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If you read just one story from this read Sonny's Blues. It is a beautiful depiction of real life in Harlem, and contains one of the most affecting representations of the power of music I have ever read. The other stories are good, though sometimes feel too short, but in a way the abrupt endings represent what the struggle with race can do to people like Baldwin's characters, and yet they are always about more than race. The one about Jaime is brutal though.

@cherold You should really try Go Tell it on the Mountain. Still my favorite of his. Another Country isn't bad, but I don't think it is indicative of his best.

Is this a good novel? Depends on who you ask. It is not a great one, but it is still James Baldwin, and therefore worth reading. The portrait of Rufus, his death, and his funeral made me cry. And Baldwin is full of his usual loving criticism and intense vision, which to me is more than worth it. There's a lot of sex in here, which isn't intolerable, but I didn't really like how everyone ended up sleeping with everyone. I do feel that he never really found the end on this one, since it leaves a lot unresolved and open to interpretation. It is also worthwhile to see how race affects the characters and their relationships.