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6th out of 20 books
—
6 voters
Giovanni's Room
Baldwin's haunting and controversial second novel is his most sustained treatment of sexuality, and a classic of gay literature. In a 1950s Paris swarming with expatriates and characterized by dangerous liaisons and hidden violence, an American finds himself unable to repress his impulses, despite his determination to live the conventional life he envisions for himself Aft...more
Paperback, Great Loves, #17, 150 pages
Published
August 31st 2007
by Penguin
(first published 1956)
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Mar 29, 2009
Yulia
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Yulia by:
Ruth Bavetta
Shelves:
gay-lit,
criminal-intent
A wise and painful book, it speaks of authenticity and home and loss, how we convince ourselves to make irrevocable mistakes and how these choices harden in us and reveal themselves to strangers. I hope it continues to be as beautiful.
This is a book I want to own and make room for. I'm making slow progress, but only because I'm distracted by life, not because the book doesn't capture my attention and consideration.
It becomes even more powerful as it goes on, in fact, and even more painful. I'v...more
This is a book I want to own and make room for. I'm making slow progress, but only because I'm distracted by life, not because the book doesn't capture my attention and consideration.
It becomes even more powerful as it goes on, in fact, and even more painful. I'v...more
James Baldwin is simply great. One can smell the Parisian room off the page in this incredible fast reading novel. The novel takes place in 1950's Paris and it deals with the torn sexuality of a man loving another man - and dealing with it. Not only essential read for those who are into African-American literature or gay lit - but just great writing. Baldwin had it down and he nailed it down.
11 likes · like · see review
view all 35 comments
I was torn between 5 stars and 1 star.
5 stars because it was a brilliant book and very well written. 1 star because it was so hard to read. The sheer amount of self-loathing, pain, and destruction depicted in the book was very hard to take. Like those fallen soldier momuments with their mottos of "Never Forget", we do need to remember though what life was like for those that came before us. And just how hard the struggle is for many, even today.
But while this book is a useful fictional window...more
5 stars because it was a brilliant book and very well written. 1 star because it was so hard to read. The sheer amount of self-loathing, pain, and destruction depicted in the book was very hard to take. Like those fallen soldier momuments with their mottos of "Never Forget", we do need to remember though what life was like for those that came before us. And just how hard the struggle is for many, even today.
But while this book is a useful fictional window...more
13 likes · like · see review
Jun 17, 2008
Jessica
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
aspiring artists, gays and lesbians, aspiring travelers, many more
Recommended to Jessica by:
Nicole...as usual.
Eros and Thanatos: Sex and Death. The mystery of inescapable human allure to these two themes paired--whether real life or fiction--is ineffable. Baldwin has conquered this couple, at least in the sense of his lucid understandings of them together, with his striking insightfulness to human nature. This book begins smack in medias res, you're left with this question of "what happens" throughout the whole thing, and you never tire of wanting. Wanting the answer to the initial mystery, wanting the...more
4 likes · like · see review
I liked this book. Maybe I'll have to read it again, but it left me unsatisfied.
I found this book after reading Rebecca Walker's top books that influenced her. Rebecca Walker is the daughter of Alice Walker (ya know, The Color Purple and others). Somehow I fell upon her blog/extensive-personal-website and she had this book on her list. I had also just recently been re-introduced to James Baldwin by one of my students who was doing a biography on him. Stereotypically, February is African-American...more
I found this book after reading Rebecca Walker's top books that influenced her. Rebecca Walker is the daughter of Alice Walker (ya know, The Color Purple and others). Somehow I fell upon her blog/extensive-personal-website and she had this book on her list. I had also just recently been re-introduced to James Baldwin by one of my students who was doing a biography on him. Stereotypically, February is African-American...more
3 likes · like · see review
Read this book immediately. It just became one of my favorites. I don't think I've marked a book this heavily since The English Patient. Fitting that Ondaatje loves it so much.
"Something opened in my brain, a secret, noiseless door swung open, frightening me: it had not occurred to me until that instant that, in fleeing from his body, I confirmed and perpetuated his body's power over me...I felt a tremor go through me, like the beginning of an earthquake, and felt, for an instant, that I was dr...more
"Something opened in my brain, a secret, noiseless door swung open, frightening me: it had not occurred to me until that instant that, in fleeing from his body, I confirmed and perpetuated his body's power over me...I felt a tremor go through me, like the beginning of an earthquake, and felt, for an instant, that I was dr...more
Jan 20, 2009
Ayu Palar
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
favorites-ever,
lgbt
I consider a good book is the one who can hook me up emotionally. Giovanni’s Room does that to me. From all gay novels that I have read, I choose this as the ultimate one. Basically, it’s David’s memoir about his affair with a handsome young bartender called Giovanni. Sounds cheesy? Wait a second, you’ll love how Baldwin delivers the conflict. The emotion between the two characters is so intense you just want them to be forever together. Giovanni is too adorable. Also, Giovanni’s room is not onl...more
5 likes · like · see review
What's the deal here? Really, I don't know. The thing is, Giovanni's Room is insightful, it's passionate, and there were moments with the kind of old-thing-said-in-new-ways wisdom that I can appreciate, and it definitely teemed with moments wherein I felt wholly implicated. So why - after all the "yes, I get it" and "absolutely" and all the notes I scribbled in the margins, and by that I mean mostly positive ones - am I left with this lukewarm sense of simply wanting to move on?
I mentioned that...more
I mentioned that...more
this is by far my favorite Baldwin novel. The setting, the characters... and of course, the eroticism and betrayal. Baldwin writes lyrically as usual, but there is something daring and haunting about this story in particular. It is a quick read, one where time evaporates until your fingers flip to the final page before the book flutters upon your chest, finished, yet still throbbing throbbing in your mind.
I wasn't sure any Baldwin book would surpass his Go Tell is to the Mountain, which I loved, but this one was even better and an immediate favourite. This story was wonderfully-written and explored a gay storyline which I have never encountered in African-American writing from Baldwin's era.Supposedly quite a few prolific African-American writers were not such big fans of Baldwin due to this reason.
This story is set in Paris and is about an American man, David, who is in love with both a man, Gio...more
This story is set in Paris and is about an American man, David, who is in love with both a man, Gio...more
11 likes · like · see review
This is the heart throbbing story of David’s love affair.
An American in his late twenties that decided to settle in Paris with his girlfriend Hella in the 50’s – He is gay, though. Sometime during their stay, Hella departs for Spain temporarily to distance herself from David because her interest in him was waning. He then meets Giovanni - a handsome Italian bartender – and that is when the twirling events begin…
Amidst poverty, corruption and prostitution, the novel gives evidence of a negative a...more
An American in his late twenties that decided to settle in Paris with his girlfriend Hella in the 50’s – He is gay, though. Sometime during their stay, Hella departs for Spain temporarily to distance herself from David because her interest in him was waning. He then meets Giovanni - a handsome Italian bartender – and that is when the twirling events begin…
Amidst poverty, corruption and prostitution, the novel gives evidence of a negative a...more
2 likes · like · see review
I’ve hit a streak of good literature recently with The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon and The Hours by Michael Cunningham (review to follow soon). James Baldwin’s short novel Giovanni’s Room is no exception. While short, this was stunning and, at least for me, horribly under-appreciated. Baldwin’s writing style resembles those of Mr. Fitzgerald and Mr. Isherwood and it disturbs me that he isn’t as popular.
Unlike his more famous literary colleagues however, Baldwin’s writing is...more
Unlike his more famous literary colleagues however, Baldwin’s writing is...more
Feb 22, 2011
Shovelmonkey1
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
anyone looking for a great love
Recommended to Shovelmonkey1 by:
1001 books list
This is a great read from the 1001 books list. It's only a short story but it has a depth and tone which makes it seem much more epic. The relationship between David and Giovanni is a complex one and some parts of the text seem to imply that their relationship is never actually consumated fully. Their friendship is open and joyous but their real relationship is hidden and clandestine for as David later describes it, they would be perceived as men with "les gouts particuliere". In hiding his rela...more
i found this to be a difficult book, because i really liked it, and at the same time i found it to be relentlessly and aggressively sexist. baldwin is a powerful and passionate writer, and while he is struggling to be seen and respected as a gay black man (and one thing i particularly respect him for, is that though it made it much more difficult for him to find acceptance, he refused to give up on either of these identities), he is not extending these basic rights and respect to women.
i found t...more
i found t...more
Nov 03, 2009
K.D. Oliveros
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Nenette (who at one point said she wanted to borrow Isherwood's book
Recommended to K.D. by:
501 Must Read Books and 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die
This is again a 501 and 1001 Must Read Book and I enjoyed reading this. This is a novel written by an American black gay author but there is no mention of a black gay character and there is no explicit gay sex scene. The gayness is subdued and the love story between the two gays (but with previous heterosexual affairs) is tackled in a manner that whether they were gays or not would not matter. What mattered was that they had an almost perfect relationship except that one of them had another pers...more
simply wonderful. how i have gone so long without reading this is beyond my comprehension.
a moving, vivid, honest story about facing (or not) our identity, whether it is our sexual, nationalistic or emotional sense of self. at its core, this novel is about the power of love and the ways in which we resist its urgent tug.
my selection:
p.40: "tell me, he said, 'what is this thing about time? why is it better to be late than early? people are always saying, we must wait, we must wait. what are they...more
a moving, vivid, honest story about facing (or not) our identity, whether it is our sexual, nationalistic or emotional sense of self. at its core, this novel is about the power of love and the ways in which we resist its urgent tug.
my selection:
p.40: "tell me, he said, 'what is this thing about time? why is it better to be late than early? people are always saying, we must wait, we must wait. what are they...more
Aug 10, 2012
Teresa
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Teresa by:
Cathrine
4.5
I remember being impressed with Baldwin's first novel, Go Tell it on the Mountain, but I am even more impressed with how much his style grew with this, his second novel. The story is told in simple, beautiful, insightful, self-assured prose. The metaphors (caverns, tunnels, rooms, windows, doors) are exceptional as well.
I remember being impressed with Baldwin's first novel, Go Tell it on the Mountain, but I am even more impressed with how much his style grew with this, his second novel. The story is told in simple, beautiful, insightful, self-assured prose. The metaphors (caverns, tunnels, rooms, windows, doors) are exceptional as well.
7 likes · like · see review
I love this book. The descriptions, the emotions almost made me woozy. Baldwin's writing is powerful; it's like you're in the room watching the torrid love affair in progress. I’ve read this book many times. When I first read it, I was en route to Paris. His depictions of the famous city are exactly as they are. He captured the romance, the history, the ancient buildings, the sidewalk cafes and pulsing river under running through the city. Baldwin genuinely moved me with color, fragrance and fla...more
1 like · like · see review
My favorite scene from this book was where Baldwin uses the layers of detritus in Giovanni's room to describe the his history. It reminded me of a similar scene about the detritus on a character's desk in Gravity's Rainbow. I wonder if one scene influenced another. They are both post WW2 works.
Mar 22, 2009
Al
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2009-books,
recent-favorites
incredibly well-written, disturbing yet beautiful. i can't think of another book that describes so well the way you can go from loving to hating someone, as well as all the self-loathing. i understand why this is considered gay-lit, but I think that classifies it far too narrowly. Anyone who has loved and struggled can identify with this book.
I've never been very impressed with Baldwin as a novelist, but the exception is Giovanni's Room, which has a narrative verve and energy I find lacking in his other novels (not his essays). The wonder of the protagonist's newfound love, alongside the almost unbearable melancholy springing from its unfeasibility, is immensely evocative and appealing. I haven't felt the need to reread this novel because it made such an indelible impression on me. Of course, I also read it at a time when I could ide...more
There are some authors that I read because their ability to research, analyze and present the facts is remarkable. There are others I read because their philosophical views confirm or challenge my own. Other’s I read for pure humor and enjoyment. James Baldwin has always been an author that floats in between these three categories. His essays and novels often meet several of my needs. His mastery of language is evident in almost all of his works. In fact, I find myself wondering why anybody, inc...more
One review below said the book was 'just about gay shame'. There is that and it made me wonder is it a book of it's time; the 50s? Would there be so little possible future for such a love affair now when homosexuality is treated in, at the very least, a politically correct manner by all but the most disgusting people. Another theme was the American approach to life vs. the old world or European. The end is predicted early in the book because the protagonist is just another American. They come ov...more
"uno dei veri problemi della vita è che vivere è così banale. ognuno di noi, dopotutto, percorre la stessa strada buia- e la strada di solito è più buia e insidiosa quanto più appare piena di luce- ed è vero che nessuno rimane nel giardino dell'eden.
[...]
forse ognuno di noi ha un giardino dell'eden, non lo so; ma a malapena riusciamo a vedere il giardino che già appare la spada fiammeggiante. dopodiché, forse, la vita offre solo la scelta fra ricordare il giardino e dimenticarlo. una cosa o l'...more
[...]
forse ognuno di noi ha un giardino dell'eden, non lo so; ma a malapena riusciamo a vedere il giardino che già appare la spada fiammeggiante. dopodiché, forse, la vita offre solo la scelta fra ricordare il giardino e dimenticarlo. una cosa o l'...more
Apr 04, 2013
Jennifer
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
bookslut-100-books,
fiction
(review originally written for bookslut)
For every reader I believe there exist certain books that they will just fall into. From the very first sentence, it is obvious that there is something about the rhythm of the writing that matches the rhythm of the reader's brain. For me, Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin was one of those books. I opened it up at a bus stop and was immediately enraptured. In fact I had to close the book again almost as quickly, because I wasn't quite ready to be that deeply...more
For every reader I believe there exist certain books that they will just fall into. From the very first sentence, it is obvious that there is something about the rhythm of the writing that matches the rhythm of the reader's brain. For me, Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin was one of those books. I opened it up at a bus stop and was immediately enraptured. In fact I had to close the book again almost as quickly, because I wasn't quite ready to be that deeply...more
Read this book partially because I've been intending to get back to Baldwin after enjoying If Beale Street Could Talk partially because I was asked to be the library rep at the excellent Lambda Lit book club at the 'brary.
Here, Baldwin writes the confessional of the blonde All-American David who, while in Paris waiting for his fiancé to return from Spain, comes into his sexuality through a passionate and tumultuous affair with hot Italian bartender Giovanni (a proper emotional, occasionally hys...more
Here, Baldwin writes the confessional of the blonde All-American David who, while in Paris waiting for his fiancé to return from Spain, comes into his sexuality through a passionate and tumultuous affair with hot Italian bartender Giovanni (a proper emotional, occasionally hys...more
not even a page into james baldwin's second novel i realized what a joke it was that there is a few million-strong mass of individuals out there that call themselves writers when they are only people who come up with stories and write them down.
i started thinking about all those pointless books that people mindlessly read. those silly books without a purpose or worse still, with an embarrassingly clear one.
now this here is a novel with a point that is a product of a very capable writer. there's...more
i started thinking about all those pointless books that people mindlessly read. those silly books without a purpose or worse still, with an embarrassingly clear one.
now this here is a novel with a point that is a product of a very capable writer. there's...more
In the novel Giovanni’s Room, James Baldwin portrays the main character David as afraid of his sexual orientation. David recalls the time he slept with his friend Joey. When the fact that Joey is a boy dawns on him, “the power and the promise and the mystery of that body made [him] suddenly afraid. That body suddenly seemed the black opening of a cavern in which [he] would be tortured till madness came, in which [he] would lose [his] manhood” (Baldwin 9). Immediately after realizing what he just...more
A man resists falling in love with another man in Paris, then he lets himself, then he must get out. David gives falling in love the accurate humbleness, humility and humiliation, the part destroyed so another part can live. He falls in love with someone too far from himself, or too close, and something breaks inside David because he does not want to be this or do this or think this or feel this, but he does, and in allowing himself to admit to this horror, he traps himself in a tiny stinking ro...more
At the risk of sounding like an illiterate & one who can't get through difficult material-I had to finally put this book down - after managing only a few pages a night before nodding off. I see that Baldwin is a fierce talent - but this book was such a downer & I basically wasn't in the space in my life to want to feel this way during one of my fave activities (reading). I also felt a certain aimlessness in the plot - but then again, I didn't make it all the way through. I do believe tha...more
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| Constant Reader - Classics Corner | 3 | 50 | Jun 21, 2011 03:49am |
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
James Arthur Baldwin was an American novelist, essayist, playwright, poet, and social critic.
James Baldwin offered a vital literary voice during the era of civil rights activism in the 1950s and '60s. The eldest of nine children, his stepfather was a minister. At age 14, Bal...more
More about James Baldwin...
James Arthur Baldwin was an American novelist, essayist, playwright, poet, and social critic.
James Baldwin offered a vital literary voice during the era of civil rights activism in the 1950s and '60s. The eldest of nine children, his stepfather was a minister. At age 14, Bal...more
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