Good
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Despite everyone telling me what a powerful book this was and what a life changing impact it had on them and their views I found this not to be the case. Perhaps I just lack the context of growing up the civil rights era though. That's not to say this is by any means a bad book. It's an interesting read detailing the lives of various members of one family, the mistakes they make and their turning away and return to the Lord. The complex father son relationship is especially well written about and contains perhaps the most autobiographical part of the novel. It shows their fallings and explains their harshness, the characters are engaging and it paints a vivid picture of the black community in America during the early to middle twentieth century particularly with their relationship to the church.
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Modern classic
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James Baldwins first novel, in which he deals with issues he had with his father, religion and his sexuality, though it is definitely not a autobiographical account of his life. It concerns a young black boyin harlem called Johnny Grimes, destined to become a preahcer like his father, but he has doubts, and struggles with a hatred for his father, and an attraction towards an older boy in the congregation. However, the narrative jumps from him through the novel, and we learn about the past of his father, his mother and his auntie. This is a wondefully emotive and affecting book, with an underlying sense of sadness running throughout, written in a beautifully lyrical style.
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Baldwin's first and best novel
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Much of this novel is based on real life experiences of Baldwin and his family. The story focuses on the conflict between a young boy, John Grimes, and his father who is a preacher. The book is divided into three sections, the middle one being the most interesting. This section is told in a series of flashbacks telling the life stories of John's father, mother, and aunt. Unlike Baldwin's other novels, this work is not filled with a lot of political rhetoric. The story is simple and very enjoyable. Additionally, this novel describes African American church life reallly well.
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A walk on the dark side
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It's obviously a classic, but the book sometimes gets a bit
teadious. The book gives a good view on subjects like
racism, religion and the black community in America.
If you're interested in that kind of subjects and if you're determined
enough to get through the book; this is the book for you.
Rolf Donders
Twikkelstraat 37
4834 LL
Breda- The Netherlands
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