Reviews with content warning for Misogyny - Giovanni’s Room

Reviews tagging Misogyny

Giovanni’s Room, by James Baldwin

79 reviews

lizziaha's review against another edition

sad

Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

4.25

This is an interesting look at masculinity, and perhaps because of that, I was put off by its rather bleak view of femininity. But the innate struggle of queerness that was woven through the story was frightening familiar and tugged at my heartstrings.

Content Warnings

magicshop's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

And these nights were being acted out under a foreign sky, with no one to watch, no penalties attached—it was this last fact which was our undoing, for nothing is more unbearable, once one has it, than freedom.

you should read this book if...

you want to be torn apart by outstanding prose
you want to be torn apart in general

the good

the prose. did i mention the prose. james baldwin wants me dead. james baldwin wants me BALD
honestly everything, despite whatever else i write in this review

the bad

i can't think of anything except maybe giovanni's blatant misogyny, but even that i feel serves a purpose in the story sooo. maybe. maybe not.
giovanni is quite caricaturely italian/mediterranean. for this, unlike the rest of the book's "flaws," there is no real explanation interwoven in the text. it's just sort of unapologetically and unfortunately there.

the complicated

lots and lots of internalized homophobia and misogyny from multiple characters, but that's kinda the entire point.

i'm at a bit of a loss with this one. i enjoyed it very, very much, but i've been trying to review it for 3 days and nothing substantial really seems to want to come out. i think i'll leave more complex thoughts for a reread (i already know there will be one someday), not because i have to, but because i feel like a book this well-written deserves more than i can give it right now.

if you can handle the "complicated" and the content warnings, i highly recommend giving this a try. baldwin's brain is a delight and i'll definitely be trying more of his work in the future.

Content Warnings