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4.36 AVERAGE
4.36 AVERAGE
Utterly gorgeous and devastating, the last chapter tried to murder me <3
emotional
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
tense
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
almost cried reading this again. this book lives in my mind forever and ever i adore it. 10/10.
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A book of immense power, smoldering compassion, and heartfelt intensity.
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Absolutely loved the writing. I think this is a great example of a character study done right. Admittedly, I had to get past the casual misogyny displayed by some characters, but overall I found my dislike of most characters actually not a bad thing. Giovanni is an extremely toxic person, Guillaume is manipulative, Jacques is shallow but mostly tolerable. However, I think David's observations of each character were able to add enough layers of depth to them, so that although they weren't exactly likeable, I could at least understand why they were the way they were. And I think that's a sign of great character development. I loved Hella — for sure my favourite character – and I kind of wanted to know more about her and her own views on womanhood (which perhaps were also heavily biased and very clearly written from a male POV, but I suppose that's part of a larger discussion).
I also loved the juxtaposition between David and Gionvanni's self-hatred which they both expressed in different ways, but which led them both to self destruction in the end. David is incapable of letting himself love and be loved, while Gionvanni wears his on his sleeve and is unshamed of loving another man, however is still deeply incapable of being alone with his own thoughts and meet his own needs. Overall, it's a great story about one's inner conflict with love, sexuality, and desire. This was my first time reading James Baldwin's work and I could not have asked for a better start. Looking forward to reading all of his other books in the future.
I also loved the juxtaposition between David and Gionvanni's self-hatred which they both expressed in different ways, but which led them both to self destruction in the end. David is incapable of letting himself love and be loved, while Gionvanni wears his on his sleeve and is unshamed of loving another man, however is still deeply incapable of being alone with his own thoughts and meet his own needs. Overall, it's a great story about one's inner conflict with love, sexuality, and desire. This was my first time reading James Baldwin's work and I could not have asked for a better start. Looking forward to reading all of his other books in the future.