A review by meghanhines
Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin

4.5

baldwin’s writing is nothing short of exquisite. the way he captures despair and melancholy and atmosphere and a borderline sense of unknowing in this book is so well done. this is a sad book, a complex book, an extremely fascinating book. it completely sweeps the reader up in its fog, rarely allowing them to come up for air. there are countless gut-punch lines in here - and i’m sure there will be even more i discover on a reread. 

it’s a story about queerness, and i love
how complicated it is in this book - it is never necessarily good or bad, it just is. it’s a story about obsession and infatuation, about masculinity and violence, and above all else, about love. how all-encompassing and dangerous it can be, how desperately we crave it, how scary it can also be

god this is truly an immaculate novel