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danajoy's review against another edition
4.0
I feel like I have to read Giovanni's Room now.
I love reading books set in places and time periods I don't know much about.
Moderate: Drug use, Homophobia, Sexual content, Vomit, and War
ctwntn's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.25
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Homophobia
ravensruin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Sexual content and Outing
Minor: Hate crime, Antisemitism, Grief, and Alcohol
kittkat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
Graphic: Homophobia, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Outing and Classism
Minor: Police brutality
nefariousbee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
first, I'm a gen Z Czech person. I didn't live thru socialism but my parents did. at first, I was happy that the Slav authors finally seemed to start leaving ww2 behind and we can focus on more recent historical events that prominently shared our societies.
the issue is tho. this doesn't feel like a Pole wrote it. there's that typical self-righteousness of a westerner, writing about the underprivileged. and I hate it, it makes my hairs stand up, makes me see red.
and I'm sure there were good intentions, I'm sure the woke westerners will be swooning. but it feels like we're being put in a terrarium to be studied and pitied. it feels like it's saying that everyone who stayed is a loser or a bootlicker. it makes the westerners believe they'd also leave, like our protagonist, they would stand tall and proud. it does nothing to comment on the system, to try to create some nuance, to even describe the ordinary lives of the people to try the reader to relate.
there's much to say and I don't care enough to write and edit it all. if you want a book about socialist Poland, find a polish author, preferably one that lived thru it.
and let me recommend you Operation Hyacinth on the topic of being gay in socialist Poland.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Drug use, Homophobia, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, and Police brutality
Moderate: Sexual content, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Alcohol
kwichris's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Homophobia and Grief
Moderate: Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Violence, Antisemitism, Death of parent, Outing, Alcohol, War, and Classism
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Genocide, Vomit, Police brutality, and Medical content
abicaro17's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body shaming, Cancer, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Racism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, and Classism
writingcaia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
A love story that happens among all impossibilities, communism, poverty for most, waiting for something that might never come, among it all two different souls, one looking for the end of shame, wanting freedom, the other wanting more from life then what seemed due to him find each other.
In a short book this debut swoop me up and took me to 80’s Poland, to the tragedy of post war, of Cold War, of the Russian occupation, to the winter and summer streets of Warsaw, to the lakes and fields of the country, the bodies of boys, and the lavishness of the rich contrasting with the devastating poor. Most of all it immersed me in feelings of shame from being, from loving, the emotional detachment of forced immigration, the alienation from love and country.
A great achievement of writing and storytelling.
Just beautiful!!!
Graphic: Homophobia and Sexual content
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Violence, Police brutality, Antisemitism, and Death of parent
hekhate's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Moderate: Homophobia, Violence, and Antisemitism
Minor: Sexual content
gentlemanjack's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Homophobia, Sexual content, and Police brutality