Tell Me How Long the Train's Been Gone

Rating:
Summary: a beautiful and complex book
Review: admittedly, the first time i tried to read this book, i couldn't make it through it. i had just finished reading james baldwin's another country and tell me how long the train's been gone didn't seem as exciting, as captivating. however, i just picked it up a few days ago and i devoured it. baldwin successfully weaves together various stories, grapples with the complexity of the intersections of blackness, masculinity, and bisexuality, deals with issues of race and gender, and crafts a beautiful story about loss and longing. baldwin skillfully moves the reader through time and place constantly adding layers of complexity to the protagonist. i highly recommend this book!

Rating:
Summary: Excellent but not his best.
Review: I bought Tell Me How Long The Train's Been Gone still swooning over Baldwin's Another Country. To my disappointment, this book did not have the same complexity, depth, nor energy that Another Country had. I found myself sticking to the book in some hopes that I would reach the same feeling of satisfaction and rapture that I found with Another Country, or Giovanni's Room. Not a complete waste of time, but not Baldwin's best.

Rating:
Summary: Another masterpiece!
Review: This is another of James Baldwin's literary triumphs. Here he weaves the deepest hopes, sorrows, fears and desires of the human condition into an unforgettable tapestry. The story centers around an actor named Leo Proudhammer and the choices he made in his life, the results that followed and the people he shared his life with. Here we read about Leo as a youngster growing up in Harlem, his struggles as a young man trying to break into showbiz amidst a multitude of obstacles and his successful rise to stardom. This is a very poignant and tender but, powerful and gripping story that will hold your attention. Also recommended: "Giovanni's Room", "Another Country" and "Going to Meet the Man".