Reviews tagging 'Murder'

Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin

190 reviews

benjiisabookworm's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-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

A beautiful depiction of queerness in the 1950’s - the danger and codependency of living as a gay man in secret. Also a lovely Paris setting. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

lettucelaugh's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional mysterious sad tense 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? It's complicated

3.0

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

kell_xavi's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark reflective sad medium-paced

3.0

Read for book club. Beautiful descriptions, frustrating and heavy exposition, a disconnect between character actions and ruminations, and difficult emotional tensions to move through despite the short length.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

uparrowhead's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

"Nobody can stay in the Garden of Eden"

I feel like there's nothing that I can truly put into words about this book that can do justice to the experience of reading it. Traversing through the pages of sorrow and melancholy of this novel felt like an unraveling journey that was slowly breaking me apart with each turn.

A classic which I think is a necessity to read for any queer person, James Baldwin's Giovanni's Room explores the turmoiled life of David – a man who left America in search of a more free life in Paris – and the developing relationship between him and Giovanni. Through the meandering narrative of David's life and the memories which he slowly recalls of both the past and the present, you're thrust into a story of depressing beauty laced in love and pain.

Conflicting sadness between desire and disgust mixes within the incredible writing and language of this novel, creating a fantastical read that I loved from start to finish. Reading through David's hatred for his own sexuality and the perpetual limbo he seems to be in when it comes to how he feels for Giovanni makes for a truly heart wretching story that I don't think I'll ever forget.

Accelerating, tragically romantic: an incredible story that I will never recover from, which brought me to tears by the end. I can't stress enough how masterfully crafted this is, and all I can ask is for more people to read the sickeningly beautiful narrative this remarkable novel puts through.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

elizaob's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

lilacs4b's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

5.0

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

calliejarvis's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

ez_heath's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

pupaebug's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional reflective sad fast-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

This book was absolutely breathtaking from start to finish. The prose was so beautiful I sometimes had to stop and just let it settle in me for a second before continuing. I read this book in full twice in the span of six days. What an absolute masterpiece. The themes of masculinity, intimacy, guilt, and shame were so well done and stayed with me long after finishing the book. From the second I finished I knew this would be a five star read. What an incredible introduction to James Baldwin and what an incredibly important novel in the queer literature canon!
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

mayze's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Great read, Baldwin's writing easily brings  you to  1950s Paris. The seedy bars, the descriptions of daily life, everyday people and conversation between characters make you want to experience it yourself. 


Expand filter menu Content Warnings