Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin

53 reviews

ericispublius's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

Baldwin writes with a heart-tearing beauty; he sees humanity in its tribulation & lamentation — each inseparable

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Homophobia, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Outing, and Alcohol

skienight's review against another edition

emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault and Violence

Moderate: Sexual content

colorfulaxolotl's review against another edition

dark reflective slow-paced

• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault

kmshobbs's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, and Outing

benteasm's review

challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, and Alcohol

cowardlyteaman's review

challenging emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

Wasn't sure what I was expecting from this book, but it certainly surpassed all expectations.
I'm embarrassed to admit that I'd never heard of Baldwin until I came across this book in the shelf, but holy mother of Christ, he's an EXCELLENT author.

I really do love how realistic the characters here are. They're all atrocious human beings,  but in a natural way. They're so repressed and internalised everything, that it makes sense how they act like they do. And I must say that, as a queer guy, I was very charmed by Giovanni myself in the beginning, too. Had a strong love-hate relationship with all the characters, but Jacques especially.

The ending was very satisfactory and realistic. I'm terrible at advertising books, but this was seriously an amazing read. Not a happy one, by all means. Lost all hope in my community. But a good read nonetheless. 10/10

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Grief, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Murder, Outing, Abandonment, and Classism

Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Death of parent

benegesserwitch's review against another edition

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Homophobia, Infidelity, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Murder

Minor: Body shaming, Fatphobia, and Classism

rafdee13's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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

5.0

GOD (I screenshot quotes from the text after I got blasted hearing them in the audiobook. I have folder of these. Please help.)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Homophobia, Sexism, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Alcohol

bearbutch's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad 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

5.0

Absolutely beautifully written. Casually drops in the most incredible analysis of life in a single sentence in the middle of a random paragraph. All the characters are complex with obvious flaws.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Death, Homophobia, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

gvstyris's review

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

5.0

No matter how it seems now, I must confess: I loved him. I do not think that I will ever love anyone like that again. 

I'm very grateful to Baldwin for this book's existence, and will be fighting to protect its rightful place in the queer literary canon going forward 🥲

The non-linear structure, Baldwin's beautiful prose, the overwhelming and lowkey cloying atmosphere (I'm so nostalgic for Paris!), the parallels drawn between homophobia and misogyny...man. Baldwin's portrayal of internalised homophobia is powerful and endlessly relevant, particularly considering Giovanni's Room was published almost 70 years ago.

I'll definitely be checking out more of Baldwin's work! 

I dropped my brick and went to him. In a moment I heard his fall. And at moments like this I felt that we were merely enduring and committing the longer and lesser and more perpetual murder.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship

Moderate: Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, and Murder

Minor: Homophobia, Sexual assault, and Transphobia