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verity1's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
5.0
library_anne's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
awill1122's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
reed_with_read's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.75
katiesphone's review against another edition
4.0
deeply emotional gripping absolutely heartbreaking.
David shows a dissection of how heteronormative and patriarcal american society follows a gay person all the way to a different country. David stays in paris because he can live with giovanni in relative happiness and comfort, but he hates all about paris that allows him to live that way. He yearns to fall back into the american backbone of society; marriage with a house and kids. something that david felt as a child was never there. He wants to use this successful image of an american man to deflect any suspicions of his sexuality off of. He leans into Hella to escape confronting his real and deepening feelings for Giovanni, but at the climax of the book he is almost disgusted by Hella and her femininity and runs away from her. Throughout the book I wanted to slap David around the face and give giovanni a big hug, and tell Hella to run away. But there's no payoff, only a painful ending. So many times Davis tries to act like a chameleon; he can play the part in gay paris and love giovanni, but he can leave and effortlessly don the clothes of a heterosexual american. He is ultimately unable to do this. he couldn't escape his sexuality and he couldn't escape giovanni's room.
David shows a dissection of how heteronormative and patriarcal american society follows a gay person all the way to a different country. David stays in paris because he can live with giovanni in relative happiness and comfort, but he hates all about paris that allows him to live that way. He yearns to fall back into the american backbone of society; marriage with a house and kids. something that david felt as a child was never there. He wants to use this successful image of an american man to deflect any suspicions of his sexuality off of. He leans into Hella to escape confronting his real and deepening feelings for Giovanni, but at the climax of the book he is almost disgusted by Hella and her femininity and runs away from her. Throughout the book I wanted to slap David around the face and give giovanni a big hug, and tell Hella to run away. But there's no payoff, only a painful ending. So many times Davis tries to act like a chameleon; he can play the part in gay paris and love giovanni, but he can leave and effortlessly don the clothes of a heterosexual american. He is ultimately unable to do this. he couldn't escape his sexuality and he couldn't escape giovanni's room.
kestis's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
vgh5's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
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
3.75
abdul_wasii42's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
James Baldwin has such beautiful writing , and the prose and passages in this novel attest to the fact . Seeing David’s struggle with his sexuality and gender identity was a very reflective experience.