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A review by nomadjg
Another Country by James Baldwin
5.0
Love is political and spiritual and politics have perhaps never been more beautiful than with Baldwin. Sex could happen between anyone and sometimes it's about hate. You can really despise most of his characters while empathizing with them because you could so easily be them. They are so believable in their blindness.
The only person I didn't care about was Richard and he is probably the character closest to the average American white male. He and Cass showed how enabling, in a codependent way, marriage can be. The most psychologically healthy people with love that improves their lover are Yves and Eric. It is significant (as well as political) that they accept who they love and themselves as queer more than any of the people who choose to live as heterosexuals.
It was very daring to kill off the most lovable character within the first 100 pages of the book, but it worked out OK for him. The books most clear and gorgeous manifesto comes from Ida when she explains things to Cass, and in the next scene, Cass can really see what's going on, observing and going below the surface of appearances.
"What you people don't know," she said, "is that life is a bitch, baby. It's the biggest hype going."
I felt the strangeness of America from the perspective of Eric and Yves - a feeling I am acquainted with. I'm dealing with it now because I am living in the USA again after 9 years. Being away, however, was never exile to me.
The line that sticks with me:
"Vivaldo, you haven't got to talk about what's happening to know what's happening."
Finally, I love the call and response between jazz and blues records and characters' thoughts and dialogue.
The only person I didn't care about was Richard and he is probably the character closest to the average American white male. He and Cass showed how enabling, in a codependent way, marriage can be. The most psychologically healthy people with love that improves their lover are Yves and Eric. It is significant (as well as political) that they accept who they love and themselves as queer more than any of the people who choose to live as heterosexuals.
It was very daring to kill off the most lovable character within the first 100 pages of the book, but it worked out OK for him. The books most clear and gorgeous manifesto comes from Ida when she explains things to Cass, and in the next scene, Cass can really see what's going on, observing and going below the surface of appearances.
"What you people don't know," she said, "is that life is a bitch, baby. It's the biggest hype going."
I felt the strangeness of America from the perspective of Eric and Yves - a feeling I am acquainted with. I'm dealing with it now because I am living in the USA again after 9 years. Being away, however, was never exile to me.
The line that sticks with me:
"Vivaldo, you haven't got to talk about what's happening to know what's happening."
Finally, I love the call and response between jazz and blues records and characters' thoughts and dialogue.