Why did I love this book?
James Baldwin’s classic story of erotic doom and betrayal came to me far too late; it’s the sort of book you wish you’d read sooner and then plan to read again.
The novel articulates the real pain of unrequited erotic love—doomed erotic love—narrated by a person accused of not loving enough.
At the opening, we learn that Giovanni is to be executed, and the story unravels the desperate entanglement of two men in Paris in mid-century.
The love in this novel, while passionate, is never far from its opening sense of doom; love is mixed with hate and terror: “this was but one tiny aspect of the dreadful human tangle occurring everywhere, without end, forever.”
13 authors picked Giovanni's Room as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.
When David meets the sensual Giovanni in a bohemian bar, he is swept into a passionate love affair. But his girlfriend's return to Paris destroys everything. Unable to admit to the truth, David pretends the liaison never happened - while Giovanni's life descends into tragedy.
United by the theme of love, the writings in the Great Loves series span over two thousand years and vastly different worlds. Readers will be introduced to love's endlessly fascinating possibilities and extremities: romantic love, platonic love, erotic love, gay love, virginal love, adulterous love, parental love, filial love, nostalgic love, unrequited love, illicit love,…