Go Tell It on the Mountain

[SarahKat, Buddy Reads]

This thread is to discuss Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin.

Pages: 256 pages

Length: 1 month (December)

Participants:Lorraine, Valerie

Everyone reads at their own pace during a Buddy Read. Because participants can be at different parts of the book at different times, it is extremely important to mark spoilers so that the book is not ruined for someone who is not as far along as others!!!

Mark spoilers by placing {spoiler} before the text and {/spoiler} after the text but use the < and > instead of the { and }.

[Valerie]

Should get to this around the middle of the month.

[Lorraine]

Perfect. I will start it around the same time then.

[Caterina]

If you are not starting until the middle of the month, that would work really well with my schedule and I would like to join.

[Valerie]

Welcome!

[Lorraine]

Got my copy from the library last night. Ready to start when you are !

[Valerie]

Should start at the end of the week. Looks like a relatively quick read unlike Possession!

[Therese]

Good luck and reading everybody! I read that book last year. It was so very good!

[Valerie]

Started today and have just read a little bit so far. Very powerful writing which evokes the voices of the characters.

[Lorraine]

Will start tomorrow.

[Valerie]

Part 1. Very powerful evocation of the claustrophobic world that John is trapped in. What a terrible force the combination of love and fear really is.
I thought (view spoiler)[ the scene when Roy was stabbed revealed so much about the family. Why does the father hate and belittle John when he appears to be the ‘good’ son but love and make allowances for Roy? How is Aunt Florence going to influence the story? Does the mother not see the contradiction between her husband’s supposed holiness and his violence? (hide spoiler)]
I’m interested to see which path John chooses.

[Lorraine]

I was hit by Covid today…no energy…will try to catch up tomorrow!

[Valerie]

Lorraine wrote: "I was hit by Covid today…no energy…will try to catch up tomorrow!"

Take your time, no rush, I’ll hide any spoilers for each part. Hope you start to feel better soon.

[Lorraine]

Valerie wrote: "Part 1. Very powerful evocation of the claustrophobic world that John is trapped in. What a terrible force the combination of love and fear really is.
I thought [spoilers removed]
I’m interested to..."

I also finished Part 1. (view spoiler)[ I felt I was in the room when Roy was beaten and it wasn’t a good feeling. Baldwin’s writing is really powerful! I am not really surprise that violence is tolerated when described like an act of love. We just have to look at the many religious wars to see that human think God is a good explanation for a lot of things…I am thinking that the father prefers Roy because he is more like him while he can see the judgment in John eyes and probably knows that the evil, he is talking about, is in him and not in his sons (hide spoiler)]
It will be interesting to see how the 2 boys will grow up and what impact all this (view spoiler)[ violence will have on them and their future (hide spoiler)]

[Valerie]

Part 2 to the end of Chapter 2. Lots is revealed in these two chapters and I found them a compelling read.
Florence (view spoiler)[ seemed caught in something parallel to John’s desire for escape to a different life (which sadly didn’t seem to work out). It seems to be fear of hell which is drawing her back to the church rather than anything positive (hide spoiler)]
Gabriel (view spoiler)[ I found this part unrelenting and quite horrifying in the way in which he justifies himself without any self awareness of his hypocrisy. He really is evil incarnate.Now we know why he doesn’t love John but I get the impression that John is not aware of the truth. (hide spoiler)]
It will be interesting to see where all this is heading.

[Valerie]

Part 3. A complex and rather intriguing ending. Not what I was expecting (view spoiler)[ on the surface it suggests that John has accepted the faith of the community during a whirlwind of emotional visions but there is also the suggestion that he has been saved no matter what and that he is now ready to move on with his life secure in that knowledge. Looks like Florence is ready to shatter Gabriel’s image which would be very satisfying. One of those books where you want to know what happens next but have to imagine it for yourself (hide spoiler)]
This is a novel that sweeps you up and carries you along on a powerful wave of emotion. His prose unrelentingly wraps the reader up in the world of his characters so their experiences feel very raw and real. For me, it raised more questions than answers but in a good way. Pretty sure it’s a book I’ll return to in the future.

[Lorraine]

Valerie wrote: "Part 2 to the end of Chapter 2. Lots is revealed in these two chapters and I found them a compelling read.
Florence [spoilers removed]
Gabriel [spoilers removed]
It will be interesting to see where..."

Just finished Florence and Gabriel part. Like you, I think John (view spoiler)[is not aware that Gabriel isn't his father. Wondering if he will learn about it and if this will ease his pain. And like you said...so much hypocrisy! How can you be an happy child being raised in all this...
Gabriel parts made me angry. (hide spoiler)]