James Baldwin might be one of the best to ever do it actually and I’m mad at myself that I’ve never read him before. The kind of book you finish and immediately want to reread. Absolutely beautiful writing and absolutely devastating too. The way Baldwin balances David’s self-loathing with genuine empathy — like as a reader you don’t like David and yet you know exactly why he’s doing all that and you feel bad for him but also lowkey fuck him but also look at where & when he’s living! — is just a total masterclass in writing.