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rylliemd 's review for:
Giovanni's Room
by James Baldwin
4.5 ⭐️ Baldwin packs so much emotion into such a short novel, leading me to feel like I need to read it again to truly absorb its full meaning. David’s self-hatred and shame around his sexuality and identity as a man leaves him alone, angry, and heartbroken, reflecting what is often the outcome for any man who finds any part of himself at odds with a patriarchal, heteronormative society. We see how this leads him to act cruelly toward even the people he loves the most, as he clings to a masculine ideal that he will never be able to achieve. It cannot be ignored that David only feels this way because of the pressures of the aforementioned society, leading me to empathize with him all while wishing he would accept his authentic self. Baldwin’s writing captures this anguish and complexity skillfully and beautifully.