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madsmacmath's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Maybe one of the best books I’ve ever read.
Probably one of the best books I will ever read.
Every word and metaphor feels so intentional. The small rooms, the sea, the hanging, the fire. It’s such a tragic, profound, all-too-true book.
Watching it on the heels of seeing the movie I Saw the TV Glow is painful. So many lives that could’ve been.
Probably one of the best books I will ever read.
Every word and metaphor feels so intentional. The small rooms, the sea, the hanging, the fire. It’s such a tragic, profound, all-too-true book.
Watching it on the heels of seeing the movie I Saw the TV Glow is painful. So many lives that could’ve been.
ciuli's review against another edition
4.0
3,5/5
CW: slight homophobia and homophobic comments, prostitution (it's just mentioned, nothing explicit)
Woohoo after hitting a huge reading slump, I've finally been able to finish the first book in over a month!
I went into this book thinking it would tell the story of a passionate romance between two men in Paris, but it was so much more. There was love, there was tragedy, there was betrayal and there was the journey of a man who's discovering himself. I liked how the romance was developed, but i have to say that this writing style is really not my cup of tea, hence the kind of low rating.
This book has a very slow start and it took me a while to get into the story (my reading slump didn't help either lol). The lyrical and poetic writing style also contributed in slow-pacing the book and the first half of it is mostly descriptions and thoughts. I also wasn't a fan of the mix of English and French. I can understand leaving some of the most understandable sentences in French, to give them more emphasis. But leaving entire phrases in French, with no context whatsoever and no way to place their meaning was kind of frustrating. The time skips were a bit confusing. It kept skipping from past events to present events without specifying it. So you might have been reading something that happened previously, and the next sentence you were back in the present.
As i already pointed out, the only negative thoughts i have on this book are toward the writing style, but this book deserves to be read for the story alone. David is an American man who is spending some time in Paris, while his fiancée, Hella, is travelling in Spain. There he meets Giovanni, starts living with him and loving him, even though he would never admit to that until too late. After meeting Giovanni, David begins a journey of self-discovery he himself is not aware of having embarked. He can't make peace with himself for having feelings for another man, he constantly denies them, making himself believe that he was just messing around while Hella was away, and that he could have left Giovanni's room whenever he wanted, as at the moment he only felt trapped in it, and saw freedom in Hella. Subconsciously, however, he knows that that is not the case. That's why he has to make such a harsh break between Giovanni and him he has to make Giovanni hate him to be finally able to let him go, otherwise he would have stayed there forever. But once he left that room, he finally came to realise that he had never really left, that for as much as he denied his feelings, he couldn't help but think of Giovanni and of his fate.
If you like lyrical books about tormented LGBT romances, this is definitely the book you are looking for!
CW: slight homophobia and homophobic comments, prostitution (it's just mentioned, nothing explicit)
Woohoo after hitting a huge reading slump, I've finally been able to finish the first book in over a month!
I went into this book thinking it would tell the story of a passionate romance between two men in Paris, but it was so much more. There was love, there was tragedy, there was betrayal and there was the journey of a man who's discovering himself. I liked how the romance was developed, but i have to say that this writing style is really not my cup of tea, hence the kind of low rating.
This book has a very slow start and it took me a while to get into the story (my reading slump didn't help either lol). The lyrical and poetic writing style also contributed in slow-pacing the book and the first half of it is mostly descriptions and thoughts. I also wasn't a fan of the mix of English and French. I can understand leaving some of the most understandable sentences in French, to give them more emphasis. But leaving entire phrases in French, with no context whatsoever and no way to place their meaning was kind of frustrating. The time skips were a bit confusing. It kept skipping from past events to present events without specifying it. So you might have been reading something that happened previously, and the next sentence you were back in the present.
As i already pointed out, the only negative thoughts i have on this book are toward the writing style, but this book deserves to be read for the story alone. David is an American man who is spending some time in Paris, while his fiancée, Hella, is travelling in Spain. There he meets Giovanni, starts living with him and loving him, even though he would never admit to that until too late. After meeting Giovanni, David begins a journey of self-discovery he himself is not aware of having embarked. He can't make peace with himself for having feelings for another man, he constantly denies them, making himself believe that he was just messing around while Hella was away, and that he could have left Giovanni's room whenever he wanted, as at the moment he only felt trapped in it, and saw freedom in Hella. Subconsciously, however, he knows that that is not the case. That's why he has to make such a harsh break between Giovanni and him he has to make Giovanni hate him to be finally able to let him go, otherwise he would have stayed there forever. But once he left that room, he finally came to realise that he had never really left, that for as much as he denied his feelings, he couldn't help but think of Giovanni and of his fate.
If you like lyrical books about tormented LGBT romances, this is definitely the book you are looking for!
catherinemorganowen's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-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? It's complicated
5.0
tetrollet's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
spiderreads's review against another edition
4.5
Everyone was a little freaky but rip david and giovanni :( The prose was amazing!!!!!
emmaloren's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
teresa04's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
neenthefiend's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
inunui's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
teamlarson's review against another edition
4.0
A beautiful, yet heartbreaking story of self love and the internal struggle of breaking the status quo. A better understanding of French would’ve definitely helped with this read, but Baldwin still makes the feeling transcend language. I knew how it would end from the beginning, but it didn’t make the blow much softer.