I love Baldwin's writing style, but this novel has been in my bathroom (read: "library") for months, and I'm only making progress a few pages at a timI love Baldwin's writing style, but this novel has been in my bathroom (read: "library") for months, and I'm only making progress a few pages at a time. An original paperback copy sat in my office for years before that. I was curious about a novel featuring mostly white characters--and it's very well-written, but I have had some trouble engaging over the long term.
ADDENDUM: I'm a softie. I'll just get that out. So I'm giving this book five stars although I suspect it might only deserve four...but I can't say. It's Baldwin. It's brilliant. There are observations or turns of phrase one could quote on almost every page.
At one point, Baldwin faced such writer's block with this manuscript that he considered it "unpublishable." He said his characters wouldn't talk to him. He had to isolate himself in Turkey to finish it.
Like the author, there were times I fell out of engagement with it and put it down for a while...the characters do get "talky"...but then when I came back to it, I inhaled it. The real marvel, to me, is the historical and social context in which this was written. ..probably in 1959 or 1960... Baldwin's New York fascinated me--a window into the club scene in a bygone era. Still incredibly sharp and relevant, and light years ahead of its time in its frank depiction of human sexuality. Baldwin's grasp of human psychology, and his language to elucidate his theories, are a joy.
If you've overlooked this novel by James Baldwin, it is worth reading. ...more
Edwidge Danticat is a national treasure, and this is her family's odyssey. Some of the relatives she writes about here were lost in Haiti. Edwidge Danticat is a national treasure, and this is her family's odyssey. Some of the relatives she writes about here were lost in Haiti. ...more
This is the sequel to Great Sky Woman, also excellent, and unlike anything you've ever read! This is the sequel to Great Sky Woman, also excellent, and unlike anything you've ever read! ...more
Noni Carter first wrote to me when she was still in high school to send me a copy of her self-published version of GOOD FORTUNE--and now she has landeNoni Carter first wrote to me when she was still in high school to send me a copy of her self-published version of GOOD FORTUNE--and now she has landed a book deal. As I said in my blurb, "Noni Carter was only a child when she first conceived of this story of a young girl's journey from freedom to slavery and back to the ultimate freedom--but her debut novel is writt4en with wisdom and heart far beyond her years. Well researched and delightedly well written, GOOD FORTUNE is an empowering testament to history that will move readers both young and old." ...more
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