Scan barcode
A review by booksgurrsandpurrs
Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
"The darkness and silence of the church pressed on him, cold as judgement, and the voices crying from the window might have been crying from another world." pg 44
It's 1935, John, the son of a Pentecostal minister, wakes up in anger on another neglected birthday, (his fourteenth to be exact), by a father that dislikes him all the while grappling with the "sin" of his sexuality. Go Tell it on the Mountain takes place largely in Harlem, toggling between two generations, exploring gender roles, violence against women, police brutality, religious pressures/hypocrisy, colorism, racism and self-discovery.
The book is written with an abundance of imagery in a biblical vernacular that is so exact it's as if the book was a chapter ripped from the bible. I only have two minor criticisms for this impeccable book. 1) The time jumps are not always clear and could have used a more concise transition. 2) I'm not a fan of the last chapter, but that may change over time after I ruminate longer on the book as a whole.
It's 1935, John, the son of a Pentecostal minister, wakes up in anger on another neglected birthday, (his fourteenth to be exact), by a father that dislikes him all the while grappling with the "sin" of his sexuality. Go Tell it on the Mountain takes place largely in Harlem, toggling between two generations, exploring gender roles, violence against women, police brutality, religious pressures/hypocrisy, colorism, racism and self-discovery.
The book is written with an abundance of imagery in a biblical vernacular that is so exact it's as if the book was a chapter ripped from the bible. I only have two minor criticisms for this impeccable book. 1) The time jumps are not always clear and could have used a more concise transition. 2) I'm not a fan of the last chapter, but that may change over time after I ruminate longer on the book as a whole.