Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin

163 reviews

thecatconstellation's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Alcohol, and Homophobia

Moderate: Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Murder, Sexism, and Death

Minor: Pregnancy, Infidelity, Sexual content, Miscarriage, Xenophobia, Sexual harassment, Transphobia, and Sexual assault

kers_tin's review against another edition

dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief, Homophobia, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Death, and Misogyny

Minor: Sexual assault, Child death, and Death of parent

iris_mari's review against another edition

dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia, Sexism, Death, Misogyny, Homophobia, Violence, and Suicidal thoughts

leabhar_love's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Murder and Miscarriage

pyronautphea's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Homophobia, and Death

Moderate: Fatphobia, Sexual content, Murder, Biphobia, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Miscarriage

samarakroeger's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

this book sucked me down into a black hole and wouldn't let me back out until I finished it (which didn't take me long -- I was captivated).  I can feel the book hangover coming.

a devastating, beautiful, and ultimately tragic look at one man's struggle with his intense internalized homophobia and his affair with another man in 1950s Paris.  David is a deeply unlikeable main character who is unable to come to terms with himself (to the detriment of those around him).  no one comes out a winner here, and it would be unrealistic if they did.  in weird ways, this book made me feel similar to how Stoner by John Williams made me feel -- simultaneously disgusted, heartbroken, and empty.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Outing, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Misogyny, and Homophobia

purplehulk713's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.25

This book only truly interested me at the very end when Giovanni is calling David out on all his bullshit. It felt so much like what people consider “literature” otherwise—clever and well-thought-out, but too dense and tedious to read to be of any real enjoyment to anyone who’s not an English scholar (and I’m speaking as university writing minor). But as a landmark in queer fiction, it does deserve praise. I just wish that it  didn’t make me want so much for it to be over while reading more than it made me enjoy its poetic prose and insights (David is so frustrating, and Jacques and Guillaume are disgusting). But facing the sincerity embodied in Giovanni’s room was a truly tantalizing subject.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Grief, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Murder, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship

bookiemadi's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Toxic relationship, and Homophobia

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Death, and Misogyny

Minor: Miscarriage

sophsnotebook's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Sexism, Transphobia, and Suicidal thoughts

city_girl_writer's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

This amazing classic reminded me of The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Death, and Homophobia

Moderate: Alcohol, Murder, Misogyny, and Suicidal thoughts