Reviews tagging 'Outing'

Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin

26 reviews

marissasa's review

challenging dark emotional 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

4.5

This is my first James Baldwin book and I have always heard that he was an excellent writer who truly understood the human condition, but oof did this classic literature toxic yaoi hit even harder than expected. In all seriousness though, there is so much pain and turmoil and suffering in this book, interspersed with a few moments of tenderness and genuine human connection that will make your heart lift, only to be followed again by trauma, drama, and heartbreak that will drop it back into your stomach. The writing is beautiful and poetic in a straightforward way, and it touches on the themes of isolation, identity, homophobia, and masculinity in a very purposeful manner. The ending in particular is haunting and this book is definitely a testament to the plight of queer people throughout history  that will stick around in my mind for a while.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Outing, Sexual content, Alcohol, Infidelity, Alcoholism, Misogyny, Homophobia, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

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

theprinceofdenmark's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Violence, Outing, Infidelity, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Misogyny, and Sexual assault

im_eebee's review against another edition

dark reflective sad slow-paced

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

1.75

Beautifully written, but I hate the main character with a burning passion. I need him to get over himself yesterday. All he does is hurt people. I don’t like books where the main character is so deeply unaware of how their actions affect others. Some people will find that as the highlight of this book, but I find it frustrating to read. I’ll definitely check out Baldwin’s other work because the writing style was the only part of this that I liked, but this was a miss for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Mental illness, Bullying, Alcohol, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Car accident, Toxic friendship, Classism, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Outing, Racism, Sexism, and Toxic relationship

kristina_in_space's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

I don’t know how to review this book. I gave it 4 stars by default. I didn’t really enjoy reading it, but does that make it a bad book? The characters aren’t likable, the settings are terrible, the actions of the characters are almost always wrong, but that’s the story. And Baldwin writes it with such melancholy beauty. I can picture it all, for better or worse. And the narration on the audiobook kept me entranced. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Homophobia, Outing, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Mental illness, Alcohol, and Toxic relationship

flashandoutbreak's review against another edition

reflective tense 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Misogyny, Alcohol, and Murder

Minor: Transphobia and Outing

breaklikeafish's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

Despite the fact that almost every character in this novel is morally bankrupt, relationships are toxic, and the narrative structure echoes my gripes from my review of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, I found myself utterly captivated by Giovanni's Room.

Following the escapades of David, a young American in bohemian Paris, the story revolves around his attempts to evade adult responsibilities. David is a whiny, misogynistic character with few redeeming qualities. Yet there's an odd relatability in his admirable reluctance to confront his problems.

I think most of my love for this novel comes from James Baldwin's absolutely stunning writing style. Even as David indulges in long-winded contemplations of his self-imposed suffering, Baldwin weaves prose that is breathtakingly beautiful. Somehow, the author turns David's character, who could easily be off-putting, into someone engaging rather than annoying.

Despite my appreciation for the novel, I will note that I'm sure the transphobic and mysogynistic attitudes of almost all characters can be off-putting to some. I think David's blatant hate for everything feminine fits well with his character and development in the story. However, it leads to conversations between him and Giovanni that almost made me throw my book against the wall.

Hella, David's fiancée and only relevant female character, functions to at least challenge the protagonist's views on women. In the midst of a cast filled with terrible personalities, Hella emerges as a sole beacon of reason, adding depth and a refreshing contrast. She is probably the only character I rooted for.

Giovanni's Room, with its breathtaking prose and engaging story, manages to overcome its flaws to deliver a captivating and emotionally resonant experience. Baldwin's ability to make a narrative filled with mostly unlikable characters compelling is a testament to his mastery of storytelling.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Homophobia, Death, Suicidal thoughts, and Murder

Moderate: Miscarriage, Misogyny, Child death, and Transphobia

Minor: Outing

clarkg's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-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

5.0

 It's hard to find the language to describe the devastation that this book wrought upon me. Achingly beautiful. I miss James Baldwin. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Toxic relationship, and Death

Moderate: Murder, Outing, Grief, Sexism, Homophobia, Violence, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Infidelity, and War

Minor: Body shaming and Xenophobia

brynalexa's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.25

Mundane but tragic plot. The characters are beautiful painted even though there is nothing likable about them except for what they hate about themselves. Unique POV. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Alcohol, Child death, Classism, Death, Misogyny, Grief, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Murder, Outing, Sexual content, Cursing, and Homophobia

flapjackzs_'s review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Death, and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Child death, Murder, Rape, Sexual harassment, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Classism, Death of parent, Misogyny, Outing, and Vomit