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4.36 AVERAGE
4.36 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Reminded me of White Nights. Obviously the writing was very good, but the story itself was not otherworldly, probably because my expectations had been raised way way high.
David is as big of a whiny shit as Victor Frankenstein.
David is as big of a whiny shit as Victor Frankenstein.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A tragically sad story — but my goodness, beautifully written. Baldwin’s language is so lush and romantic that it instantly feels like a classic. Giovanni’s tiny, shabby room is described so vividly it’s almost suffocating, which perfectly mirrors David and Giovanni’s intense, intoxicating, but doomed relationship.
For such a short novel, the characters are strikingly real — I could picture every one of them, which made the ending all the more gut-wrenching. The gay angst is absolutely there, but Baldwin writes it with tenderness and honesty, especially bold for 1956.
The final pages? Heartbreaking. I’ll be rereading just to collect the quotable gems — some profound, others wickedly funny.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
baldwin has very beautiful language and can express emotions so subtly. sometimes it got a little complicated but overall very much worth the read. different perspective of a different time
I really liked this book. The backs and forth in time make the reading dynamic and engaging. I also really enjoyed the complexity of David’s character and how he evolved throughout the book at a given time and place, i.e. Paris in the 1950s. Funnily enough, the plot isn’t that complex or twisted, but I found the story very exciting regardless!
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’m impressed by how this books handles gay topics already in the 1950s. It is definitely a forerunner in LGBTQ+ literature. I enjoyed the different perspectives and characters in the book. Once again, after listening to the audiobook, I do feel like I would get more out of it reading the physical book. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in LGBTQ+ literature!
emotional
sad
fast-paced
challenging
emotional
sad
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes