Friends! We are at the end of Pride month, and I'm ending it the way that we started - thinking about Giovanni's Room* by James Baldwin. This book was lyrical, engrossing, and tragic...aka my favorite kind of novel. Every time I dive into Baldwin, I'm reminded why he is considered one of the literary giants of his era. He weaves a narrative with precision and artisanship, drawing readers in and holding them in his grasp until the very last word. (Can you tell I'm a fan?) I'd never read Giovanni's Room before, and I am SO excited that I got to read it with you this mont. I can't wait to discuss it with you.
Here's what I envision with these posts. I've come up with a few questions that I would love your thoughts on, but I also want to open up the comments for any questions or thoughts you have. I do reserve the right to remove any comments that are offensive or hateful, because my goal is to foster a community of readers here, where folks are encouraged to share their thoughts and literary experiences.
So, without further ado, here are my questions and curiosities:
What is your favorite quote (or quotes) from the novel?
Is this your first Baldwin work? If it is, do you plan to read others? If it isn't, how does this compare to the other's you've read?
Let's talk about gender. There are only a few women in this book, and their roles are small but often powerful and critical to the narrative. Is that a commentary on gender? And if so, what does it mean?
There are often subtle but powerful allusions to religion in this novel, though at most those allusions are undertones to the greater narrative? What role does religion play in this novel?
Location plays a role in this novel as well - there's America, where David's life begins. Paris, which, though smaller than America in size, is often larger than life as the novel progresses. It is a city of grandeur and of nightmares - a place with a pulse and a place where life ends, often in tragedy. But much of the "action" of the novel, both seen and unseen by the reader, happens in a single room - Giovanni's room. Is there a message in that? And how does Baldwin balance the interplay between large spaces (countries and cities) and small (a single room), when it is the small that is most critical to the development, and ultimate downfall, of the characters?
Sources to Consider:
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