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A review by bioniclib
The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
5.0
Can I give this 6 stars? Please?
Mr. Baldwin's writing has that rare mix of power and humility. He lets the reader into his life, the life of a black man in Harlem in the '60s. He has the skill to point out the warts on the nose of society without coming across as angry. For me, the tone is one of deep sadness. Yet at the same time you can just about feel the frustration seeping off the page. While I can't empathize with his plight, I can (and do) identify with his proposed solution: love.
I'll end with a few of my favorite quotes:
"White people in this country will have quite enough to do in learning how to accept and love themselves and each other, and when they have achieved this - which will not be tomorrow and may very well be never- the Negro problem will no longer exist, for it will no longer be needed." P.22
"People always seem to band together in accordance to a principle that has nothing to do with love, a principle that releases them from personal responsibility." P.81
"Do I really want to be integrated into a burning house?" P. 94
"Isn’t love more important than color?" P.71
Mr. Baldwin's writing has that rare mix of power and humility. He lets the reader into his life, the life of a black man in Harlem in the '60s. He has the skill to point out the warts on the nose of society without coming across as angry. For me, the tone is one of deep sadness. Yet at the same time you can just about feel the frustration seeping off the page. While I can't empathize with his plight, I can (and do) identify with his proposed solution: love.
I'll end with a few of my favorite quotes:
"White people in this country will have quite enough to do in learning how to accept and love themselves and each other, and when they have achieved this - which will not be tomorrow and may very well be never- the Negro problem will no longer exist, for it will no longer be needed." P.22
"People always seem to band together in accordance to a principle that has nothing to do with love, a principle that releases them from personal responsibility." P.81
"Do I really want to be integrated into a burning house?" P. 94
"Isn’t love more important than color?" P.71