Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin

219 reviews

carpethatdiem2's review against another edition

• 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

4.5

"Perhaps everybody has a garden of Eden, I don't know; but they have scarcely seen their garden of Eden before they see the flaming sword. Then, perhaps, life only offers the choice of remembering the garden or forgetting it. Either, or: it takes strength to remember, it takes another kind of strength to forget, it takes a hero to do both. People who remember court madness through pain, the pain of the perpetually recurring death of their innocence; people who forget court another kind of madness, the madness of the denial of pain and the hatred of innocence; and the world is mostly divided between madmen who remember and madmen who forget. Heroes are rare."

minus half a star for classic 1950s misogyny 👍🏻

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual content, Violence, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Outing

stratospheric's review against another edition

dark reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny

bridgedeebookish95's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.75

A revolutionary novel. Truly. Baldwin’s words are timeless. This felt almost cinematic or theatrical in the way the dialogue flowed. I enjoyed it a lot. Equal parts devastating and frustrating. Beautifully written narrative about class, identity, and the ways in which one is conditioned to hide themselves from not only strangers and those closest to them, but themselves as well. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Murder, Alcohol, and Classism

Minor: Transphobia

sarapriz's review against another edition

emotional sad slow-paced

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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, and Murder

whatevertheysay's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective tense slow-paced

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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia

Moderate: Misogyny

vaguelyredhead's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Homophobia, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, and Murder

Minor: Miscarriage, Transphobia, and Death of parent

beemovie02's review against another edition

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Transphobia

Random untranslated lines in French? Slowed down the flow od reading

alice666's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-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

‘People are too various to be treated so lightly. I am too various to be trusted.’

Wonderful and remarkably vulnerable, Baldwin gives his insight into the complexities, anxieties and passions that exist beneath the skin of our most palatable and performative natures. And, how we can be so convinced and hypnotised by a separate safe idea of ourselves that it can be seen to be corrupted and imperilled by our most genuine and intimate selves.

In short, be prepared for many tears.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Infidelity, Misogyny, and Murder

Minor: Miscarriage and Transphobia

jun_liuyue's review against another edition

dark sad tense fast-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

4.75

Probably one of the best classics I've read. The characters are complex and even if I would have liked another ending this one is the one that makes sense for the characters.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia and Misogyny

bookwormcat's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

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