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katherine_hall 's review for:
Giovanni's Room
by James Baldwin
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was struck again and again by the elegant prose of this book which is as beautiful as it is devastating. Following David in 1950s Paris, we watch him navigate love and it’s destruction as he buries himself deeper into self-hatred. The writing that Baldwin crafts around his feelings of repression and living inauthentically are so visceral it hurts.
It is amazing that in such a short read, the emotional toll and breadth of these characters is so deeply explored. Baldwin is connected to his feelings in a way that is remarkable and to be able to put it to paper so that it is relatable, real, and lyrical is amazing.
The gender politics are hard to read. David’s fiancé, Hella, is written in a way that is reductive and flat. And some of the conversations between Gio and David veer into blatant sexism which is shocking. However, this underscores what David and maybe Baldwin feel; this backlash of societal expectations on them to be heteronormative. He despises this particular life he is forced to live, yet yearns for it so intensely. He treats the women in his life as fixtures rather than actual people and thank god in the end Hellasaw David for who he truly was.
Overall a masterpiece in writing and queer literature and a raw portrayal of self-acceptance and the cost of denying who we are.
It is amazing that in such a short read, the emotional toll and breadth of these characters is so deeply explored. Baldwin is connected to his feelings in a way that is remarkable and to be able to put it to paper so that it is relatable, real, and lyrical is amazing.
The gender politics are hard to read. David’s fiancé, Hella, is written in a way that is reductive and flat. And some of the conversations between Gio and David veer into blatant sexism which is shocking. However, this underscores what David and maybe Baldwin feel; this backlash of societal expectations on them to be heteronormative. He despises this particular life he is forced to live, yet yearns for it so intensely. He treats the women in his life as fixtures rather than actual people and thank god in the end Hella
Overall a masterpiece in writing and queer literature and a raw portrayal of self-acceptance and the cost of denying who we are.