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Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'
O Quarto de Giovanni by James Baldwin, Paulo Henriques Britto
57 reviews
tinyjude's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
Tw // internalized homophobia, transphobia, misogyny, sexual assault
The first and last parts were the ones which I found more heart wrecking and relatable. There are so many feelings and thoughts here to which, unfortunately, queer people can still relate. The fear, the pain, the desire to hide, to be different, the lies you tell yourself, how you desperately want to believe them and how all of this affects your relationships with everyone and yourself. The emptiness, the void was one of the things that broke me into pieces.
Many queer people are unable to accept themselves and continue viewing themselves and other queer people as monsters and it is terrible. It is terribly sad.
I felt so incredibly sorry for Giovanni, who deserved so much better and even though I kind of hated David through the novel, I could also understand why he acted the way he did. Because of society. Because he was unable to fight what society believes and be himself.
I think this book can help a lot of people understand the pain some, if not almost all, queer people go through as they discover themselves and learn to love themselves. It is not the most positive or optimistic novel about it, but I still think that is important, especially for other queer people out there. There are just so many things one can find that hit home and make you feel less lonely in your pain.
Baldwin had a gorgeous writing style and this novel proves it once again. David's thoughts and feelings, his descriptions, the way the narrative is framed and presented in one final night in which he recolects the most important months of his life, are just gorgeous.
I also can't ignore the way I was fascinated by the title's significance as I kept reading. The intimancy, the love, the detail.
What a wonderful novel
The first and last parts were the ones which I found more heart wrecking and relatable. There are so many feelings and thoughts here to which, unfortunately, queer people can still relate. The fear, the pain, the desire to hide, to be different, the lies you tell yourself, how you desperately want to believe them and how all of this affects your relationships with everyone and yourself. The emptiness, the void was one of the things that broke me into pieces.
Many queer people are unable to accept themselves and continue viewing themselves and other queer people as monsters and it is terrible. It is terribly sad.
I felt so incredibly sorry for Giovanni, who deserved so much better and even though I kind of hated David through the novel, I could also understand why he acted the way he did. Because of society. Because he was unable to fight what society believes and be himself.
I think this book can help a lot of people understand the pain some, if not almost all, queer people go through as they discover themselves and learn to love themselves. It is not the most positive or optimistic novel about it, but I still think that is important, especially for other queer people out there. There are just so many things one can find that hit home and make you feel less lonely in your pain.
Baldwin had a gorgeous writing style and this novel proves it once again. David's thoughts and feelings, his descriptions, the way the narrative is framed and presented in one final night in which he recolects the most important months of his life, are just gorgeous.
I also can't ignore the way I was fascinated by the title's significance as I kept reading. The intimancy, the love, the detail.
What a wonderful novel
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexual assault, and Transphobia
romanita's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Transphobia
Moderate: Sexual assault, Car accident, and Murder
Minor: Death of parent
hot_water's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Violence
Minor: Excrement
conniebrown's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Homophobia
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, and Sexual assault
urfavpunk's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship
Moderate: Homophobia, Sexism, and Alcohol
Minor: Death and Sexual assault
applescarlett's review against another edition
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Sexism, and Sexual assault
asnecessaryasbread's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
James Baldwing writing style is absoluteñy beautiful and i love how the portrays issues of gender, sexuality and class, but boy oh boy did i want to punch the narrator in the face.
Went in thinking that an important part of this would be a queer love story, but I'd say this is rather an exploration of shame, gender and their manifestation in the body.
Went in thinking that an important part of this would be a queer love story, but I'd say this is rather an exploration of shame, gender and their manifestation in the body.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Sexual assault
Minor: Misogyny and Suicide