Scan barcode
A review by 7_hiree
Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
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
Every time I read Giovanni's room, I feel like I understand it, and end up learning more things than the last time. The cast of characters in Giovanni's Room reveal much about their own worldview, and Baldwin's use of these voices reveals much about how he perceived the world. One thing I love is that this books really gets at social roles and social death, making it a rich text for any feminist reader. Even with white characters, Baldwin skillfully contextualizes their self-creation within their racist society. He sets this up from the jump with the line:
My ancestors conquered a continent, pushing across death-laden plains, until they came to an ocean which faced away from Europe into a darker past.
And he doesn't stop there. David's envy and lust is rapped up in his fear of social death and marginalization. Without his white masculinity, without existing as a dead symbol within the Western social sphere, David conceives of himself as dead. Giovanni's murder at the state's hands shadows his every choice when he comes to his numerous crossroads of desire.
David is a self-loathing and somewhat unreliable narrator so that the reader has to make sense of events with the knowledge they have of David, and their own understandings of people and people's feelings. Baldwin skillfully leads the reader through David's thoughts so that when we encounter his narration of sensuality, it comes like a shock of cold water or a rich, bitter, chocolate.
Finally, the influence of movies, theatre, and actors is really apparent. I watched much of Giovanni's Room in my head as a play, cognizant of character movement, lighting, to be fully engaged with that sensual touch Baldwin's prose evokes.
My ancestors conquered a continent, pushing across death-laden plains, until they came to an ocean which faced away from Europe into a darker past.
And he doesn't stop there. David's envy and lust is rapped up in his fear of social death and marginalization. Without his white masculinity, without existing as a dead symbol within the Western social sphere, David conceives of himself as dead. Giovanni's murder at the state's hands shadows his every choice when he comes to his numerous crossroads of desire.
David is a self-loathing and somewhat unreliable narrator so that the reader has to make sense of events with the knowledge they have of David, and their own understandings of people and people's feelings. Baldwin skillfully leads the reader through David's thoughts so that when we encounter his narration of sensuality, it comes like a shock of cold water or a rich, bitter, chocolate.
Finally, the influence of movies, theatre, and actors is really apparent. I watched much of Giovanni's Room in my head as a play, cognizant of character movement, lighting, to be fully engaged with that sensual touch Baldwin's prose evokes.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual harassment