You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.36 AVERAGE
4.36 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Gut-wrenching and tore my heart but maybe that plot isn’t completely for me and that’s okay! Some parts also clearly shows that it was written in the 50s
What di foq????
But also what di helliante? What di foqq ?!>
Summary: bisexual commits emotional terrorism in Paris.
Takeaways: ???? ?????vv??v?
I do really like this though.
Not sure how he invented the most selfish person ever as a main character but very cool and gets the point across!
Cool themes:
- the room / housing situations / spaces we call home. I liked how he used the spaces to reflect characters internal states.
- denial still changes us.
- morality and relationship to the body. ESP the dead baby thing. I feel like I’d need to read the book again to clock all this cuz I wasn’t watching for it at all.
- also what was up with the sailor
- defining ourselves through our relationships with others and how well we role play the expectations given to us by society. I liked all of Hellas lil monologues. These guys r all psycho and cooked but I’ve never seen a man much less one from this era clock the female experience so accurately……
Per the last point I can’t comprehend the emotional intelligence it would take to have this take from the life I know James Baldwin has lived …
I also liked how well he summarized the predatory relationships in this book. From father to son to Jacques and David to Giovanni.
Not sure wtf the whole “America” v “Europe” thing was abt but it sounded edgy so very cool thanks!
Overall definitely the edgiest thing I’ve read so far
But also what di helliante? What di foqq ?!>
Summary: bisexual commits emotional terrorism in Paris.
Takeaways: ???? ?????vv??v?
I do really like this though.
Not sure how he invented the most selfish person ever as a main character but very cool and gets the point across!
Cool themes:
- the room / housing situations / spaces we call home. I liked how he used the spaces to reflect characters internal states.
- denial still changes us.
- morality and relationship to the body. ESP the dead baby thing. I feel like I’d need to read the book again to clock all this cuz I wasn’t watching for it at all.
- also what was up with the sailor
- defining ourselves through our relationships with others and how well we role play the expectations given to us by society. I liked all of Hellas lil monologues. These guys r all psycho and cooked but I’ve never seen a man much less one from this era clock the female experience so accurately……
Per the last point I can’t comprehend the emotional intelligence it would take to have this take from the life I know James Baldwin has lived …
I also liked how well he summarized the predatory relationships in this book. From father to son to Jacques and David to Giovanni.
Not sure wtf the whole “America” v “Europe” thing was abt but it sounded edgy so very cool thanks!
Overall definitely the edgiest thing I’ve read so far
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I found Giovanni's Room to be much more impactful on a second read. It's one of those books that I think I enjoyed the larger themes of more than the surface level narrative itself. Baldwin touched upon so many different complex topics (gender, heteronormativity, our ideas about what it means to be a man or a woman) and picking that apart was what made the novel so enjoyable.
There's a lot to dislike about the characters. For one, their blatant misogyny and transphobia. While these help the reader to better understand David's struggle with needing to be masculine, it's still shocking to read the way that he (and the other main characters) demeen trans women and feminine gay men in the story.
The main characters all also exhibit strong woman hating behaviours lol. Giovanni's casual fantasies about committing violence against his wife, the sexist jokes he shares with David, the disdain and disgust exhibited by the older queer men towards women, and also the way they are all completely oblivious to the patriarchy is incredible (/neg). Hella describing how women are always attached to men in an unequal relationship and David going "you're so adorable" and them dropping the topic was veryyyy....
I felt so much more empathy for Hella during my second read. Her descent from wanting to be an intelligent and independent woman to later begging David to "let her be a woman" was very moving. It said a lot about gender performativity, and also how, despite her feminist ideals, Hella also still existed within a patriarchal society where she strongly desired to confirm to her expected role as a mother and wife. She wanted to be dominated by David, willing to even give up her books and independence if that meant "being a woman".
Another obvious key contention within the story was the idea of power imbalances, and deconstructing the illusion that young boys could ever be on equal footing with old rich men who have status and money. Sex as currency and witholding or granting it, and this cycle of growing old and still being interested in young guys was... bleugh. But also very necessary. Thank god Giovanni killed that old guy.
The main characters all also exhibit strong woman hating behaviours lol. Giovanni's casual fantasies about committing violence against his wife, the sexist jokes he shares with David, the disdain and disgust exhibited by the older queer men towards women, and also the way they are all completely oblivious to the patriarchy is incredible (/neg). Hella describing how women are always attached to men in an unequal relationship and David going "you're so adorable" and them dropping the topic was veryyyy....
I felt so much more empathy for Hella during my second read. Her descent from wanting to be an intelligent and independent woman to later begging David to "let her be a woman" was very moving. It said a lot about gender performativity, and also how, despite her feminist ideals, Hella also still existed within a patriarchal society where she strongly desired to confirm to her expected role as a mother and wife. She wanted to be dominated by David, willing to even give up her books and independence if that meant "being a woman".
Another obvious key contention within the story was the idea of power imbalances, and deconstructing the illusion that young boys could ever be on equal footing with old rich men who have status and money. Sex as currency and witholding or granting it, and this cycle of growing old and still being interested in young guys was... bleugh. But also very necessary. Thank god Giovanni killed that old guy.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes