Tell Me How Long The Train Been Gone Book Review
A masterful story of love, racism, and family
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Tell me how long the train has been gone is the fake biographer novel about Leo Proudhammer written by James Baldwin. Leo is a man who is into many things. He is an actor and entertainer who has a heart attack and is forced to look out at his life from the past up to that moment and beyond. Here we are on a journey of black men dealing with their family, racism, sexuality, and professional ambition. The story was told from the perspective of Leo Proudhammer, who can act as an asshole. But I think his asshole comes from a nation not built to support him or his emotional needs. They always wanted his body. This story of a man wanting to be free from his sexism and racism. The power of the man who lives through these times of changes.
He had a complex relationship with his family because of their outside relationships. It is interesting that you are reading the beginning of modern day America toxic masculinity. This is shown mostly through his big brother Caleb who struggles with his way in society by going from a hustler, prisoner, military, to preacher. Caleb's ‘Relationship’ in Italy forced him to do the unthinkable because of toxic masculinity. This book shows how toxic masculinity saps the soul out of black men. How it makes us hide who we are and what we desire. It makes us feel like we are shadowed in a world where nobody pays attention to us unless we are doing something. It makes us angry. It makes us believe in organizations instead of heart. Heart is heart.
Barbara was his white lover, with whom he had a complicated relationship. He didn’t like her in some ways because he was white but on the outside he was joyous of her. I think he respected her. I think he wanted to be in love with her. Black Christopher was cool. His young lover who showed him the young 60s of being open. I think his relationships were rather interesting. In the novel I noticed how his sex scenes with Barabara were very graphic while we never see that with Black Christopher. He wrote him like a beautiful lover. A lover who is angelic in his eyes. Black Christopher was saying to Leo Proudhammer that love is possible. Name the part of Black Christopher is an ode that Leo wants to be loud and proud in his stances in the world. The beauty of the novel of Leo evolving to know love. This novel reads like a love novel but for black people under the scope of a racist world. James Baldwin wrote the book in a way where we see how the man became the man he was while showing us his battle in real time after his heart attack in the beginning of the novel.
This book is a biography, it is also an understanding on how black people live in New York during those times. It was no different than the South. How the Jewish man shamed his father for being late on the rent. His father being an ex-gavyenite is not taking that lightly. How in upstate New York he was met with racism multiple times. How Black people from different communities and environments engage with each other. How people see you because you are famous compared to how you see yourself. The military side story is really interesting. Leo Proudhammer's story could easily be transformed into a story. Or a musical.
What I appreciate about James Baldwin writing of Leo Proudhammer is allowing Leo to feel all of his emotions. Allowing him to be a flawed black man with a flawed perspective to still be a leader. The beginning of the story starting with taking off his blackface is symbolic of us showing the journey to the nakedness of Leo Proudhammer’s character inner thoughts and motivation. Going from a performer to being a black man with a complex life. I think this story could be told in modern times as when I think about this book I remember his conversations with his brother and family. How these scenes were more important than the plays he has been or the accolades he has obtained. Family is important.
Reading this book I felt my life story on those pages. The rawness of thoughts when you showing who you really are. You want to show people the multiple layers of you. The many mistakes and the evolutions of you. You want people to see you for you and don’t wonder what anybody else thinks. James Baldwin that being raw is a beauty of its own. That your life is valuable at all times. That your destiny is on you.
