A review by tobi_adediran
Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin

4.0

4.5 stars - The bitter irony of the American protagonist coming to Paris to find himself, only to utterly lose himself, really stuck a chord with me. Baldwin's raw and richly emotive writing perfectly captures the anguish and inner turmoil experienced by all the characters grappling with their sexuality in the '50s. It was almost unsettling how Baldwin made these characters seem so alive; their desperation, passion and ugliness jumping off the pages. He portrayed David and Giovanni's tortured love in such a brutal but poignant way, that you're truly invested in the outcome despite the characters being so unlikeable.