A review by profpeaton
Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin

5.0

This is one of my top 5 books of all time. It was my introduction to Baldwin, and I could not put it down the first time I read it. Baldwin is a literary master. His storytelling exquisite, the depth of his characters making them both relatable and memorable. This book was particularly touching to me as a gay man. When I was first introduced to the text, I could easily relate to the anguish felt by the main character, David, as he dealt with his sexuality and his conflicted feelings about spending life with another man. But the story is ultimately about the love between two men, and though the story ends somewhat dreadfully, the nature of the story itself is beautiful and will be appreciated by anyone who enjoys a complicated love story about expatriates living abroad in Paris - that city of love.