Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin Review

Title: Giovanni's Room
Author: James Baldwin

Genre: Fiction

Blurb: 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. After meeting and proposing to a young woman, he falls into a lengthy affair with an Italian bartender and is confounded and tortured by his sexual identity as he oscillates between the two.

Examining the mystery of love and passion in an intensely imagined narrative, Baldwin creates a moving and complex story of death and desire that is revelatory in its insight. 

Me: I haven't read such beautiful fiction in a while. Baldwin's command of language is just absolutely mind-blowing, and creates the most stunning atmosphere of Paris, all the while capturing some of the most complex facets of love and desire with such clarity. 

The Ups: I really was astonished by Baldwin's voice and writing. I feel like there is such a *literary* fiction voice nowadays, where many accomplished writers begin to sound the same. Their work is always good (steady similes & metaphors) but never fully theirs (it doesn't jump out at you as being entirely under their control). That's what I immediately noticed about Baldwin's writing in this novel- he has such easy, self-evident control of every sentence he writes. It's the polished, clear sense of a voice only a few brilliant writers ever have. 

The descriptions of Paris were honest and not overly romantic; the protagonist, David, reveals how lonely and sinister the city can be. It was the perfect backdrop to a story where one might continually want to believe in the city's fantasy- passionate love and uncompromising beauty- but where the reality was (however devastating to David) truly real, where actions still had grave consequences. I loved all the scenes in the bars and clubs, with multiple voices and where I could quite literally feel the eyes of everyone in the club moving to look at each character as they spoke. 

More than the external descriptions though, the way Baldwin expressed internal feelings was truly astonishing. David is objectively feeling some of the most complicated feelings of any fictional character- the confusing falling in love and lust of any character coupled with the self-hatred and internalized guilt that keeps him from actually being able to love the way he should. Yet there is never a real moment of realization, where he imagines a joyful future with Giovanni and fantasizes about it. No, Baldwin doesn't fall to forcefully showing David's regret and sorrow and rage through contrast- instead, David never considers a life with Giovanni as a possibility. The internal roadblocks are so strong that his conscious doesn't even go to what seems like the "happiest" option. Even as Giovanni asks him to stay, David just sees himself as cold and unfeeling, convincing himself that other people's pain cannot affect him. 

Plot played a smaller role in the whole effect of the book, but was crucial to elevating it to the next level. Starting with David reflecting on what had already happened left no questions about whether he or Giovanni would end up happy; in fact, we know that Giovanni is convicted of a crime and is going to be executed almost right away. This knowledge cast a shade on the rest of the story, creating a perfect effect of inevitable pain and sorrow. Overall, it literally brought the reader through David's experience of being in this love, in this moment: of knowing it would never work out, of knowing happiness was not a choice, and yet still being willing to go through it all (read the whole story). 

The Downs: The only part I was disappointed about was not anything concrete within the story. In the book, both David and Giovanni are white, with the only person of color being a Black boy with whom David has his first sexual experience. Baldwin said that he didn't feel like he could tackle both sexuality and race within the same story, and while I absolutely understand and love how the book turned out, I can't help wondering if maybe had he been writing at a different time, Baldwin would have been able to write a beautiful book that fully addressed and explored both. It's really just a selfish wish- I can only imagine how amazing that book would have been. 

Overall: One of the most painful, yet real, love stories told in emotive, unapologetic writing. Literary genius.

Rating: 5 kisses!