514. Giovanni's Room

Giovanni's Room
James Baldwin

1956
Around 225 pages

We are pretty starved for intersectionality in 1956, and I believe James Baldwin has been our only contestant so far on this List. This is remarkable in itself, but luckily Baldwin is also a talented storyteller as well. 

Our protagonist, David, is left alone in Paris after his girlfriend Hella leaves for Spain to contemplate his proposal (always a good sign). David begins an affair with an Italian man, Giovanni. David is highly conflicted due to his internalized homophobia, toxic family situation, and desire to have a "normal" family.

David is a white man, but his queerness qualifies him as a social "other," and Baldwin uses this connection to illustrate his experience as a black man. I guess upon publication, many felt that Baldwin was abandoning his black identity for a gay one. God, it's so frustrating that Baldwin had to divide himself in this way, because the audience at the time couldn't grasp that a black man could have dimensions, other than, you know, being black.

This is a complicated story, and Baldwin handles the nuances perfectly. And it's nice to get some bisexuality representation, which is always rare.

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

In 2019, the BBC News listed Giovanni's Room on its list of the 100 most influential novels.

In 1999, Giovanni's Room was ranked number 2 on a list of the best 100 gay and lesbian novels compiled by The Publishing Triangle.

UP NEXT: Justine by Lawrence Durrell