James Baldwin: Early Novels and Stories: Go Tell It on a Mountain / Giovanni's Room / Another Country / Going to Meet the Man (Library of America) (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come..." (more)
Key Phrases: New York, Brother Elisha, Sister Price (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

A novelist, essayist, playwright, and public intellectual, James Baldwin's writings on the subject of race in America undeniably made him one of the greatest African American writers of the 20th century. As the civil rights movement gained momentum in the two decades following World War II, Baldwin landed squarely in the public eye, and his prose communicated the hope and frustration of the fight for racial equality. In James Baldwin: Early Novels and Stories, editor Toni Morrison draws heavily on Baldwin's early work, including his first novel Go Tell It on the Mountain, as well as Giovanni's Room, which was praised by the New York Times for its "unusual candor ... and intensity." As pertinent today as it was some 30 years ago, the fiction found in this collection is powerful, eloquent, and a fitting tribute to a consummate writer.

From Library Journal

Early Novels and Stories features the complete text of Baldwin's novels Go Tell It On the Mountain, Giovanni's Room, Another Country, and his short story collection Going To Meet the Man. Most of Baldwin's writing is autobiographical and deals with his coming of age as a black man in America and later as an expatriate in France, as well as coming to terms with his homosexuality. Written between 1953 and 1965, these stories broke down walls. Collected Essays offers an impressive array of Baldwin's nonfiction and includes nine essays never before collected. Presented here are the complete texts of the collections Notes of a Native Son, Nobody Knows My Name, The Fire Next Time, No Name in the Street, and The Devil Finds Work. Topics range from racism to literature to social issues. Along with corrected texts, these feature scholarly notes, a chronicle of the author's life, and more. Both volumes are essential for all collections.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 992 pages
• Publisher: Library of America; Library of America edition (February 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1883011515
• ISBN-13: 978-1883011512
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #103,830 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #12 in	Books > Literature & Fiction > Authors, A-Z > ( B ) > Baldwin, James
  #13 in	Books > Literature & Fiction > United States > African American > Baldwin, James

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A valuable edition of some of the best writings on race., April 13, 1998

By	[e-mail] (Austin, Texas) - See all my reviews

The Library of America is engaged in publishing definitive texts of the best-known writing in the U.S. Including James Baldwin in this series - and having Toni Morrison edit these volumes - has generated considerable critical review. It is remarkable that James Baldwin can still exercise so much hold over us. Both the fiction and the essays have a kind of raw power: it makes us realize how sensitive the nerve of "race relations" still is. "Go Tell It on the Mountain" - one of the early autobiographical stories - has already become an American classic. Baldwin's homosexuality and his ambiguous feelings towards the white establishment makes this a painful coming-of-age novel. There is no easy access to some one so at-odds with himself and his society - and no greater rewards for anyone interested in the literature of self-discovery. These are fine volumes. They are well worth owning and belong on the shelves of anyone interested in American literature. Not all collections are worth having. The Library of America - and these Baldwin volumes - are worth owning, and they are certainly worth reading.

5.0 out of 5 stars Goal Achieved, February 6, 2010

By	Serious Reviewer "Steve" (USA) - See all my reviews

The goal of any great writer is to simultananeously move the reader while also entertaining and enlightening the person absorbing the content. James Baldwin is a Master. His creativity and his realism are a gift from God. You can tell this is a man who truly has lived, and he is willing and able to share his experiences with us through his fiction stories, which quite obviously reflect the realities of everyday life.

The life we all live. God Bless Your Soul :)

5.0 out of 5 stars The quality of Baldwin's writing is superb, May 31, 2009

By	a. "devoted reader" (Upstate, NY) - See all my reviews

aside from any considerations of his significance (great) in discussions of race or homosexuality. Baldwin was a great writer and one comes away from this collection with many gifts.