Go Tell It on the Mountain - January 2022

[Darren]

In January we will be reading Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin for our State of the Nation category - who's in?

[Dennis]

I am! James Baldwin is always worth reading.

[Pamela]

I’m in, looking forward to this one

[Phil]

I do plan to. Still partway through both As I Lay Dying and The Unconsoled right now, so there’ll be a short delay.

I loved Giovanni’s Room, so looking forward to this one.

[Christopher]

I read about half of this and was really enjoying it.

The book group meeting came and went and I did not get back to it, but I will give it a shot this month.

[Dennis]

This is a very hard story to read. I am deeply sorry for every single person in this book.

[Dennis]

Well, I finished the book, and I’m amazed at Baldwin’s ability to make me feel for each and every character. I am not his ideal reader: white and Jewish and liberal in my attitudes, I shake my head at the way these people demean their bodies and deny the worth of their (dare I say it?) God-given desires. Yet I can feel the pull of what they believe. He makes it that tangible.

What did you all think?

[Pamela]

I enjoyed this book, even though it was painful at times to read of the situations the characters were in. I agree with Dennis that Baldwin can make you feel for every character - even with Gabriel, who often made me feel angry and frustrated at his attempts to justify his violent, cruel and self righteous behaviour, I felt that Baldwin showed how much religion meant in bolstering his self esteem and his fear at losing the power and respect he’d achieved.

I have read three novels by Baldwin now, and they have all been really well written and very powerful.

[Phil]

Just about to start this one (still lagging one book behind the year's nominations)