'It was not large enough for two,' David says. The room on the outskirts of Paris is filled with yellowed newspaper, ripe with the sweet smell of stained wine and rotting potatoes. To further illustrate David's internal conflict, Baldwin describes Giovanni's room, the setting of much of the novel, in great detail. By zooming in on David's inner turmoil and anxiety about his desire for Giovanni, Baldwin helps us understand the daily mental, physical and emotional difficulties that LGBTQ+ people endure in the fight against internalized homophobia and heteronormativity. One night, a zombielike figure warns David he will burn in Hell if he gives in to his desire for Giovanni. Their feelings soon become complicated, however, as David feels that his desire for Giovanni could be dangerous. When Giovanni looks at him, David feels as if no one has truly looked at him before. He is instantly attracted to Giovanni and feels a connection. David has proposed to his girlfriend Hella, who goes off to Spain to consider his proposal. Our protagonist David meets Giovanni at a local gay bar. The novel was published in 1956 - a particularly impressive feat during the mid-19th century when homosexuality was still considered a mental illness in the United States - and goes beyond the sterile categories of LGBTQ+ identity politics and towards the messiness and risky nature of human attraction and desire. Sixty-five years after its publication, James Baldwin’s Giovanni’s Room feels as trailblazing as ever.

Baldwin giovanni's room