Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Giovanni's Room
Book Review: Good Stuff Doesn't Age, It Matures
Summary: 5 Stars
Although advancing in its fifties, Giovanni's Room is a novel which does not get older, it only gets better. It still strikes the reader with the courage and opennes with which James Baldwin tackles his largely unspeakable (at the time of its writing) subject matter. The pains and tortures of search for sexual identity are rendered with real mastery and even if the ending may seem a bow to the demands of an age long gone, it only adds to the psychological truth of the novel. An absolute classic!Book Review: Great novel
Summary: 4 Stars
I have always found James Baldwin's novels to be incredibly boring and extremely over-worded. It's nice to have a change; I actually enjoyed this book. Once I started it, I found it almost impossible to put it down. This is a great book for anyone who is struggling with sexuality, identity, lost love, or just everyday problems. Even though the time setting is in the 1950's, anyone, in any time period, can relate to the lives of the characters in this novel. I myself found a link between my life and the life of the main character, David. We both were trying, in vain, to escape a terrible past (rather a past that seemed terrible in our own eyes) only to have it come back later on in our lives. For David, it was his struggle with figuring out his true sexual identity. It seems that in Paris, where the novel is set, people are more accepting of the whole gay/lesbian "conflict" than we (should I even say "we"?)Americans are. A huge percent of the American population is either gay/lesbian/bisexual or confused about their sexuality. It's a shame that we, as Americans, can't accept people for what they are. Sexuality has nothing to do with the character of a person, it's just the lifestyle they choose. This book will help anyone (well, anyone with an open mind anyway) understand that anyone can fall in love with anyone - no matter what sex - at any given time. Don't read the book just because it's about "gay people"; read it because you need some directions and/or guidelines in finding out who you really are and what you really want in life.Book Review: I am so glad I found this book!
Summary: 5 Stars
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!Book Review: Incomparable and Beautiful
Summary: 5 Stars
James Baldwin is, without a doubt, one of the most eloquent and talented authors that I have ever been exposed to. In his novel, Giovannis Room, Baldwin explores the struggle between a man and his sexuality. Torn between his feelings for another man and another woman, we are taken through Davids journey of joy, love, anger, pain, and confusion. Through secrets and lies, the story unfolds, teaching that there are no excuses when it comes to real love. This is by far one of the most beautifully written books I have ever read. Each sentence leaves you with a good taste in your mouth. Baldwins passion and power in writing is proved clearly all throughout the book. His word choice and sentence development is absolutely wonderfully printed, that each page simply flows one after the other. His ability to develop and express each characters thoughts keeps the reader wholly engaged; feeling attached to their personal dilemmas. At the end of the book, you are left with the feeling of complete satisfaction. Although this is a story of a gay mans struggle, it is a story that affects everyone regardless his or hers sexuality. Everyone who has ever been found in a conflict with themselves will discover that this book will touch the hearts, leaving the longing to come in touch with their true self. Anyone who has been caught between desire and morality will relate and find that this book captures the genuine feelings of that difficult and tense struggle.
Book Review: Influenced by Baldwin
Summary: 4 Stars
The book Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin really helped me understand how people feel when they are uncertain about their sexuality. Some people are still trying to hide how they feel by masking their feelings having a normal relationship with the opposite sex. This society makes those people feel alienated as well as uncomfortale about their prefference. This book taught the lesson of being comfortable with your sexuality.