Reviews with content warning for Suicidal thoughts - Giovanni's Room

This is one of the more fascinating books I've read recently, especially when keeping in mind the context in which it was written - the author was a queer Black American in 1950s.

David, the main character, is written as a white, toxically masculine figure struggling with the indecisiveness and insecurity of being bisexual. This struggle still resonates today. Men like David are still everywhere. Every toxic decision he made just made me hate him so much more. He claims to love Giovanni passionately one minute, and the next minute he wants to rip Giovanni apart. When he voices his hatred of Giovanni, he's really voicing his hatred of himself. He is so unable to accept his queerness and hangs desperately onto his toxic masculinity, until eventually, he has hurt everyone who ever loved him. Giovanni isn't perfect by any means (exhibiting some pretty borderline behavior when he repeatedly states that if David leaves him, he'll die), but he still loves David despite his empty promises and lies. The book is a cautionary tale to not be a huge asshole, especially towards those who love you.

I often wondered why James Baldwin only chose to address either race or sexuality in his novels, but not both. After reading this book I kind of understand why. There is so much shit going on for David, and the tone of the book would have changed if he weren't white.

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zara89's review against another edition

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emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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samcanuel's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

James Baldwin is an extremely talented writer and in this book he tackled many difficult themes. I truly disliked almost every character, but I still found myself completely invested in their stories. I really liked the structure of the plot itself, going back and forth between the current time and the flashbacks to give context. This story is heartbreaking, but Baldwin’s telling of it is perfection.

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mariebrunelm's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

This well-known and well-loved novel tells about David, an American in Paris in the 1950s, and especially about his relationship with Giovanni at a time of hypocrisy when queer love is not tolerated but is everywhere in the capital. It’s hard not to succumb to Baldwin’s lyrical prose and the ease with which he talks about the human experience. David is certainly not a perfect man (his relationship with women has its dark spots, let’s put it that way), but his humanity shines through the pages and rings very true.

I was surprised to read that the two main characters were white, having been led to believe Baldwin tackled the intersection of the queer and Black identities, but I know he has many other books to have a look at, and Giovanni’s Room is certainly not the last one of his that I read.

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