A review by lezreadalot
Just Above My Head by James Baldwin

4.0

I moved like an advance scout in wicked and hostile territory, my whole life was a strategy and a prayer: I knew I could not live without my brother.

4.5 stars. By god did James Baldwin know how to write. The premise of this novel (a man loses his famous, gospel-singing brother, and takes us on a grief-filled and nostalgic journey through their lives and past relationships) isn't something that I'd have gravitated to necessarily, but there were so many parts of it that were beautiful and struck a chord deeply within me. I'm so glad I read it. From the very beginning chapter, I loved these brothers, and Hall's outpouring of anguish when he hears of Arthur's death got to me even when I didn't know them as characters. By the end, I had tears in my eyes. This is an exploration of their relationship with the church and God, the various loves in their lives, Arthur's grappling with his sexuality, racism in America (and abroad), their perception of themselves as black men. Baldwin has a way of writing about simple things in a really really beautiful way, but a way that never becomes haughty or inaccessible. His writing is grounded, and oftentimes very crude, and the fact of that just made me love his insight even more? I was just bowled over by all the love in this book and how it was conveyed: the brotherly love, love between friends, lovers, husband and wife... There are some tender moments between men that made me want to cry, both romantic and platonic.

Niggers can sing gospel as no other people can because they aren’t singing gospel— if you see what I mean . When a nigger quotes the Gospel, he is not quoting: he is telling you what happened to him today, and what is certainly going to happen to you tomorrow: it may be that it has already happened to you, and that you, poor soul, don’t know it. In which case, Lord, have mercy! Our suffering is our bridge to one another.

Another thing this book does that I would've never expected to like is play with points of view. Technically it's mostly all told from Hall's first person POV, but Baldwin imbues him with a kind of omniscience. Perhaps it's because he's been told of these events, or he's narrating an interpretation of what he's been told, or filling in the blanks of his knowledge, but he narrates events that happen to Arthur, Julia, Jimmy, and other characters. It was really interesting. Like, a passage might read as if it were in third person, until you saw a line like, "and he was thinking about me" or something. I ended up really liking that? Normally I loathe head-hopping/omniscient POV, but this wasn't either of those things. It was deliberate, and gave an added layer of lyricism and meaning to the text.

It was beautiful to watch them; freedom is an extraordinary spectacle.

Listened to the audiobook as read by Kevin Kenerly, which I think was my first experience with him. but he's quickly shot up my list of favourites. This was beautifully narrated from top to bottom. Again, I have to mention that opening chapter when Hall hears of Arthur's death, the way he did the lines 'Oh, my God my God my God my God my God, oh my God my God my God oh no no no, my God my God my God my God, forsake me if you will and I don’t give a shit but give me back my brother, my God my God my God my God my God!' Ooof. Right in my heart. This was just such an amazing text. It's very very heavy and dark, so mind that if you pick it up. There's also a lot of words I wish weren't used, some things I wish I could change and that probably would change if this was written in modern times. Nevertheless, a great novel. I really need to continue reading more Baldwin; his writing just fires me up.

Content warnings:
Spoilerchild rape, incestual rape, child sexual assault, racism, anti-Semitism, slurs (homophobic, anti-black, anti-Asian)


For, without love, pleasure withers quickly, becomes a foul taste on the palate, and pleasure’s inventions are soon exhausted. There must be a soul within the body you are holding, a soul which you are striving to meet, a soul which is striving to meet yours.