A review by hilaryreadsbooks
Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin

5.0

It was about time I read a book by James Baldwin. In GIOVANNI’S ROOM, David, a white American expat in Paris begins a passionate relationship with a beautiful man, Giovanni, even as he struggles with his own torturous denial of his homosexuality. The way Baldwin depicts David’s interiority as he finds himself caught in the push and pull of internal desire against societal norms is devastating, and even more so for Giovanni, who is caught in the middle of David’s panic, shame, and fear. In particular, I admire the way Baldwin includes such varied depictions of constructed manhood, contrasted against both the other male and female characters, in such a short book. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings