James Baldwin, 1952 Read: 11/4/21
I really got into this book. As a recovered Evangelical
Christian, I related very strongly to the influence of the church in the lives of the characters. I was also able to relate strongly to Johnny in his dysfunctional relationship with his father. Like him, I love my father very much, but we never seen eye to eye.
This novel shows very clearly how family secrets and dysfunctions and traumas are passed from generation to generation and from parent to child. It is also an indictment of the way America has treated blacks over our long history of bloodshed. The scene where Johnny's grandmother walks off the plantation after liberation gave me chills.
Once I am done with the list, I plan to find this author's other works. His style is clear and his word choice evocative. You can smell the tenement, you can see the dust in the air, you can feel the pain.
Rereadability: Yes, I will read this again
Time to Read: 3 days
Classic: Absolutely. Should be required reading in American high schools, if it isn't already.
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