A review by theuncultured
Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin

3.0

This didn't live up to its reputation for me. I wasn't too keen on the way it was written and didn't care much for the characters. In fact, I found the majority to be vapid and uninteresting. I wish the prose made up for its lack of depth, but it didn't, and I found myself unable to give it a lot of thought. One thing I can say for it, though, is that Baldwin, somehow, manages to capture that strong aftertaste of doing something with your body that your mind doesn't necessarily understand or approve of, and the inevitable struggle you endure with your own senses. I'm sure that if you call yourself human you will understand that feeling. It's for that reason I offer this one a dumb 3 stars. It's a decent story and I'm more let down by the writing than anything else. Also, to hell with Paris.