James Baldwin

Giovanni’s Room

bhnso

armoni mayes

FINALLY a five star read after like two months. anyways, james really snapped with this one because this book was much better than even five stars. i loved all of the characters in this novel, even david who at times was driving me crazy. but i can empathize with his struggles of trying to figure out his sexuality while balancing two lovers. giovannis room brought out the best and worst in him-and it seemed that he was scared to be trapped in the two worlds. i think if they could’ve moved out of giovanni’s room, they could’ve made it work. but giovanni obviously had attachment issues and i think it made it hard for david to see past those problems. some of my favorite quotes: 

“I understood why Giovanni wanted me and had brought me to his last retreat. I was to destroy this room and give Giovanni a new and better life. This life could only be my own, which, in order to transform Giovanni‘s, must first become part of Giovanni‘s room.”

“It was a gesture of gray despair and I knew that she was giving herself, not to me, but to a lover who would never come.”

this is one of the best books i've ever read

Amira 

I am going to jump off of a cliff why would you do this to me James Baldwin? I feel like there’s a empty hole in my chest that’s just been carved out by James Baldwin… idk if thing will get better. Idk if I want them to get better. Im so sad… #smash

re-read of my fav book ever. no words in this language would ever be enough to express the genius and craft of the novel. even better than 3 yrs ago—james baldwin achieves everything you could ever want from a novel of this kind 

Ville

kayla 

Isabella 

I am heartbroken. This is a beautifully written book about the struggles with sexuality and society. It depicts shame, guilt, internalized homophobia and its effects. Baldwin was able to set the scenes perfectly to the point where it felt like I was in the story.

غرفة جيوفاني

MaiAbdelhamed

أعتقد أن يمكن تلخيص فكرة الرواية بالعبارة التي ذكرت في بداية الأحداث "شخصا ما ، والدك أو ربما أبي ،كان عليهما أخبارنا أن قلة من الناس فقط يموتون من الحب ، لكن الكثرة تهلك ، وتفنى -في الاماكن الخاطئة-كل ساعة بسبب فقدان الحب " هذه رواية كتبت بإحكام تحكي عن ضياع الإنسان و عدم مقدرته على تحديد هويته و حركته باستمرار في دوائر مفرغة مكررة دون جدوى .
ملحوظة :أنا عندي نزعة دينية محددة في موضوع المثلية الجنسية ، بس الكاتب في الرواية دي طرح الموضوع بصورة عظيمة .