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4.36 AVERAGE
4.36 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
oh WOW this book was so good. the main character David is so complex, and even when I hated him the most I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. Baldwin does an incredible job of encapsulating how powerful shame can be, and shows that shame not only destroys you, but those around you as well. Especially when that shame is tied to sexuality and not being able to come to terms with it.
yeah this is real literature. james baldwin was a genius. this was a gut wrenching read filled with beauty and pain.
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
sad
tense
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
james baldwin writes in such a beautiful way
Review
This story is a heartbreaking tale of the destructiveness of a culture of heteronormativity. We watch David prevent himself from attaining true happiness because of his desperation to fit into the masculine ideal. He can’t admit his feelings or develop a meaningful connection because he is preoccupied with a fervent desire to fulfill his designated role in society. Due to this, he loses both the only man and woman who truly cared for him, leaving him further from both the dreamed up ideal and actual fulfillment. It also explores Hella’s willingness to dull herself to fit the feminine ideal of a wife and mother and how once someone has experienced the true freedom to love and be themselves, as Giovanni has, death is a better choice than living trapped.
James Baldwin is a master of emotional storytelling. Admittedly, I felt the beginning of this story was slow going, but it was absolutely worth it in order to build up to the meteoric emotional heights it reaches in its final few chapters. His observations on love, loss, and the nature of societal pressures on the human psyche are excellent and written with beautiful prose.
It is beautiful, it is horrible, it is crushing, it is hopeful. A 9/10 from me.
This story is a heartbreaking tale of the destructiveness of a culture of heteronormativity. We watch David prevent himself from attaining true happiness because of his desperation to fit into the masculine ideal. He can’t admit his feelings or develop a meaningful connection because he is preoccupied with a fervent desire to fulfill his designated role in society. Due to this, he loses both the only man and woman who truly cared for him, leaving him further from both the dreamed up ideal and actual fulfillment. It also explores Hella’s willingness to dull herself to fit the feminine ideal of a wife and mother and how once someone has experienced the true freedom to love and be themselves, as Giovanni has, death is a better choice than living trapped.
James Baldwin is a master of emotional storytelling. Admittedly, I felt the beginning of this story was slow going, but it was absolutely worth it in order to build up to the meteoric emotional heights it reaches in its final few chapters. His observations on love, loss, and the nature of societal pressures on the human psyche are excellent and written with beautiful prose.
It is beautiful, it is horrible, it is crushing, it is hopeful. A 9/10 from me.
totally devastating. I had a hard time building momentum at the beginning, but by the halfway point the tension was so high I could not out it down. beautiful writing, beautiful characters.