Reviews with content warning for Suicidal thoughts - O Quarto de Giovanni

this book sucked me down into a black hole and wouldn't let me back out until I finished it (which didn't take me long -- I was captivated). I can feel the book hangover coming.

a devastating, beautiful, and ultimately tragic look at one man's struggle with his intense internalized homophobia and his affair with another man in 1950s Paris. David is a deeply unlikeable main character who is unable to come to terms with himself (to the detriment of those around him). no one comes out a winner here, and it would be unrealistic if they did. in weird ways, this book made me feel similar to how Stoner by John Williams made me feel -- simultaneously disgusted, heartbroken, and empty.

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purplehulk713's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-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

3.25

This book only truly interested me at the very end when Giovanni is calling David out on all his bullshit. It felt so much like what people consider “literature” otherwise—clever and well-thought-out, but too dense and tedious to read to be of any real enjoyment to anyone who’s not an English scholar (and I’m speaking as university writing minor). But as a landmark in queer fiction, it does deserve praise. I just wish that it didn’t make me want so much for it to be over while reading more than it made me enjoy its poetic prose and insights (David is so frustrating, and Jacques and Guillaume are disgusting). But facing the sincerity embodied in Giovanni’s room was a truly tantalizing subject.

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bookiemadi's review against another edition

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emotional reflective 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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sophsnotebook's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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city_girl_writer's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.75

This amazing classic reminded me of The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi

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itsgeesus's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-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

3.5

I really enjoy Baldwin, I think his writing is fantastic and hooks you in no matter the story. Even though this was relatively a quick read, it was addictive, with the exploration of queerness feeling so real and gritty. The internalised homophobia David felt throughout is something that was especially poignant, given that it would have been something many American men would've felt pre-Stonewall. Some readers may even experience it today. Sure, it was often uncomfortable to read, but it felt genuine, and David's struggle to accept his love for Giovanni is something to be commended. The pressure of 'fitting in' with a heteronormative society was a theme I really enjoyed throughout because no matter what decade this would have been read in, it is still somehow relevant.

I would say, however, that the way Hella was written in was fairly misogynistic, whether by accident or not. At times, it felt as if her absence was used by David to justify his affair with Giovanni, rather than David wanting to explore because he genuinely felt attracted to Giovanni. Even with Hella around, the way David spoke about her and other women felt weird, like even for 1956 society. The vibe I got was "men are superior, women are just mistresses". That was the only thing to have pulled me away from such a story.

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biblioghoul's review against another edition

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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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readingpicnic's review against another edition

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3.75

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