James Baldwin is the author of unique fascinating stories that excite the imagination of readers. He was born in New York in 1924, and died at the age of 63 in France. His stepfather was a priest. Unfortunately, Baldwin was not familiar with his father. Many of his novels show regret and resentment about this.
At first he was engaged in religion, but subsequently, service to God began to contradict his nature. After leaving school, he goes to Greenwich Village. There begins his literary career. The lifestyle of people from this area shock the writer. He creates many articles imbued with a sense of deep grief and denial of what is happening. After some time, the writer decides to leave this place and go to France. Here is the heyday of his literary work. Most of the works were written there. Twice in all the time, the writer returned to his homeland.
At a more mature age, James Baldwin became addicted to alcoholic beverages, in connection with this the quality of his creations significantly deteriorated. Nevertheless, in spite of mental torment, in 1986 he became commander of the Legion of Honor.
The article will present a detailed story about some of the books of this writer. Surely they are familiar to almost all reading enthusiasts. But not everyone knows that in fact James Baldwin created many more works in his life. It is worth familiarizing with at least some of them, try to understand their meaning. After all, this is not just fiction.
"Another country"
The novel is imbued with the spirit of contradiction. In “Another Country” absolutely incompatible things are intertwined in a bizarre way: vice and faith in God, music and drugs, murders and faith in human life. Those who adequately look at the world cannot fail to lose their minds by observing the standard of living and the devastation that reigns in the country.
"Giovanni's Room"
The book reveals an important issue that has not been discussed and put up for public display for a long time - homosexuality. The protagonist feels flawed, not like everyone else when he realizes his belonging to minorities. David and Giovanni are madly in love with each other, but the depravity of this phenomenon forces them to go through all the circles of hell.
"If Beale Street Could Talk"
The main storyline of the book tells the reader about bright and pure love. Love makes heroes better, kinder, reveals the best aspects in them. In the work there is another storyline - the struggle of relatives for the salvation of the convicted Fonni. Racism, police misconduct are fully shown in this book.
Sonny Blues
This work is written in the form of a short story, but after just a few pages it is difficult for the reader not to feel how bitter it is written. Dirty streets, embittered residents, suffering, pain, a sense of hopelessness and hopelessness and a touching story about brothers with a difficult fate.
"Go broadcast from the mountain"
The work can be safely attributed to the genre of an autobiographical novel. He was awarded worldwide recognition, a film was shot on his plot, in which human vices, the dirt of the streets in which the author grew up, are very clearly illustrated.
"Little boy, little boy"
This book has become known relatively recently. A small boy, who grew up in a cozy atmosphere, suddenly falls into the street, where violence, anger, hatred, racism reign. No one can protect and secure the poor man from the masses of troubles and problems.
A rather interesting fact related to this story is that his nephew prompted James to write the book. He repeatedly asked his uncle to write some interesting fascinating story.
When, after writing the novel, Baldwin talked with his students, he admitted that writing a children's book was very difficult for him. The biggest difficulty for him is not to treat a small creature like a child, but to endow him with his thoughts, feelings and desires.
At the time of writing, Baldwin was in France, he missed his family, his family, so the relatives of the protagonist, a four-year-old boy, carry a colossal semantic load, representing an image of protection and immense love. But parents in this novel cannot provide absolute security.
A lot of readers were somewhat discouraged after the release of this book, because, as a rule, fantasy stories are written for a children's audience, and here was the real truth, without embellishment of reality.
James Baldwin is an amazing writer, discerning and sensitive person. He fearlessly exposed human vices, was not afraid to talk about what is not customary to talk aloud. He was not afraid to be ridiculed, did not worry about criticism. Always sought to show the real life that has surrounded him since childhood.
Today, many readers, picking up the books of James Baldwin, have been in a state of utter numbness for a long time, so realistically and truthfully the writer managed to recreate the image of devastation, hatred and social inequality in his works.