Introduction. Published in 1968, Tell Me How Long the Train’s Been Gone is the fifth of eight standalone novels James Baldwin published between 1952 and 1978. In addition to eight novels, Baldwin’s tenure as a writer was extended by also composing six short story collections, three plays, and 14 non-fiction books. A giant in the realm of political activism for African American and gay rights in the 1950’s and 60’s, Baldwin’s books unapologetically highlighted the brutal inequalities that pervaded America during his time and served as a launchpad for further political discourse.
Analysis. The story of Tell Me How Long the Train’s Been Gone follows the life of the celebrated fictional actor, Leo Proudhammer. The character suffers a debilitating heart attack on stage in the opening segment of the book, leading to a primarily retrospective narration of his life experiences. The narration vividly outlines a journey fraught with navigating inequities based on prejudices surrounding the protagonist’s race, sexual orientation, or both. Baldwin portrays Proudhammer’s tumultuous relationships, including with his parents, on-and-off romance with Barbara, his complex relationship with his brother Caleb, and his later romance with “Black” Christopher, among others on his journey to stardom.
Discussion. This book did not sail to the same heights of success achieved by most of his other works. Books like Go Tell It on the Mountain and The Fire Next Time, showcase Baldwin’s signature writing style as being more dark and vivid, and they were far more popular than this book. Tell Me How Long the Train’s Been Gone faced a barrage of criticism from reviewers, who said the book is less interesting and complex than his earlier works. I feel that Baldwin may have been too far removed from “the struggle” when he wrote this book. This assertion can be validated by reviewing the language Baldwin selects in his discussion of various unsettling topics. In his earlier works, his coverage of topics like rape, suicide, domestic violence, and the like was a lot more visceral and disconcerting. In this book, the sting was noticeably dulled. I believe this dulling effect could also have been attributed to the retrospective style Baldwin tried out in this book. When a plot is unfolding in real-time, readers are not afforded any certainties as to how a character might fare – something that is lost here.
Conclusion. I immensely enjoy reading Baldwin’s books but did not feel moved by this novel the same way I was moved by his other novels. To me, the text of this novel did not showcase Baldwin’s grisly writing style as well as his earlier works, which noticeably diminished the reading experience.
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