Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin

132 reviews

maurice_greenware's review against another edition

reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, 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

---

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

---

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

keelymightread's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

I loved the angsty nature of this book. I enjoyed a queer romance in the 50’s so interesting. Reminded me a lot of the TV show Fellow Travellers, which was also devastating.I never really got attached to the couple though. Since it was so short, we really got bare snippets of their relationship as the story is kind of told from the future. I loved the love interest but the main character was the anti hero so to speak. If that speaks to you, then you’ll love this because it’s very self-destructive kind of protagonist. Overall, it taught me the lesson of honesty specifically about what you want in life. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction and Alcohol

Moderate: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Police brutality

Minor: Death and Death of parent

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.)

---

Content Warnings

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

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

getyourghosts's review against another edition

reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship and Grief

Moderate: Homophobia and Alcohol

Minor: Miscarriage, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, and Murder

everesto's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

I read this book for school and really enjoyed it. All of the characters (except Hella) were all awful people and like half of them were pedophiles BUT I was very invested in the story and really wanted to know how the story got to the point where Giovanni was getting executed. Baldwins writing style is very beautiful and the way he uses repetition of words to reinforce and highlight certain ideas really stuck out to me. I also really liked the way he switched between tenses so often, not many other writers would not have been able to pull that off without it being really confusing. I was not a fan of the portrayal of trans/genderqueer people or the ideas on women but I think that's due to just who David is as a character and also the time this book was written.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Grief, Murder, and Alcohol

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Sexual content, and Transphobia

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

amy_q13's review against another edition

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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Classism

Moderate: Body shaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Murder

rionstorm's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-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

4.25

Beautifully written. I found the narrator, David, absolutely vile, and Giovanni and Hella so charming. The characters all reminded me of elements of people I have known in real life, as they feel very alive. I found parts of it challenging, particularly the intense homophobia (& transphobia?) from David himself towards the other queer people around him.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Miscarriage, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Death of parent

Minor: Domestic abuse and Murder

marissasa's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

This is my first James Baldwin book and I have always heard that he was an excellent writer who truly understood the human condition, but oof did this classic literature toxic yaoi hit even harder than expected. In all seriousness though, there is so much pain and turmoil and suffering in this book, interspersed with a few moments of tenderness and genuine human connection that will make your heart lift, only to be followed again by trauma, drama, and heartbreak that will drop it back into your stomach. The writing is beautiful and poetic in a straightforward way, and it touches on the themes of isolation, identity, homophobia, and masculinity in a very purposeful manner. The ending in particular is haunting and this book is definitely a testament to the plight of queer people throughout history  that will stick around in my mind for a while.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Outing, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol