Go Tell It on the MountainGo Tell It on the Mountain
Score Classic
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
BelovedGood 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 42%
- Critics83 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller26 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
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. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #33 of the 219 young adult books we rank
- #171 of the 762 classics we rank
- #540 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking
More by James Baldwin
Notes of a Native SonThe Fire Next Time
Giovanni's Room
Another CountryIf you like this, read next
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
The Great Gatsby
The Confessions of Nat Turner
My Name Is Asher Lev
The Help
Moby-DickExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Go Tell It on the Mountain worth reading?
Yes. It's on TIME's list of the best novels and the Modern Library's. It ranks #540 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 77.9 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Go Tell It on the Mountain 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.
How long does it take to read Go Tell It on the Mountain?
About 5 hours (184 pages), or about 10 days at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Go Tell It on the Mountain?
If you liked it, try The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin, Native Son by Richard Wright or Beloved by Toni Morrison.