Giovanni’s Room
James Baldwin, The Dial Press, 1956
I’ll preface this by saying: this is a personal reading log, a place for me to track what I’ve read and what I thought about it at the time. I am not a literary critic, and have no interest in pretending to be one. I certainly can’t do Giovanni’s Room justice as a review of the book itself; I don’t have any profound insights into Baldwin’s work. The book, however, did have a significant, if not quite “profound”, impact on me.
Giovanni’s Room made it into my reading list while I was reading around the topic of “code-switching” or, altering one’s language or speech mannerisms per context or setting. I was particularly interested in this concept as it related to gay men and the switch between various levels of (for lack of a better word) masculinity. In that search, I came across for the first time the term “sissyphobia,” or how effeminate traits in men sometimes arouse negative responses in other men, both straight and gay. I find the topic interesting because I often catch myself altering my own mannerisms per my setting and I wanted to explore the various reasons why that is. I believe an inner, subconscious concern for appearing effeminate, especially with certain social partners, definitely plays a role there for me personally.
Giovanni’s Room was referenced multiple times in articles related to the subject, and after seeing it listed (usually first) in several collections of “classic …” or “influential gay literature,” I naturally picked it up. I hadn’t read Baldwin before this. I have several other works by Baldwin pending in my reading list, and after reading Giovanni’s Room, I’ll likely bump them up in priority.
Giovanni’s Room is a visceral experience regardless of the reader’s background. While David’s struggle with homosexuality (bisexuality?), and his own homophobia is the predominant conflict in the book, the reader doesn’t need to have had a similar shared experience of being closeted to connect with David’s conflict. The passion and strife between David and Giovanni feels real, relatable, and intense regardless of its being a same-sex relationship. These are powerful emotions and complex situations that Baldwin makes it possible for anyone to emphasize with. It’s a remarkable thing that Baldwin allows the reader to step into the experience of being closeted and struggling with one’s own sexual identity.
I’m very fond of the concept of the actual room where David and Giovanni spent their time together becoming a representation for David’s experience as a whole. Of course, how he hides away in the room with Giovanni mirroring how he hides from himself and others in his struggle with his sexuality is a fantastic metaphor, but also, on a lighter note, I can’t help but think of my own experiences and how certain rooms end up encapsulating all the ideas and feelings of different eras of my life.
Incredible book. Strongly recommend.
Log Details
- Date started: 2025-01-03
- Date completed: 2025-01-12
- Read via: e-reader
- Found via: search
