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4.36 AVERAGE
4.36 AVERAGE
Devastating and brilliantly written… I can’t handle how much I dislike David and how much I love Giovanni— whose only crime was loving fully
WOW. I forgot the book at my grandparents house with 40 pages to go so I’ve made some Herculean efforts to read the last pages without buying another copy,,, but this way of reading (sneaking pages in bookstores and going to three towns over libraries) has made me reallllly savour this book. My god , his sentences !
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
As a devout reader of Baldwin's nonfiction, I picked this up to see how he approached creating his own world from scratch. And he didn't disappoint. Like his essays, this one is full of observation and conflict--especially in person vs. person and person vs. society.
I have but one minor complaint. And that is the voice. Having read much of the man's critical work as well as seeing interviews of him, I was familiar with his way of speaking. And the lead, David, has a similar approach. He's poetic, thoughtful, full of analogies, and loves to explain the emotional core that serves as the genesis of the situation. Again, this is a small problem, as late in the novel the story becomes a straightforward--yet exceptional--melodrama.
I also think this would serve as a great companion to Patricia Highsmith's The Price of Salt. Both gave me a good picture of the 1950's, LGBTQ issues, doomed couples, and a viewpoint of America.
Recommended, overall.
I have but one minor complaint. And that is the voice. Having read much of the man's critical work as well as seeing interviews of him, I was familiar with his way of speaking. And the lead, David, has a similar approach. He's poetic, thoughtful, full of analogies, and loves to explain the emotional core that serves as the genesis of the situation. Again, this is a small problem, as late in the novel the story becomes a straightforward--yet exceptional--melodrama.
I also think this would serve as a great companion to Patricia Highsmith's The Price of Salt. Both gave me a good picture of the 1950's, LGBTQ issues, doomed couples, and a viewpoint of America.
Recommended, overall.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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