Notes of a Native SonNotes of a Native Son
What it's about
James Baldwin's first collection of essays, written when he was in his twenties, covers his childhood in Harlem, his complicated relationship with his stern preacher father, the experience of being Black in America and in Paris, and the art and protest novels of his time. The title essay weaves together his father's death, his own birthday and the 1943 Harlem riot into one of the most famous essays in American literature.
Why it's worth reading
Baldwin is one of the great prose writers in English, and these essays are as urgent and beautifully written today as in 1955. It's on both the Modern Library and Guardian lists of the best nonfiction ever written.
You'll love it if you liked
The Fire Next Time, Between the World and Me or The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration
Good to know
It's short, about 150 pages, but each essay rewards slow reading. A few essays discuss films and novels you may not know, and they still work.
By the numbers
- Readers94 out of 100 · counts 40%+42
- Critics80 out of 100 · counts 32% (its stronger lane)+29
- Bestseller12 out of 100 · counts 14%+2
- 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 Modern Library 100 Best Nonfiction. 4.36★ from 26K Goodreads ratings.
Where it ranks
- #22 of the 520 classics we rank
- #75 of the 1,405 books we rank
On the lists
- Modern Library 100 Best Nonfiction
- Guardian 100 Best Nonfiction Books of All Time
Reads as
True story, Thought-provoking, Moving
More by James Baldwin
The Fire Next Time
Go Tell It on the MountainIf you like this, read next
All Things Wise and Wonderful
The Copenhagen Trilogy
All Things Bright and Beautiful
Black Boy
The Lord God Made Them All
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek