Reviews tagging 'Infidelity'

O Quarto de Giovanni by James Baldwin, Paulo Henriques Britto

73 reviews

addyruth17's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Grief, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Homophobia, Misogyny, and Murder

Minor: Sexual assault, Cursing, and Miscarriage

laurendenton's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Alcohol, and Misogyny

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Cursing, Abandonment, Death, Grief, Infidelity, Sexual content, Death of parent, Violence, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, and Murder

Minor: Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Body shaming, and Fatphobia

crowdenks's review against another edition

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Toxic relationship, and Death

Moderate: Infidelity, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Fatphobia, Transphobia, and Miscarriage

orchidd's review against another edition

sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

4.75

highlights: definition of woman—of gender—through sexuality, reveals of the complex interiority of other characters through dialogue, arguments, mirror scene in last chapter

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Infidelity, Grief, Toxic relationship, and Outing

Moderate: Transphobia

Minor: Murder, Sexism, Child death, Misogyny, and Sexual content

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

imaginefishes's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

i don’t know what else i can say about this except it resonated hard. im gay

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment

Moderate: Murder, Infidelity, Grief, and Death

Minor: Homophobia and Sexual content

bookish_skies's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity and Homophobia

lizziaha's review against another edition

sad

• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

4.25

This is an interesting look at masculinity, and perhaps because of that, I was put off by its rather bleak view of femininity. But the innate struggle of queerness that was woven through the story was frightening familiar and tugged at my heartstrings. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Violence, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Death, Infidelity, and Misogyny

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Suicidal thoughts

shoohoob's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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 just finished reading this book and I already wish I could read it again for the first time.

Giovanni’s Room comes to me at a very interesting point in my life. I resonate so much with David - searching for “home” and wanting to return to place that doesn’t exist anymore. Just like him, I want to understand myself and what I want but am uncertain on how to get there. I don’t know if this book helped in figuring things out, but it resonated with me in a way I didn’t realize I longed for. 

I’m so glad I read it. I think this book has aged so well and is still accessible as a classic. I think everyone should read it!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Toxic relationship, Confinement, Alcohol, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Infidelity, and Death

lynxpardinus's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Death, Homophobia, and Infidelity

Moderate: Misogyny, Murder, Bullying, Classism, Outing, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

Minor: Blood, Child death, and Pregnancy

Not sure how to tag it, but whether it's a reflection of the author's biases or an extension of the book's core themes, this book has a lot of negativity toward effeminate/GNC gay men.