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Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'
O Quarto de Giovanni by James Baldwin, Paulo Henriques Britto
44 reviews
tlrjhnlwsn's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Emotional abuse
gabibrose's review against another edition
dark
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
4.5
James Baldwin examines the heartbreakingly human concepts of passion, shame, love, and death in his novel Giovanni’s Room. Set in 1950s Paris, an American man struggles to maintain his own perception of morality after engaging in an affair with an Italian bartender named Giovanni while his fiancée is abroad. Considered a pinnacle of both queer and classic literature, Baldwin spins elegant prose into a multifaceted environment that is constantly shifting in tone. Sexy, confusing, tragic, violent, and romantic can all be used to describe the robust circumstances Baldwin places his characters in, but it’s the idea of self preservation that serves as the theme of the novel.
In short, the protagonist travels to Paris to find himself - a notion that Baldwin deems misguided due to the fact that the protagonist not only understands exactly who he is, but consequently suppresses his true desires and sexuality due to societal implications. Baldwin delves into the cost of maintaining heterosexual conventionality and presents the importance of quelling denial to regain the humanity behind our individual natures.
In short, the protagonist travels to Paris to find himself - a notion that Baldwin deems misguided due to the fact that the protagonist not only understands exactly who he is, but consequently suppresses his true desires and sexuality due to societal implications. Baldwin delves into the cost of maintaining heterosexual conventionality and presents the importance of quelling denial to regain the humanity behind our individual natures.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Homophobia, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship
whatannikareads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
i was afraid that i was gonna go into this with too high of expectations but goddamn i was so emotional—not necessarily crying but i was just SO emotionally invested in these characters. this story isn't even 200 pages and it is filled to the brim with beautiful prose (some of which I don't think I'm smart enough to understand but still enjoyed lol). Each character was so flawed but you still felt for them. I took a bit of adjusting in order to settle into Baldwin's writing style but when it came full circle at the end i just wanted to reread it again because i was like, oh OH OH THIS IS HAPPENING NOW AHHHHH.
i think this might be one of my favorite books of all time. i love how it's not stretched for 100 more pages of fluff. i loved the american expat feeling that i've felt before and am anxious to encounter again in my near future moving overseas. i can't believe this was written in the 1950s (i believe) and it's still like a good indie film that could be released today. i loveddddddddd this, THE DIALOGUE IS THE HEART OF THIS BOOK GOD i was just GLUED to the page with the back and forth. ugh so good.
i think this might be one of my favorite books of all time. i love how it's not stretched for 100 more pages of fluff. i loved the american expat feeling that i've felt before and am anxious to encounter again in my near future moving overseas. i can't believe this was written in the 1950s (i believe) and it's still like a good indie film that could be released today. i loveddddddddd this, THE DIALOGUE IS THE HEART OF THIS BOOK GOD i was just GLUED to the page with the back and forth. ugh so good.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Homophobia, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship
fightingmarc's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Giovanni's Room has a similar feeling to the book I had just finished reading before, Yukio Mishima's Forbidden Colours, however the emotional payoff here has much more impact. Most queer people who read Giovanni's Room can see themselves in some way with the struggle of Giovanni, David and even Hella. Baldwin's writing is beautiful, and the last fifty pages of the story were weaved so intricately that the climax of the story, which you are warned about early on in the book, still manages a suckerpunch. This is a classic queer tragedy, and one that struck me with an intensity I haven't felt in a while.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Death, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Violence
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