Go Tell It on the Mountain (novel)

This article is about the James Baldwin novel. For other uses, see Go Tell It on the Mountain.

Go Tell It On The Mountain
First edition
AuthorJames Baldwin
LanguageEnglish
GenreSemi-autobiographical novel
PublisherAlfred A. Knopf
Publication date
May 18, 1953[1]
Publication placeUnited States
ISBN0-440-33007-6 (Paperback edition)
OCLC24659110
LC ClassPS3552 .A5 G6

Go Tell It on the Mountain is a 1953 semi-autobiographical novel by James Baldwin. It tells the story of John Grimes, an intelligent teenager in 1930s Harlem, and his relationship with his family and his church. The novel also reveals the back stories of John's mother, his biological father, and his violent, fanatically religious stepfather, Gabriel Grimes. The novel focuses on the role of the Pentecostal Church in the lives of African Americans, both as a negative source of repression and moral hypocrisy and a positive source of inspiration and community.

In 1998, the Modern Library ranked Go Tell It on the Mountain 39th on its list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century. Time magazine included the novel on its list of the 100 best English-language novels released from 1923 to 2005.[2]

  1. ^ "Books Published Today". The New York Times: 19. May 18, 1953.
  2. ^ "All-Time 100 Novels". Time. October 16, 2005. Archived from the original on October 21, 2005.