Reviews tagging 'Fatphobia'

Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin

10 reviews

marionhoney's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Homophobia, Murder, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Biphobia, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Transphobia, Domestic abuse, Outing, Classism, Sexual violence, and Sexual content

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Fatphobia, and Rape

ez_heath's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Body shaming, Child death, Classism, Death, Alcohol, Sexism, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Fatphobia, Suicidal thoughts, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, and Murder

theremightbecupcakes's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

I have tears in my eyes. That’s all I can say right now.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Alcohol, Death, Murder, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Gaslighting, Grief, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, and Misogyny

Moderate: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Sexual content, Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Transphobia, and Violence

miller8d's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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? Yes

2.5

I like James Baldwin’s poetic language and poignant emotional description but

I found the ending of this book quite disappointing and I really wish there had been more plot to this book. It felt like nothing really happened in comparison to how much of the book was spent explaining— it was a lot of telling and not a lot of showing, which isn’t bad, it’s just not my preference. James Baldwin is incredible and brilliant and this book is historically significant, but I did not enjoy it very much.

Note: I pictured James Baldwin as Giovanni, and Hugh Dennis as Jacques.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Homophobia, Sexual violence, Suicide, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Classism, Outing, Sexual harassment, Violence, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Grief, and Sexism

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

laurendenton's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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: Sexism, Alcohol, and Misogyny

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Cursing, Abandonment, Death, Grief, Infidelity, Sexual content, Death of parent, Violence, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, and Murder

Minor: Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Body shaming, and Fatphobia

crowdenks's review against another edition

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Toxic relationship, and Death

Moderate: Infidelity, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Fatphobia, Transphobia, and Miscarriage

lynxpardinus's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad

4.75

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Misogyny, Murder, Bullying, Classism, Outing, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

Minor: Blood, Child death, and Pregnancy

Not sure how to tag it, but whether it's a reflection of the author's biases or an extension of the book's core themes, this book has a lot of negativity toward effeminate/GNC gay men.

c8lin's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fatphobia and Infidelity

curatoriallyyours's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective 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? Yes

3.75

Although this book is, in many respects, about the tragic relationship between the narrator, David, and Giovanni, I think it’s more about the anguish within David as he tries to navigate who he truly is without bearing the burden of making decisions. I know I have been in the situation of not wanting to hurt someone but doing so anyway through my apathy and unwillingness to take decisive action - of allowing life to happen to me because I didn’t really know what I wanted.

I don’t really see this as a love story either - Giovanni is manipulative and David is in no place within himself to be able to love anyone. I think the relationship is more of an awakening for David - his realisation that he is gay and he cannot keep running from it. He’s driven by guilt in all things and that guilt is a reflection of the time in history and the realities of being homosexual in a world that tells you it’s wrong.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcohol, Death, Fatphobia, and Misogyny

Minor: Bullying, Child death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Homophobia, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Murder, Outing, Rape, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Vomit, and Xenophobia

I was not a fan of the casual sexism and transphobia, and I can’t decide if it’s a deliberate airing of questionable ideas by the author to prompt reflection in the reader (this book would have been a shock at the time it was published), a mirror of the values of the time or the genuine feeling of the author.