Reviews with content warning for Alcoholism - Giovanni’s Room

Reviews tagging Alcoholism

Giovanni’s Room, by James Baldwin

25 reviews

renniewest's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective medium-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

4.0

“I think now that if I had had any intimation that the self I was going to find would turn out to be only the same self from which I had spent so much time in flight, I would have stayed at home.”

this novel is crushing in its depiction of the complexities of human conditions, love, mental illness, etc… it’s made me the kind of melancholy that sticks with you for a while.

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ismaymacklin's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

My first of many Baldwins. A true gift.

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olivcho's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

”Your father or mine, should have told us that not many people have ever died of love. But multitudes have perished, and are perishing every hour - and in the oddest places! - for the lack of it.”

Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin

It’s a very short book ,under 200 pages, but it has depth and literary beauty many longer works lack. On the surface it’s a story about one men’s struggle with accepting his sexuality but for me it’s primarily a tale about shame. How it eats at us from within, prevents us from being free, stops us from being accepting of ourselves and others. It’s necessary yet in abundance it’s self indulgent and narcissistic. David is consumed so much by shame that he not only engages in self-deception but is unable to form genuine relationships. Hurting everyone he engages with by essentially denying himself. Hating himself and others fuelled by his conflicting desires. He is toxicity and repression personified- yet I couldn’t help but sympathise with him. Perhaps, because we are all ,to some degree, perpetually trapped in one room or another.

“I did not want him to know me. I did not want anyone to know me.”

A 5 star read for me, for sure.
TW for misogyny & transphobia…

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