For the first maybe third of this book I didn’t think it was for me, but by the end I was invested and really touched. I’m also really surprised at the openness about homosexuality both in the plot and the book itself given when it was written; it was eye-opening about the culture of the time but also surprisingly relatable 80 years later. The book struck me as really honest and insightful for that reason, and I feel I learned a lot - in various ways - reading this perspective.

Baldwin does a fantastic job exploring emotional themes through the internal experience of the narrator, moments of reflection, and through is interactions of relationships, showing a lot in small moments without over-explaining. Despite being a woman in 2025 l, I felt a lot of depth and relatability in various ways with the themes of identity the narrator explores, through the experience of all of the characters and their relationships. (I am queer, and living abroad, but it takes a lot for me to feel this deeply for a male- focused l experience and I believe it will work for others who share less demographic similarities with the subjects.) Themes like living away from home and internationally and the concept of home; bisexuality and identity and belonging and self-hatred - functioning in a society that wants you to choose; the pull between loving and despising someone, and between love and sexuality; existing as an outsider; desire and jealousy and power and social dynamics within a social group, especially a marginalized one; — in general, and I say this seriously and without a trace of irony or exaggeration, about human nature.
I was especially impressed with the depth with which the book explores love and sexuality, while including basically no sexual content. I have nothing against it , and I think it would have been just as good with more, but I think it’s a testament to the author that he accomplished what he did in this way.
Also, I cried quite a bit towards the end, for the character and the story and also for how I found myself and my loved ones and my experience of life in it.

Only not 5 stars because the beginning didn’t draw me in as much as I would have liked. I’m so glad I kept at it.

Beautiful writing as in most of Baldwin's works. It was rated four instead of five because at times the story and characters felt distant which made a few moments feel unnecessary. I still greatly enjoyed reading it, and found myself thinking about it after.

Giovanni deserved better.

love can really destroy people and be dishonest damn

actions have consequences I guess and communication or lack of it can really impact people, also being honest both to yourself and others amid societal standards against your desires are what struck out to me

apart from the problematic views (I'm certain it's the time period) and all but this was a great book, poetically vulnerable and unafraid of what love means for the characters involved.