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philsbookcorner 's review for:
Giovanni's Room
by James Baldwin
Heartbreaking, profoundly moving, & relatable even after all these years, James Baldwin's Giovanni's Room beautifully captures the struggles queer men oftentimes face when coming to terms with their sexuality.
This book was published in 1956 - think about that for a moment. Consensual sex between two people of the same sex wasn't fully decriminalized in the United States until 2003. The fact that Baldwin was able to write so honestly & openly about sexuality in the '50s blows my mind. So many of the topics touched upon within Giovanni's Room are still highly relevant to this day within the queer community - ageism, body shaming, & toxic masculinity, to name just a few. David's struggles are struggles that many queer men still go through on a daily basis. While I didn't necessarily agree with all of his decisions throughout the novel, as a gay man who has gone through similar internal battles at one point in my life, I can understand why he made them.
Giovanni's Room is a true classic in the realm of queer literature, you'll be transfixed by Baldwin's beautiful writing. If you haven't picked this up yet, I highly encourage you to do so!
This book was published in 1956 - think about that for a moment. Consensual sex between two people of the same sex wasn't fully decriminalized in the United States until 2003. The fact that Baldwin was able to write so honestly & openly about sexuality in the '50s blows my mind. So many of the topics touched upon within Giovanni's Room are still highly relevant to this day within the queer community - ageism, body shaming, & toxic masculinity, to name just a few. David's struggles are struggles that many queer men still go through on a daily basis. While I didn't necessarily agree with all of his decisions throughout the novel, as a gay man who has gone through similar internal battles at one point in my life, I can understand why he made them.
Giovanni's Room is a true classic in the realm of queer literature, you'll be transfixed by Baldwin's beautiful writing. If you haven't picked this up yet, I highly encourage you to do so!