The Fire Next Time

The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was fantastic & very thought-provoking - sadly for many of the same reasons as when it was published in the early 1960s. It makes me interested to know what Baldwin would write now if he wrote a follow-up. I like to think that some things have changed, but maybe not at that deep psychological or philosophical level. Highly recommended.

View all my reviews

Blind Man With a Pistol

Blind Man with a Pistol by Chester Himes

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Lots of action. Definitely in a hard-boiled style. Racial tension, several murders, various other crimes make for a tense read. The story moves back and forth in time a bit, but in general progresses chronologically. I especially like it because the disjointedness between the chapters imitates the chaos of events and the confusion of the police (both the African American detectives - the main characters - and the personality-less white cops & detectives & officials they work with). Very sophisticated as far as hard-boiled crime novels go. :) Recommended for anyone who likes hard-boiled crime novels or is interested in the mid-20th century race riots.



View all my reviews