Reviews

Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin

skylaturner's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective fast-paced

4.0

emareading's review against another edition

4.5

Fitting for my trip to Paris. 

francienolans's review against another edition

medium-paced

4.0

I really love the way James Baldwin writes, just he can get me to stop and read for a while bc the way he writes pulls you in. His essays are exceptional and great to read. 

cdipierro's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring fast-paced

5.0

A heartbreaking and inspiring collection of essays from a great mind in American literature. Baldwin's work alternates between feeling like it's describing our modern day, and a history of our society's greatest failings. And even while showing all the terrible aspects of America's treatment of him, Baldwin still shows eloquence, compassion, and hope.

My favorite moments were when Baldwin critiqued pop culture that seemed immediate and important to his time while being unknown to me. His criticism tends to be quippy, amusing, and still guttingly insightful. I enjoyed this collection, and it convinced me to read Baldwin's long-form work.

halida's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring mysterious medium-paced

4.25

maddb_96's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

sleepmotif's review against another edition

reflective medium-paced

4.5

kfrizzzle's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense

3.0

chaetrain's review against another edition

challenging reflective tense medium-paced

4.25

split into 3 sections- the first cultural criticism, the second more memoir about harlem, and the third memoir and analysis about living in paris/europe as a Black man. decent cultural criticism, thoughtful analysis, hardcore hater energy in the best way, and otherwise good. i thought his reflections on native son were good but a little unfair, and recollections about his brothers were also standouts. i loved his autobiographical notes but the real standout is the titular essay about his dad. so devastating and stunning on its own omg one of the best essays i’ve ever read that it pushes this collection to excellent. 

iritareads's review against another edition

funny informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

4.25