Guardian Newspaper 1000 Novels discussion

In January we will be reading Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin for our State of the Nation category - who's in?

I am! James Baldwin is always worth reading.

I’m in, looking forward to this one

I do plan to. Still partway through both As I Lay Dying and The Unconsoled right now, so there’ll be a short delay.

I loved Giovanni’s Room, so looking forward to this one.

I read about half of this and was really enjoying it.

The book group meeting came and went and I did not get back to it, but I will give it a shot this month.

This is a very hard story to read. I am deeply sorry for every single person in this book.

Well, I finished the book, and I’m amazed at Baldwin’s ability to make me feel for each and every character. I am not his ideal reader: white and Jewish and liberal in my attitudes, I shake my head at the way these people demean their bodies and deny the worth of their (dare I say it?) God-given desires. Yet I can feel the pull of what they believe. He makes it that tangible.

What did you all think?

I enjoyed this book, even though it was painful at times to read of the situations the characters were in. I agree with Dennis that Baldwin can make you feel for every character - even with Gabriel, who often made me feel angry and frustrated at his attempts to justify his violent, cruel and self righteous behaviour, I felt that Baldwin showed how much religion meant in bolstering his self esteem and his fear at losing the power and respect he’d achieved.

I have read three novels by Baldwin now, and they have all been really well written and very powerful.

Just about to start this one (still lagging one book behind the year's nominations)