Reading the 20th Century discussion

Welcome to our October 2025 group read of...



Another Country

by

James Baldwin


From one of the most important American novelists of the twentieth century—a novel of sexual, racial, political, artistic passions, set in Greenwich Village, Harlem, and France.

Stunning for its emotional intensity and haunting sensuality, this book depicts men and women, blacks and whites, stripped of their masks of gender and race by love and hatred at the most elemental and sublime.



Feel free to contribute at any time

All our welcome

Come one, come all



Here's to another wonderful group read discussion

Thanks for setting this up, Nigeyb.

I'm pretty new to James Baldwin but have been just blown away by his writing in everything I've read so far. His prose is electric, and I don't know how he combines rage, compassion and intellectual rigour so immaculately.

There's a new biography coming out in August that may be of interest: Baldwin: A Love Story, I can't wait to read it.

I'm a huge Baldwin fan, but fairly recently. This was my first of his fiction, and I loved it. I won't be able to fit in a re-read, but will follow the discussion. You're in for a treat. "Electric" is the perfect descriptor, RC.

Since reading [book:The Fire Next Time|464260 a few years ago, I havs have been wanting to return to reading Baldwin.

Good to know, Kathleen, that this work is electric!

I'm in!

I read both this and The Fire Next Time when I was in high school. May have been a couple of others that I read then, too. It was the mid-60s. Stuff was going on.

Jan C wrote: "I read both this and The Fire Next Time when I was in high school. May have been a couple of others that I read then, too. It was the mid-60s. Stuff was going on."

It must have been amazing to read these during the Civil Rights era.

I've read this one before but it was a while ago so will join in if I can fit it in.