didn’t much like Another Country, but I still love James Baldwin as an author and look forward to reading the rest of his works.