Reviews with content warning for Homophobia - Giovanni's Room

Reviews tagging 'Homophobia'

Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin

380 reviews

mar's review against another edition

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emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.75

GOD.

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inpalemoonlight's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A devastatingly beautiful story, painful, poetic and intense. I can’t believe I only read the book now…
Even though the flaws of the main characters are always in focus, I empathized with most of them and was captured by Baldwin‘s story of the impossibility of a queer love, Paris nightlife, depression, gender roles, homophobia, precarity and betrayal.
James Baldwin portrayed the characters, their emotions and the overall atmosphere in such a clear and touching way, including the internalised homophobia and shame that the protoganist felt in every interaction with Giovanni. It was painful to read, how he couldn‘t admit to any feelings or love until it was too late and how it all destroyed Giovanni in the end. I loved the symbolic character of the room, the confined spaces, the protoginists feeling of being trapped behind those walls and on the other hand Giovannis’ (failed) attempts to renovate it, to make more space for them.
I really hated the sexism, how the protoganists girlfriend at first seemed to be this independent woman travelling Spain but was then trapped by internalized perseptions of a woman‘s role.

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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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jmichaelw28's review against another edition

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dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

5.0

A well-deserved classic, Giovanni's Room is a deep dive into the psyche of a White, queer man's struggle with masculinity and his own sexuality. Baldwin authentically ties together desire, self-loathing, and love into an unblinking character study. I would highly recommend pairing this book with Byung-Chul Han's The Agony of Eros.

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kaywhiteley's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional slow-paced

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

4.75

Content Warnings

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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lp961'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? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

sarah_kula's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.75

Content Warnings

9inchnailzzz's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

Content Warnings

fishweb's review against another edition

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challenging emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

id like to point out that i read the last 2 chapters whilst listening to radiohead and it made it sm more gut wrenching x

ts is so well written and so character driven. i loved it so much, even when i put it down i couldn't stop thinking about it.

i've seen people complaining about the ‘lack of plot’ and to that i say: you are unfathomably stupid and completely missed the point. its the equivalent to reading an autobiography and then complaining that its too much like real life?!?

also there was nothing more satisfying than hella absolutely gagging david at the end. he was such a terrible person who never truly cared abt anyone else and yet he always played the “woe is me” card. hella and giovanni should've teamed up and killed his ass!!

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