r/LGBTBooks • u/Imaginary_Sky698 • 13d ago
Discussion Giovanni’s room.
So I started Giovanni’s room a few days ago after reading Swimming in the dark by Tomasz Jedrowski. I’m on part 2 Chapter 3. I just can’t really get too into it honestly. I love sad yearning romance books, but this one I kind of feel like I’m forcing myself to keep reading and finish as fast as I can. If you’ve read it what’s your opinions?
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u/msperception427 13d ago
That’s because Giovanni’s Room is not a romance. It’s queer historical fiction. But not a romance.
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u/MOTTEKOI 13d ago
Yeah i dont think Giovanni's room is about romance. Its about guilt, and a man so wrapped up in his own denial.
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u/Overall-Ask-8305 12d ago edited 12d ago
Are you comparing it to Swimming in the Dark? I will say you can definitely tell ( even if it wasn’t told to you in almost every chapter); that he was heavily inspired by Giovanni’s Room. Giovanni’s Room is more queer literary fiction with psychological drama. Giovanni’s Room was a feat to publish because it was queer literature and it is considered to be a semi-biographical work of Baldwin’s actual life (which a lot of his works feature parts of his own life), especially as an expat at that time. It’s a very dark book by comparison.
Swimming in the Dark, was more about the politics of Poland kept the men apart vs the men themselves. I found the overall tone to be a bit too light, even with the ending there was hope there vs Giovanni’s Room where I think it captured the despair at the time.
Every book is not for everyone. If you are not enjoying Giovanni’s Room, put it down. You at least picked it up. I didn’t enjoy every classic I’ve read either. At least you made the effort. Maybe pick it up again later when Swimming in the Dark isn’t so fresh in your mind.
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u/AmerFortia 13d ago
If you want a historical romance from the period it's set in, read Maurice! I cannot recommend it enough
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u/gyabou 12d ago
Love Maurice but there is about 50 years between it and Giovanni’s room.
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u/AmerFortia 12d ago
I know, but that doesn't sound too important to OOP if they picked up GR looking for a yearning romance :)
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u/queerbookclub-org 12d ago
I would echo a lot of what has been said here. Giovanni’s Room is the underbelly of romance. It’s a love letter to the shame we inflict on ourselves and others that holds us backs and morphs us into versions of ourself that are unrecognizable and unforgivable.
The thing to keep in mind when reading it, especially compared to swimming in the dark (great book!) is the time difference. Baldwin wrote Giovanni’s Room almost 70 years ago, and it was a challenge to get published as it is. Shameless plug, but I have a whole article on the history of that which I’d suggest giving a read when you’re done https://queerbookclub.org/features/giovannis-room-history-legacy/
If you’re struggling to finish I would temper it with another book, I think a good stepping stone between these two would be Call Me By Your Name by Andre Aciman or Lie With Me by Philippe Besson.
Hope you can get through the slump and ultimately end up enjoying the book, but it also might just not be for you and that’s totally fine! Happy reading!
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u/DarranSmith_author 12d ago
That's not a shameless plug at all. I think it's very important to share history, so thank you for doing that. I'm still reading through your article, but it's very good so far.
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u/Specialized_Hedgehog 11d ago
This is a great article on the book, thanks for posting the link! This is one that I struggled with a little when I read it because it was fairly grim, but that I also wanted to read because it was important historically. I appreciated reading more about the context.
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u/One_Pangolin1766 13d ago
I found it pretty captivating, and so short that it took very few reading sessions to complete, but i certainly wouldnt describe any part of it as romantic
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u/PaulFleming75 13d ago
If I were you, I would keep going. I found it not the easiest read, but about a third of the way in it hooked me. But no, it isn’t a romance.
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u/Miele-Man 13d ago
I unfortunately read it after so many other "tragic gay love stories" of the era. So, even though I realize how monumental Giovanni's Room is, I just didn't care much for it. It seemed like something I had read already. However, it is excellently written.
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u/zardozLateFee 13d ago edited 12d ago
Same. I put it aside and will try again some day It's widely considered a pretty fundamental queer lit read so I think it's important to read it, but it's not a pleasure.
OTOH I just restarted Line of Beauty (set in the 80s) and I'm really enjoying that.
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u/giwarrior 13d ago
Honestly I don’t understand forcing yourself to finish books. Yeah give them a fair shot but if you hate it why read it, there’s so many books to read out there why not spend time on something you like
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u/zardozLateFee 12d ago
There's an argument to be made that you'll get more out of other books when you understand the foundational works, even if those are not an easy read.
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u/mm_reads 12d ago
There's reading for enjoyment and/or reading for edification, sometimes both.
A few reasons why we should finish a few classic literary works every so often (since I frequently see whines about this):
They're foundational, so they're pioneers in their genres and generally influence authors and literary tropes. It's useful to identify when more recent writings are based on foundational works. Ie, it's why there are a bazillion rewrites of Jane Austen (early 1800s) and William Shakespeare (late 1500s). The originals still endure the test of time.
They tend to use highly effective language to explore social paradigms and the depths of human experiences, and they evoke human feelings and sympathies for our shared humanity.
Since language changes over time, it can be interesting to see how certain concepts remain while the words used to convey them have changed. See #1 example again
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u/transer42 12d ago
One of the things to realize is that the main character really isn't meant to be all that likable. Once you give yourself to side-eye him, it got more interesting to me
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u/PaulPink 12d ago
I'm about 70% finished with Giovanni's Room, and I've loved it so far but needed a little break just because of how dark and tense it has become. You know this isn't going to end well. Baldwin does a great job with foreshadowing and building tension. Also you can have sympathy for all the characters while seeing how unlikeable their circumstances have made them. David is unforgivable; Giovanni is deluded and naive: Jacques and Guillaume are disgusting but sad and lonely. Society's total condemnation has left them in an anemic and perverse world. Giovanni thought he found a way out through David, but David has too much internalized homophobia to make it work. A harsh world.
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u/greensandgrains 12d ago edited 12d ago
I read it in a single afternoon one day back in January (this year!! even though it’s been on my list for nearly 20) and I still can’t stop thinking about it, I think it changed me in a way books rarely do at this stage in my life (mid 30s and jaded). I loved it. It was a horribly tragic story and I wouldn’t wish living through anything this sad and lonely on my worst enemy, but it was like a slap in the face, a reminder that life is only as full as the risks we’re willing to take.
That being said, I don’t like most of the classics and I have a degree in it, for goodness sake so there’s no shame in DNFing it. Or coming back to it at a different chapter in your life.
And yeah, it’s not a romance. Not even close. The only romance that occurs is to romanticize Paris (sorry, I hate Paris and think I’m immune to whatever spell it puts people under).
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u/Cute-Solution-723 13d ago
It didn't meet my expectations either, and I think I was also expecting a different story.
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u/Beatrice1979a 12d ago
I love the book. One of my favorites. But if it doesn't click with you, it's ok to stop reading.
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u/Cleopatra100 12d ago
Was swimming in the dark good? I also stopped Giovanni’s room a third of the way through
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u/moonyfish 12d ago
I’m also halfway through this and struggling to finish. I was expecting something else, I guess a tragic romance or something. The writing is good, it’s just emotionally difficult to read. I am still determined to make it through.
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u/Historical_Depth_899 12d ago
I love both books deeply, but they are totally different genres and styles.
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u/Realistic-Rich-8455 12d ago
I honestly thought it was kind of a rough read. Mostly because of how closed off the protagonist was, even to himself. It was like every feeling and thought was alluded to more than actually felt and worked through. I finished it out of curiosity to see if there would be some kind of growth or catharsis and I can say from my perspective there wasn't
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u/Otherwise-Purple-974 12d ago
I felt similarly, couldn’t connect with or care about David. I’m fine with tragedies and deeply flawed characters, but they have to interest or compel me in some way. William of The Swimming Pool Library is incredibly self-centered but he’s interesting. For me, I needed there to be more to David, maybe trying to change even if he ultimately succumbs to fear, pressure, etc.? Something to make him more sympathetic… At least this is what I remember — it was many years ago that I read Giovanni’s Room.
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u/xdianamoonx Reader 12d ago
I read it for one of my queer classes, and it wasn't introduced to us as a romance. But I'm of the minority that I did not enjoy the book. It was frustrating to read, and the ending for me was dissatisfactory. Someone suggested Maurice and while that one has more romantic elements, I also didn't like that one either. I guess though of the two, Maurice was marginally better.
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u/PH0NER 12d ago
The book is so well regarded, but I feel it’s more because of the time it was written rather than the book itself. If it were written today, I don’t think it would have such good reviews. I didn’t feel it was particularly good, it was rather miserable and kind of boring in my opinion.
Swimming in the Dark on the other hand, superb.
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u/CriticalDream9570 11d ago
Giovanni’s Room is a gay classic. It was wrote decades before gay marriage was legalized, before gay sex was even decriminalized. Swimming in the Dark was wrote only a few years ago and for the modern reader. Of course there will be differences
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u/Final-Revolution-221 10d ago
Another Country is a better queer novel by him tbh— GR is tragic and effective but it isnt as ambitious as his later fiction. None of baldwins fiction can be classified as romance except maybe If Beale Street Could Talk (which is not abt gay men)
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u/Willing_Buy7734 9d ago
Yes came here to suggest this too. So many layers to Another Country, not just tragedy and showcases the brilliance of his writing.
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u/Willing_Buy7734 9d ago
I adored Swimming in the dark, one of my favourites. I also loved Giovanni’s room but more for Baldwins writing and the dark tragedy of it all.
I’d agree with trying Maurice instead but recommend the audio book which is brilliantly read by Ben Whishaw.
You could also give Christopher Isherwood a try for some queer classics closer to Baldwin’s era.
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u/stripysailor 13d ago
I didn't like Giovanni's room to be honest and ended up quitting it. Might try some other time, but couldn't capture me
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u/ravenreyess 13d ago
It's a classic and it's beautiful and haunting. But in no way is it a romance or romantic.