Somewhere, in all this whirlwind, in the darkness of his heart, in the storm - was something - something he must find. He could not pray. His mind was like the sea itself: troubled, and too deep for the bravest man’s descent, throwing up now and again, for the naked eye to wonder at, treasure and debris long forgotten on the bottom - bones and jewels, fantastic shells, jelly that had once been flesh, pearls that had once been eyes. And he was at the mercy of this sea, hanging there with darkness all around him.

I love James Baldwin - he's one of the wittiest, most articulate writers I've ever come across and I've loved everything that I've read by him so far...but this might be my favourite. This debut novel was essential for Baldwin to write if he was going to pursue a career as an author; he felt he had to get it out of his system before he could move on and, reading this, I can see why. This feels extremely personal, and has a raw quality that I've not witnessed in his other works. One of my favourite things about Baldwin is the way in which he writes about family. You never get the sense he is romanticising or vilifying these people - there is a reality to his characters in their actions, thoughts, and relationships that you rarely come across in literature. Baldwin takes the time to paint everyone in his books complexly, and that is done expertly in Go Tell It on the Mountain in particular.

The novel unfolds itself to you, slowly and surely, and layer by layer you come to understand why everyone is the way they are. He takes the time to make you understand where these people are coming from, why they are volatile, why their relationships are in tatters, why they are scared, lonely, dependent, seemingly weak, and it's gut wrenching to read. The storytelling here is truly excellent and, while I have seen it done before, it feels original in Baldwin's hands because he doesn't rush or linger too long. He gives you all the information you need to know and allows your imagination to fill in the spaces yourselves, and I loved it.

I'm not even remotely religious but this book really moved me, and I pale upon recalling that this was Baldwin's debut novel. A remarkable, humane, gorgeously written book that deepened my love for this author even more.