Reviews tagging 'Fatphobia'

Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin

16 reviews

pyronautphea'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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Biphobia, Fatphobia, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Murder

Minor: Miscarriage

laurendenton's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, and Alcohol

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Homophobia, Infidelity, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Abandonment

Minor: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Vomit, and Fire/Fire injury

crowdenks's review against another edition

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Homophobia, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Fatphobia, Miscarriage, and Transphobia

lynxpardinus's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Murder, Outing, and Classism

Minor: Child death, Blood, and Pregnancy

Not sure how to tag it, but whether it's a reflection of the author's biases or an extension of the book's core themes, this book has a lot of negativity toward effeminate/GNC gay men.

c8lin's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fatphobia and Infidelity

curatoriallyyours's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

Although this book is, in many respects, about the tragic relationship between the narrator, David, and Giovanni, I think it’s more about the anguish within David as he tries to navigate who he truly is without bearing the burden of making decisions. I know I have been in the situation of not wanting to hurt someone but doing so anyway through my apathy and unwillingness to take decisive action - of allowing life to happen to me because I didn’t really know what I wanted.

I don’t really see this as a love story either - Giovanni is manipulative and David is in no place within himself to be able to love anyone. I think the relationship is more of an awakening for David - his realisation that he is gay and he cannot keep running from it. He’s driven by guilt in all things and that guilt is a reflection of the time in history and the realities of being homosexual in a world that tells you it’s wrong.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Fatphobia, Misogyny, and Alcohol

Minor: Bullying, Child death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Xenophobia, Vomit, Grief, Murder, and Outing

I was not a fan of the casual sexism and transphobia, and I can’t decide if it’s a deliberate airing of questionable ideas by the author to prompt reflection in the reader (this book would have been a shock at the time it was published), a mirror of the values of the time or the genuine feeling of the author.