Go Tell It on the MountainGo Tell It on the Mountain
What it's about
It's John Grimes's fourteenth birthday in Harlem in 1935. He's the son of a fierce, hard Pentecostal preacher, Gabriel, who favors his other son, and everyone expects John to be a preacher too. During a single long night of prayer at their storefront church, the novel goes back into the lives of John's aunt Florence, his stepfather Gabriel and his mother Elizabeth, and reveals the secrets and sins that have shaped the family.
Why it's worth reading
It's on TIME's list of the best novels and the Modern Library's. It was James Baldwin's first novel, drawn from his own life, and it's one of the great American debuts.
You'll love it if you liked
The Fire Next Time, Native Son or Beloved
Good to know
It's steeped in the language of the Bible and the church. The middle section of flashbacks is the heart of the book.
By the numbers
- Readers56 out of 100 · counts 40%+25
- Critics83 out of 100 · counts 32% (its stronger lane)+30
- Bestseller25 out of 100 · counts 14%+4
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 15%+0
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero.
On 2 canon lists, including TIME All-TIME 100 Novels. 4.06★ from 89K Goodreads ratings.
Where it ranks
- #116 of the 519 classics we rank
- #290 of the 1,404 books we rank
On the lists
- TIME All-TIME 100 Novels
- Modern Library 100 Best Novels
Reads as
Thought-provoking
More by James Baldwin
Notes of a Native Son
The Fire Next TimeIf you like this, read next
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Siddhartha
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The Power and the Glory
The Pilgrim's Progress
Ben-Hur