James Baldwin's electrifying first novel.'I had to deal with what hurt me most. I had to deal with my father.'Drawing on James Baldwin's own boyhood in a religious community in 1930s Harlem, his first novel tells the story of young Johnny Grimes. Johnny is destined to become a preacher like his father, Gabriel, at the Temple of the Fire Baptized, where the church swells with song and it is as if 'the Holy Ghost were riding on the air'. But he feels only scalding hatred for Gabriel, whose fear and fanaticism lead him to abuse his family. Johnny vows that, for him, things will be different. This blazing tale is full of passion and guilt, of secret sinners and prayers singing on the wind. 'His prose hit me, almost winding me with its intensity. I'd never read a novel that described loneliness and desire with such burning eloquence' Douglas Field, Guardian'A beautiful, enduring, spirtual song of a novel' Andrew O'Hagan
CONTRIBUTORS: James Baldwin, Andrew O'HaganEAN: 9780141185910COUNTRY: United KingdomPAGES: WEIGHT: 200 gHEIGHT: 197 cm
PUBLISHED BY: Penguin Books LtdDATE PUBLISHED: CITY: GENRE: FICTION / Classics, FICTION / Literary, FICTION / Biographical, FICTION / Coming of Age, FICTION / Family Life / GeneralWIDTH: 130 cmSPINE:
Book Themes:
Harlem, c 1930 to c 1939, Modern and contemporary fiction: general and literary, Biographical fiction / autobiographical fiction, Family life fiction, Religious and spiritual fiction, Narrative theme: Coming of age
It broke my heart and made me want to jump up and down... It captures an essential aspect of life in America, its contradictions and seductions, that bittersweet mix of love and hate that so many feel towards the country, His prose hit me, almost winding me with its intensity. I'd never read a novel that described loneliness and desire with such burning eloquence, Vivid imagery, with lavish attention to details, A beautiful, enduring, spiritual song of a novel, One of the few essential novelists of our time
Born in Harlem in 1924, Baldwin had an early career as a teenage preacher. He lived in Paris from 1948-1956 and his first novels, the autobiographical GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN and GIOVANNI'S ROOM established him as a promising novelist and anticipated some of the themes of his later works, such as racism and sexuality. He became a prominent spokesperson for racial equality, especially during the civil rights movement. He lived in France during his last years. Baldwin died in 1987.
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James Baldwin's electrifying first novel.'I had to deal with what hurt me most. I had to deal with my father.'Drawing on James Baldwin's own boyhood in a religious community in 1930s Harlem, his first novel tells the story of young Johnny Grimes. Johnny is destined to become a preacher like his father, Gabriel, at the Temple of the Fire Baptized, where the church swells with song and it is as if 'the Holy Ghost were riding on the air'. But he feels only scalding hatred for Gabriel, whose fear and fanaticism lead him to abuse his family. Johnny vows that, for him, things will be different. This blazing tale is full of passion and guilt, of secret sinners and prayers singing on the wind. 'His prose hit me, almost winding me with its intensity. I'd never read a novel that described loneliness and desire with such burning eloquence' Douglas Field, Guardian'A beautiful, enduring, spirtual song of a novel' Andrew O'Hagan
CONTRIBUTORS: James Baldwin, Andrew O'HaganEAN: 9780141185910COUNTRY: United KingdomPAGES: WEIGHT: 200 gHEIGHT: 197 cm
PUBLISHED BY: Penguin Books LtdDATE PUBLISHED: CITY: GENRE: FICTION / Classics, FICTION / Literary, FICTION / Biographical, FICTION / Coming of Age, FICTION / Family Life / GeneralWIDTH: 130 cmSPINE:
Book Themes:
Harlem, c 1930 to c 1939, Modern and contemporary fiction: general and literary, Biographical fiction / autobiographical fiction, Family life fiction, Religious and spiritual fiction, Narrative theme: Coming of age
Born in Harlem in 1924, Baldwin had an early career as a teenage preacher. He lived in Paris from 1948-1956 and his first novels, the autobiographical GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN and GIOVANNI'S ROOM established him as a promising novelist and anticipated some of the themes of his later works, such as racism and sexuality. He became a prominent spokesperson for racial equality, especially during the civil rights movement. He lived in France during his last years. Baldwin died in 1987.
The Girl who survived her mother -Moshitadi Lehlomela
Lehlomela offers a biographical rendition of her childhood experiences and how she got to discover and label her woundedness. She takes us through her journey where we start by sympathising, then empathising and finally those of us who have this would feel like we are reading our life story. I finished that book feeling unburdened. By writing her story, she named and voiced my wounds. I first felt triggered and then unpacked my healing. This book is for anyone who can't explain why they have a complicated relationship with their mother. It's not for the faint-hearted, but it's a worthy read. If you can't afford it and are in Johannesburg, it is available at Johannesburg Public Libraries for those with Library cards.
Ek het groot geword met Portchie in my ouers se huis - dis vir my onsettend mooi om te lees hoe Portchie oor 30 jaar sukses gebou het. Dit lees soos ‘n film.