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Giovanni's Room
by James Baldwin
| List Price: |
$6.99 |
Unavailable for
purchase at this time |
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Mass Market Paperback
Publisher: Laurel
Set in the contemporary Paris of American expatraites, liasons, and violence, a young man finds himself caught between desire and conventional morality. James Baldwin's brilliant narrative delves into the mystery of loving with a sharp, probing imagination, and he creates a moving, highly controversial story of death and passion that reveals the unspoken complexities of the heart.
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| Weird ending |
| Customer Rating: 4 out of 5 |
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I liked the story, although it seemed more like the outline to a great novel yet to be written. It was just too short. The only thing I didn't like was the sudden strange ending that was unrelated to the relationships between any of the main characters.
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| Amazing book. You will want to read it more than once! |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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I loved this book. It is one of the top ten gay and lesbian novels of all times. I was shocked to learn that Amazon was instituting a new anti-gay policy and censoring it from search lists. Hopefully people can still find this gem.
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| I am so glad I found this book! |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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What a beautifully written book! I read it for my book club. I had heard of James Baldwin, but had never read anything of his before. I loved the depiction of Paris - the sleazier, decadent life underneath the beauty, and the depiction of the bars and the sad characters that Giovanni hung out with. The depiction of the main character's feelings for Giovanni and for his fiancee were just amazingly written - some of the best writing about feelings of love that I have read - the positive and negative. Heartbreakingly sad. Everybody in my book club LOVED the book - I think it is one of only two books which has received a 100% thumbs up from us all!
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| Boring and Pretentious Book |
| Customer Rating: 2 out of 5 |
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well here is what I have to say:
Don't read this book just because you like reading about queers, because it is not going to hold your interest.
This book is written very pretentiously.
It is about a self loathing bisexual closet case who despite his best instincts ends up with his fiance instead of the man that he should have stayed with.
Anyhow, overall I give this 2/5 stars, not recommended!!!!!!!
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| Read it... but not for the plot. |
| Customer Rating: 3 out of 5 |
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No assistance or convincing is required for one to acknowledge that Baldwin is indeed a very gifted writer. However, in GIOVANNI'S ROOM, it is less evident as to whether or not he is a great novelist. While his ability to describe complex emotions and deeply depict the political nature of courting and romance is superior, the plot suffers as the book progresses. Giovanni is an incredibly charming and likeable character upon his introduction; however, as soon as he forms a relationship with David, the protagonist, there seems to be a shift in the development of his character (or is it a regression of his character?), after which he remains rather unlikable and someone for whom you do not feel empathy.
As a result, the romance between Giovanni and David suffers throughout the book - and the capriciousness of David's sexuality calls into question the legitimacy of his love for Giovanni. This is disappointing to readers who are looking for a love story - even a tragic one. For who wants to read a love story where the love isn't assured? I think the plot needed more time to allow the reader to fully accept and digest the magnitude that these two men, supposedly, feel for each other.
The ending of the book, including the crime that Giovanni commits, seems irrelevant and forced - as if Baldwin was merely trying to come up with a legitimate way to end the story. This is perhaps my biggest complaint with the book. Again, the plot moves too quickly while characters change dramatically, all of which lead the reader to feel as though the plot is implausible.
Finally, the book is littered with various French phrases and short sentences which add no substance to the book, but seem to exist merely as a way for Baldwin to flex his knowledge of the language - as if somehow this will give the story's setting extra legitimacy (which it didn't need). I have a background in French and was able to understand most of this superfluousness, yet still found it rather annoying and distracting.
Many have suggested that David is rather unlikable; personally, I find his character to be the most honest and authentic, as well someone to whom I can relate. Through David, Baldwin hits the nail on the head when depicting the complexity and despair homosexuals feel when they are simultaneously involved with partners of both sexes. And while the honesty of David's emotions, with respect to both Giovanni and Hella, may be unattractive to some readers - it's clarity and accuracy cannot be ignored.
The book is certainly worth a read, and its impact and value must be measured in the context in which it was written. It is/was an overwhelmingly progressive novel, and no doubt a contribution to `gay' literature (if that's how you wish you classify the novel; I do not). However, this book being published today would hardly turn an eye. Read it to understand Baldwin, read it to understand the timeframe, read it for a glimpse into the complexity of homosexual relationships, read it to enjoy Baldwin's outstanding writing abilities - but don't read it for the plot.
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