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A review by calebmatthews
Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin
5.0
Really well done. I love how it is both artistically/philosophically told, while still telling an intriguing story.
Not a huge fan of Hella or the reason for Giovanni’s death.
Notes below
Giovanni’s Room
Nothing is more unbearable, Once one has it, then freedom.
affairs are sometimes just pretentious masturbation
There will come a time when nothing and no one will rule you
My father wanted me to come home and settle down. Whenever he said that, I thought of the sediment at the bottom of a stagnant pond.
We wait to make sure.
Has your waiting ever helped to make sure?
Why are my encounters shameful? It’s like putting an electric plug in a dead socket: touch, but no contact.
The idea of a love affair not being safe because the other person might change you.
If you play it safe long enough you’ll end up trapped in your dirty body forever and forever and forever and forever.
Prison might be worse than dying, because it is being alive without living.
One day you will go home and find that home isn’t home anymore.
“I hope you believe me when I say that when I was lying…I wasn’t lying to you.” (David talking to Hella about lying to himself)
Not a huge fan of Hella or the reason for Giovanni’s death.
Notes below
Giovanni’s Room
Nothing is more unbearable, Once one has it, then freedom.
affairs are sometimes just pretentious masturbation
There will come a time when nothing and no one will rule you
My father wanted me to come home and settle down. Whenever he said that, I thought of the sediment at the bottom of a stagnant pond.
We wait to make sure.
Has your waiting ever helped to make sure?
Why are my encounters shameful? It’s like putting an electric plug in a dead socket: touch, but no contact.
The idea of a love affair not being safe because the other person might change you.
If you play it safe long enough you’ll end up trapped in your dirty body forever and forever and forever and forever.
Prison might be worse than dying, because it is being alive without living.
One day you will go home and find that home isn’t home anymore.
“I hope you believe me when I say that when I was lying…I wasn’t lying to you.” (David talking to Hella about lying to himself)