What readers think of Giovanni's Room, plus links to write your own review.

Reading a book for exploration in Black History Month, certainly makes a book by the great James Baldwin an excellent choice. The story deals with the main character’s, David, struggle with his homosexuality at a time (1950s Paris) “when liberation was desired, but persecution was still rampant” as one summary noted.

David is an unreliable narrator not just because he’s trying to be “straight,” pressuring Hella, another ex-pat in Paris, to marry him, but he cannot express his true desires, his true nature and he continually falls back into perseveration and deceit. When David meets Giovanni, a handsome Italian, who falls in love with him, Giovanni has the potential to break David free and make him honest to himself.

At this point, I will stop with the summation of the story; you have to read this short, but tautly written novel to find out what happens. Suffice it to say, the book hauntingly explores a man coming to terms with his sexuality which resonates today.