Reviews tagging 'Classism'

Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin

24 reviews

twu's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, Classism, Grief, and Homophobia

mariebrunelm's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

This well-known and well-loved novel tells about David, an American in Paris in the 1950s, and especially about his relationship with Giovanni at a time of hypocrisy when queer love is not tolerated but is everywhere in the capital. It’s hard not to succumb to Baldwin’s lyrical prose and the ease with which he talks about the human experience. David is certainly not a perfect man (his relationship with women has its dark spots, let’s put it that way), but his humanity shines through the pages and rings very true.

I was surprised to read that the two main characters were white, having been led to believe Baldwin tackled the intersection of the queer and Black identities, but I know he has many other books to have a look at, and Giovanni’s Room is certainly not the last one of his that I read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism and Homophobia

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Classism, and Death

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

onmalsshelf's review against another edition

tense medium-paced

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

2.5

Some of the best writing I’ve ever read in a classic, but with the most insufferable cast of characters. Oi with the misogyny already 

Also The Atlantic lied in their blurb, ‘Exciting…a book that belongs in the top rank of fiction’

Exciting? Where?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Outing, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Blood, Alcohol, Panic attacks/disorders, Homophobia, Classism, and Mental illness

edgaranjapoe's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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: Homophobia, Infidelity, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Alcohol, Grief, Misogyny, and Sexual content

Minor: Car accident, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Murder, Rape, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Abandonment, Death, War, Transphobia, Violence, Classism, Bullying, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Child death, and Injury/Injury detail

biblioghoul's review against another edition

emotional 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Grief, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Outing, Infidelity, and Homophobia

Minor: Sexual content, Death, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Classism, Xenophobia, Alcohol, Transphobia, Suicidal thoughts, and Murder

danaaliyalevinson's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This is one of those books I've been like, ah I gotta read it, forever. And I finally did it. This book did not disappoint. Beautiful, brutal, intricate, this short novel packs a huge punch, exploring internalized homophobia, xenophobia, classism, and systemic disenfranchisement, all within a contained story of a doomed romance between two men from wildly different backgrounds over several weeks in Paris in the late 1950s. Baldwin is also in peak form here, with his signature incisive social commentary delivered through characters with deep complexity and humanity.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Homophobia, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Infidelity, Death, and Outing

the_vegan_bookworm's review against another edition

challenging dark 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Grief, Homophobia, Alcohol, and Classism

Moderate: Death and Murder

alsoapples's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Classism, Suicidal thoughts, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

Minor: Murder and Death of parent

lauravreads's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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

Giovanni’s Room follows David, an American living in Paris who finds himself sharing a room with Giovanni. David finds himself conflicted with his attraction/relationship with Giovanni and the expectations from his family and society. 

This book is a powerful read as it delves into the complexity of love and companionship and their coordination with marriage and having a life partner. This book was published in 1956 and I feel that it makes this book even more powerful. The way Baldwin describes the love, affection, desire, and attraction that David feels towards men is so deep. Especially how he describes the shame and guilt that he felt for leaving his loved ones to peruse his relationship with a woman is profound. 

I found that this book had very slow pacing, which is okay, but I did find myself being a bit bored while listening at times.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Classism, Drug abuse, and Grief