A review by pupaebug
Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin

emotional reflective sad fast-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

This book was absolutely breathtaking from start to finish. The prose was so beautiful I sometimes had to stop and just let it settle in me for a second before continuing. I read this book in full twice in the span of six days. What an absolute masterpiece. The themes of masculinity, intimacy, guilt, and shame were so well done and stayed with me long after finishing the book. From the second I finished I knew this would be a five star read. What an incredible introduction to James Baldwin and what an incredibly important novel in the queer literature canon!
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