You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.

Reviews tagging 'Body shaming'

Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin

17 reviews

cloudyworld's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

If you, like me, have seasonal affective disorder do NOT read this right now when it's cold and dark because it will make you even more sad than I think it normally would. Incredible prose, visceral and heartbreaking. I've felt like David, Giovanni, and Hela at different times in my life, especially as a young queer person. It's relatable but in the way that Shakespearean plays are relatable: that's a feeling you've felt, but here's a version of it that is amplified with language and drama. 

There were many uncomfortable parts, but what is queerness if not something that's uncomfortable sometimes, even if it's just internally?? This was my first James Baldwin book, and I look forward to reading more but maybe not until spring or summer so my heart doesn't feel like it's been so terribly torn from me lmao. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

thenoboshow's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

annoyedhumanoid's review

Go to review page

dark reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

in the last book i read, Greta & Valdin, Valdin is praised for not being "one of those gay men who says awful things about women" and reading that i was like what! which gay men are those, i'll fight them. these are those gay men.

i was expecting a tragedy of forbidden love between expats in Europe, a proto–Call Me By Your Name, but that's not what this is. rather, Giovanni's Room is a character study of two lost men who come to depend on each other for purpose, until their foundations crumble. the pacing was excellent and the journey as bleak as it was for our characters. i was going to make fun of my edition's Tortured Poets Department–ass cover (black-and-white photo of subject posed in almost cartoonish angst), but it's actually quite fitting:
David, our narrator,
is the smallest man who ever lived. they're both terrible misogynists, don't get me wrong, but this one is literally an emotional terrorist (albeit unintentional, i believe).
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

benegesserwitch's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

amy_q13's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

savanha_reads's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

billie_visible's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

im_eebee's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.75

Beautifully written, but I hate the main character with a burning passion. I need him to get over himself yesterday. All he does is hurt people. I don’t like books where the main character is so deeply unaware of how their actions affect others. Some people will find that as the highlight of this book, but I find it frustrating to read. I’ll definitely check out Baldwin’s other work because the writing style was the only part of this that I liked, but this was a miss for me.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

florih's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The only reason this is not a 5🌟 for me is the obvious misogyny and sexism of the main character (alongside his internalised homophobia, which is the point of the plot)... to be fair he is absolutely despicable as a character. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

clarkg's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

 It's hard to find the language to describe the devastation that this book wrought upon me. Achingly beautiful. I miss James Baldwin. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings