Giovanni’s Room

Giovanni’s Room

by James Baldwin

★★★★

David is a young man living in Paris and reflecting on a doomed love affair. This poetic story, a mere 160 pages, delves not only into his relationship with Giovanni, but also into his confusion, self-loathing, loneliness, shame and more. In a flawed attempt to figure out who he is and what he truly wants, David has a tendency to hurt those around him with little or no feeling. Baldwin’s beautiful and succinct writing style pulls readers into David’s world.  

In addition to telling a tragic love story, the book touches on the complicated role women held in society in the early 20th century. As they began to gain the freedom to make their own decisions they realized that in many ways they weren’t really free. The expectation was still that they find a husband as soon as possible.

 

“I don’t see what’s so hard about being a woman. At least, not as long as she’s got a man.” “‘That’s just it,’ said she. ‘Hasn’t it ever struck you that that’s a sort of humiliating necessity?’” … ‘I began to realize it in Spain that – that I wasn’t free, that I couldn’t be free until I was attached – no committed to someone.’”

BOTTOM LINE: A haunting look at love and its many forms, this story reminds the readers of the importance of understanding who you are. The pain and heartbreak is universal when we can’t even be honest with ourselves.

“But people can’t, unhappily, invent their mooring posts, their lovers and their friends, any more than they can invent their parents.”

“Much has been written of love turning to hatred, of the heart growing cold with the death of love. It is a remarkable process. It is far more terrible than anything I have ever read about it, more terrible than anything I will ever be able to say.”

*My edition is part of the Penguin Great Loves Series. The whole series is just gorgeous!

 

Also, this was my Classics Club spin book and I’m so glad I finally read it.

Wordless Wednesday: Paris and a Guest Post

The Eiffel Tower in Paris in honor of my guest post on 

A Moveable Feast at BookPairing today! 

 

Hope you'll stop by and help Nikki celebrate her awesome blog! 

 

More Wordless Wednesday here.

Photo by moi.

Just One Day

Just One Day

by Gayle Forman

★★★★

Allyson just graduated from high school and is touring Europe with her best friend on an educational trip. She’s always been a “good girl” and hasn’t taken many risks in life. At the end of the trip she meets a guy named Willem and decides to throw caution to the wind and head to Paris with him. The consequences of her decision leave her reeling.

I really loved Forman’s last two novels, If I Stay & Where She Went, so my expectations might have been too high for this one. The story felt flat at first for me. Allyson is so self-conscious, I know that’s how many teenage girls are, but her spontaneous decision to take off with Willem seemed too far-fetched considering what we knew about her personality. I understand the desire to try something new, but the Paris trip with a stranger would be extreme even for an incredibly adventurous person.

**A Bit of a Spoilery Rant**

I understand that in the end the story isn’t just about following a guy, but a big chunk of the story is. Not only is she going to a different country with a guy she barely knows, she also lets it destroy her mental health for months afterwards. I understand that she’s learning a bigger lesson about finding your own self-worth, etc., but I feel like that lesson isn’t the main focus of the book. Instead we focus on how she is so heartbroken she can’t function. She treats her parents badly; she’s a horrible friend, she neglects school and all of her relationships, etc.

For example, even when she’s on her journey of discovery in Paris and is supposedly doing better, she still ignores any potential friendships that come her way. Instead of doing something interesting with her new friends from Australia, she turns down every one of their offers to hang out. For days she gives them no explanation of why and once again hurts the feelings of those around her. Being a better person is not just about learning that you can follow your own dreams instead of your parents, it’s also about treating the people around you with respect and kindness.

Also, I know Willem is suppose to be swoon-worthy, but I disliked him the more she discovered about him. I’m not saying he didn’t have some great lines, it’s just he's not that great of a guy and he's not really worth a year of heartbreak.

**Spoilery Rant Over**

BOTTOM LINE: I know I just finished ranting, but I did like the majority of this book. I especially loved reading the travel bits and everything related to Shakespeare. I also thought some of the supporting characters, like Allyson’s Mom and Wren, were really interesting and would love to hear their stories. I think I just needed to lower my expectations for depth and read it just for fun.

“They’re always on strike for something in France.”

Photo by moi of  Sacre Coeur.

Shakespeare and Comapany Bookstore

(The shop during my visit there)

I just wanted to say that yesterday's death of the owner of the Shakespeare and Company bookstore filled me with both sadness and joy. It breaks my heart when anyone who loves books that much passes away, but it's also wonderful to remember that people like him exist in the world. George Whitman created a place where readers and writers could reveal in the joys of the written word.

My visit to the Shakespeare and Co. Bookstore was one of my very favorite parts of my first trip to Paris in 2005. That shop is filled to the brim with treasures and you can't help but feel a thrill when you think of the authors that have wandered through those shelves. Right now I'm actually reading my copy of A Room of One's Own that I bought there. So anyway, thank you Whitman, for creating such an amazing haven for book lovers.

“I wanted a bookstore because the book business is the business of life,” - George Whitman.

p.s. If you want to read more about the shop, I'd recommend a memoir written by Jeremy Mercer, a writer who lived there for awhile. It's called "Time Was Soft There" or "Books, Baguettes and Bedbugs" depending on where you get it.

Photo by moi.