第1部分(第3/7 頁)

　as　for　Proust；　there　is　something　grave　and　beautiful　and　religious　about　thelove　of　truth　itself；　and　something　of　sensual　joy　in　bringing　it　to　the　page。　Baldwin’s　career　as　anovelist　was　spent　walking　over　old　territory　with　ghosts。　Things　became　new　to　him　this　way。

‘Mountain　is　the　book　I　had　to　write　if　I　was　ever　going　to　write　anything　else；’　he　said　years　later。

‘I　had　to　deal　with　what　hurt　me　most。　I　had　to　deal　with　my　father。’

The　novel　is　centred　around　a　“tarry　service’　at　the　Temple　of　the　Fire　Baptised　in　Harlemin　1935。　Fourteen…year…old　John　Grimes；　dubious；　fearful；　and　already　bitter；　is　about　to　walk　thepath　to　salvation。　There　are　high　expectations　of　John；　‘to　be　a　good　example’；　and　to　‘ethrough’　to　the　Lord。　The　service　will　last　the　whole　night；　and　John　is　there　in　the　pany　of　theelder　‘saints’　of　the　church；　and　with　his　father　and　mother　and　Aunt　Florence。　There　is　a　strongsense　of　John　being　one　of　the　anointed；　but　we　absorb　his　slow；　terrible　doubts　about　himself。

Altogether　he　is　not　a　happy　child　on　this　special　night：

Something　happened　to　their　faces　and　their　voices；　the　rhythm　of　their　bodies；　and　tothe　air　they　breathed；　it　was　as　though　wherever　they　might　be　became　the　upper　room；　andthe　Holy　Ghost　were　riding　in　the　air。　His　father’s　face；　always　awful；　became　more　awfulnow；　his　father’s　daily　anger　was　transformed　into　prophetic　wrath。　His　mother；　her　eyesraised　to　heaven；　hands　arked　before　her；　moving；　made　real　for　John　that　patience；　thatendurance；　that　long　suffering；　which　he　had　read　in　the　Bible　and　found　so　hard　to　image。

Between　the　novel’s　opening　and　closing　–　the　beginning　of　the　service；　with　‘the　Lord　high　on　thewind　tonight’；　and　the　closing；　the　morning；　with　John　writ