sophieennis's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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
4.0
farahsophia's review against another edition
challenging
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
aliciaht's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
_praptti1's review against another edition
4.0
this was definitely a really beautiful book, i do, however, think i missed some things the book was trying to show/tell. i will reread this book one day and understand more of the book, cause i'll be older and have more knowledge and brain capacity.
the writing was so flawless, Baldwin alternated between david's current situation and his time with giovanni effortlessly, it was so easy to follow and understand.
giovanni's room isn't just about his room, it symbolizes his space, what it's like to be around him/with him from david's pov who is afraid to accept his feelings towards giovanni, they do live together in giovanni's room for awhile when hella(david's mistress) has gone to spain.
giovanni's room is a tiny, dirty one which also symbolizes the nature of david and giovanni's relationship. david feels as though the room is really small and clustered and wants to move out of the place “I’ve been living in Giovanni’s room for months,” I said, “and I just can’t stand it anymore. I have to get out of there. Please.” which would also signify the fear david has of truly accepting his feelings towards giovanni.
themes i was able to identify:
• homosexuality/bisexuality
• masculinity/manhood
• identity
• emotional escapism
• societal expectations
some random quotes from the book that i liked which you may like too:
• I wanted to find myself. This is an interesting phrase, not current as far as I know in the language of any other people, which certainly does not mean what it says but betrays a nagging suspicion that something has been misplaced.
• Perhaps he is a fool and a coward but almost everybody is one or the other and most people are both.
• but one of the real troubles with living is that living is so banal.
• Time is just common, it’s like water for a fish. Everybody’s in this water, nobody gets out of it, or if he does the same thing happens to him that happens to the fish, he dies... the big fish eat the little fish and the ocean doesn't care.
• not many people have ever died of love. But multitudes have perished, and are perishing every hour—and in the oddest places!—for the lack of it.
• “If dirty words frighten you,” said Giovanni, “I really do not know how you have managed to live so long. People are full of dirty words. The only time they do not use them, most people I mean, is when they are describing something dirty.”
• Sometimes things go wrong, I agree; then you have to arrange it another way.
• “Maybe everything bad that happens to you makes you weaker."
• I often wonder what I’d do if there weren’t any books in the world.
the writing was so flawless, Baldwin alternated between david's current situation and his time with giovanni effortlessly, it was so easy to follow and understand.
giovanni's room isn't just about his room, it symbolizes his space, what it's like to be around him/with him from david's pov who is afraid to accept his feelings towards giovanni, they do live together in giovanni's room for awhile when hella(david's mistress) has gone to spain.
giovanni's room is a tiny, dirty one which also symbolizes the nature of david and giovanni's relationship. david feels as though the room is really small and clustered and wants to move out of the place “I’ve been living in Giovanni’s room for months,” I said, “and I just can’t stand it anymore. I have to get out of there. Please.” which would also signify the fear david has of truly accepting his feelings towards giovanni.
themes i was able to identify:
• homosexuality/bisexuality
• masculinity/manhood
• identity
• emotional escapism
• societal expectations
some random quotes from the book that i liked which you may like too:
• I wanted to find myself. This is an interesting phrase, not current as far as I know in the language of any other people, which certainly does not mean what it says but betrays a nagging suspicion that something has been misplaced.
• Perhaps he is a fool and a coward but almost everybody is one or the other and most people are both.
• but one of the real troubles with living is that living is so banal.
• Time is just common, it’s like water for a fish. Everybody’s in this water, nobody gets out of it, or if he does the same thing happens to him that happens to the fish, he dies... the big fish eat the little fish and the ocean doesn't care.
• not many people have ever died of love. But multitudes have perished, and are perishing every hour—and in the oddest places!—for the lack of it.
• “If dirty words frighten you,” said Giovanni, “I really do not know how you have managed to live so long. People are full of dirty words. The only time they do not use them, most people I mean, is when they are describing something dirty.”
• Sometimes things go wrong, I agree; then you have to arrange it another way.
• “Maybe everything bad that happens to you makes you weaker."
• I often wonder what I’d do if there weren’t any books in the world.
abialicja's review against another edition
4.0
“if you cannot love me, i will die. before you came i wanted to die, i have told you many times. it is cruel to have made me want to live only to make my death more bloody.”
tesslw's review against another edition
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
logn19's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
inaaaaaaaa's review against another edition
3.75
I think… I’m going to need a reread and a few video essays before I can say I have a complete grip on this book. This book is littered with my notes and I think I’m still struggling to mentally grasp. Almost 4 stars for now because of the pure emotion this elicited from me.
Let me first say the writing is incredible. I’m a big fan of Baldwin’s writing style in this, with the commas and dragging sentences that really build on stream-of-consciousness. And the content, the narrative is crafted so heartbreakingly and I loved it.
I had a problem the pervasive misogyny and the role that women play throughout the novel, but I suppose (? think? hope?) that that’s just a reflection of Giovanni’s internalized homophobia and reliance on patriarchal heteronormativity. I think. I hope. Otherwise, I’d have a much lower view of this story’s characters (most of whom [purposefully] I already have a pretty low view of).
I also am not sure how to feel about the relationship dynamics and David himself. Though, I suppose that was the point: a thorough examination of what it means to Love and how that may change with Who you Love. I sometimes Hated David, with his intentional distance and his stupid denial, but I also deeply sympathized with his bouts with identity and existentialism. David and Giovanni had that falling too much too fast dilemma (coupled with David’s confusion and self-loathing, of course), turning into an all-consuming, toxic relationship. Scenes and dialogue (so beautifully expressed, I must add) from their months together would reel me in and then raise red flags just as quickly. And then Hella…I don’t know how I feel about Hella.
Again, I’m not really sure how I make sense of all the characters or all the relationships or all the story. But I know how deeply attached I am to this queer tragedy and I think that’s enough for now.
Let me first say the writing is incredible. I’m a big fan of Baldwin’s writing style in this, with the commas and dragging sentences that really build on stream-of-consciousness. And the content, the narrative is crafted so heartbreakingly and I loved it.
I had a problem the pervasive misogyny and the role that women play throughout the novel, but I suppose (? think? hope?) that that’s just a reflection of Giovanni’s internalized homophobia and reliance on patriarchal heteronormativity. I think. I hope. Otherwise, I’d have a much lower view of this story’s characters (most of whom [purposefully] I already have a pretty low view of).
I also am not sure how to feel about the relationship dynamics and David himself. Though, I suppose that was the point: a thorough examination of what it means to Love and how that may change with Who you Love. I sometimes Hated David, with his intentional distance and his stupid denial, but I also deeply sympathized with his bouts with identity and existentialism. David and Giovanni had that falling too much too fast dilemma (coupled with David’s confusion and self-loathing, of course), turning into an all-consuming, toxic relationship. Scenes and dialogue (so beautifully expressed, I must add) from their months together would reel me in and then raise red flags just as quickly. And then Hella…I don’t know how I feel about Hella.
Again, I’m not really sure how I make sense of all the characters or all the relationships or all the story. But I know how deeply attached I am to this queer tragedy and I think that’s enough for now.
gerose04's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I don’t think I’m in a place to understand this book yet.