Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin

187 reviews

carpethatdiem2's review against another edition

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  • 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 👍🏻
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bridgedeebookish95's review against another edition

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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. 
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vaguelyredhead's review against another edition

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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

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noura's review against another edition

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emotional reflective 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

3.75

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alice666's review against another edition

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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.
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itsjadenbaby's review against another edition

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

5.0

I can officially say that a book has  put me in a reading slump for being too good! The novel is perfection. There were lines in this that had my jaw on the floor because of how hard hitting yet beautiful they were.
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quinn24's review against another edition

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5.0

Thank you James Baldwin for writing about internalised homophobia, toxic masculinity, and  how the closet kills, I love you. I feel like I’ve been hit by a bus.

Alexa play good luck, babe! by Chappell Roan
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ericispublius's review against another edition

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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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josiee123's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Not because I don't love James Baldwin but because at times I found the plot a bit dry and slow. But because I want to read more Baldwin I'll be moving onto some Parisian essays
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apthompson's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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