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Liked It “Excellent book! Short read, but with amazing detail. I could not put the book down. Although on the surface the book is discussing a man searching for his sexual identity, there is so much more depth to it, and it is an amazing love story. A must read, in my opinion!” see full review » see other reviews » |
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“A poignant account of one young man's struggle with his sexuality. Perfectly captures the protagonist's anguish. ”
Sandy L wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“Excellent book! Short read, but with amazing detail. I could not put the book down. Although on the surface the book is discussing a man searching for his sexual identity, there is so much more depth to it, and it is an amazing love story. A must read, in my opinion!”
Amy G wrote this review Friday, December 4 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Loved this book. Well-written, compelling, and Baldwin really digs into the emotions of his characters. Poignant and touching.”
MacRae O. wrote this review Friday, October 23 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Jennie's Have you read? book. Leaves you feeling cracked open.”
BYOB Book Club wrote this review Friday, October 16 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Protaganist takes up with bar tender, denies his own feelings, and is self destructive in the end.”
Jane H wrote this review Friday, October 9 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Baldwin is excellent. Great style and is always pointing at the truth of the human condition. ”
Ryan C wrote this review Thursday, September 10 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“I had mixed feelings on this one, but eventually the positives just about outweighed the negatives to put this above the average (3 Stars) rating. Starting with the bad points; there was too much dialogue and run-on sentences where I lost myself and began thinking of other tings, which meant I had to keep going back and re-reading entire paragraphs a couple of times... in this respect the book did not capture me completely, but the it was well written (better than much I have read recently), the story was not entirely unoriginal and it was an enjoyable enough read.”
James wrote this review Tuesday, August 25 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Lovely writing”
JoLynn F wrote this review Saturday, August 22 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“It’s hard to describe what James Baldwin has done with Giovanni’s Room. In some ways, oddly enough, this novel reminds me of Susanna Rowson’s Charlotte Temple. Young (though not so young) confused loved. Passions and promises, forsaken and broken. The main character, David, seems to be a homosexual in denial; whereas, his love interest, Giovanni, turns out to be a heterosexual “made” gay by a tragic, heartbreaking loss, which is explained in the latter part of the novel. I think Baldwin makes the situation more complicated than it needs to be, but in a way it’s understandable, as proposing homosexuality to be innate, something other than “choice” in the early 1950’s would be preposterous, even if the story does take place in Paris, France. I suppose Baldwin had to tip-toe around the subject, while simultaneously facing it head-on. An interesting feat that, somehow, Baldwin ultimately accomplishes. I thoroughly enjoyed Giovanni’s Room, despite the presence of any “natural” gay male (those who are included are all “effeminate fairies” – despised by each of the novels’ three major characters). I don’t entirely disagree with Baldwin’s portrayal of the openly gay homosexual men, and their habitués, but I do wish that either David or Giovanni would have, in the end, broken the mold. In any event, the story was painful and beautiful – I read through its two-hundred plus pages in a day because I couldn’t put the book down, and I couldn’t wait to find out what would happen between the two lovers (though sometimes I cringed at hints of the finality to come). What almost outshines the homosexual aspect of the novel is that this is a novel of Americanism in France – it is a study and critique of American culture, seen through the eyes of Europeans. It fits in quite naturally with the works of Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and Stein (among others). If you’re interested in historical gay fiction or homosexual relationships, or if you enjoy or are fascinated by expatriate literature and love affairs – Giovanni’s Room is probably a good bet for you.”
Adam B wrote this review Wednesday, August 5 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“As a cynical young American, David resists his urge to fall completely in love with Giovanni, the young Italian he has met in Paris. David's fiance is absent from most of the novel, which is representative of the role of women within the text. However, the absence of women does not detract from the eroticism of the novel as David struggles with his identity. Baldwin's prose is compelling and utterly bittersweet. This novel explores themes of identity, gender, sexuality, death, loss, and love. ”
Candice P wrote this review Tuesday, July 7 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
