Reviews tagging 'Miscarriage'

Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin

46 reviews

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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acogna's review against another edition

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emotional sad medium-paced

5.0

James Baldwin has one of the most raw and evocative writing styles I've seen in a long time. He doesn't waste his accuracy on describing sound or physical sensation, but on feeling; like, the most human a feeling could possibly get, and written with such precision and brilliance. (This is my first Baldwin and I'm sure it won't be the last!)

That kind of skill creates an indescribably heartfelt and tragic story. I spent the entire latter half wishing it was over, because I just couldn't endure reading on about how broken the human heart could become.
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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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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

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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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benegesserwitch's review against another edition

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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? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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melist6's review against another edition

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emotional sad medium-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

3.0

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rieviolet's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad 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

3.0

I had very high expectations for this novel and unfortunately it didn't live up to them as much as I'd hoped for.

I cannot fault Baldwin's prose, he knows how to paint a scene or portray an emotion with words. I also don't mind bleak and melancholic stories. I think that my main problem was that I struggled to connect with the characters. I wasn't very fond of David but honestly, I disliked Giovanni the most, he spewed such brutally misogynistic remarks that I just wanted to throw him into the Seine, sympathizing with him was the furthest thing from my mind. 
While I recognize that not getting along well with unlikeable characters is a personal issue, I also think that the relationship itself felt a bit flimsly grounded. I was disconnected from the characters and, accordingly, I wasn't strongly invested in their turmoils and tragedies. 

All in all, I understand and value the importance of the themes explored and the relevance of the novel within the queer literary canon, but it didn't resonate with me as deeply as with other readers.
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getyourghosts's review against another edition

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reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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mcicenia's review against another edition

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challenging 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

5.0

damn bitch that’s what you get for beating your wife
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