Giovanni's Room Audiobook By James Baldwin, Kevin Young - introduction cover art

Giovanni's Room

A Novel (Vintage International)

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Giovanni's Room

By: James Baldwin, Kevin Young - introduction
Narrated by: Matt Bomer, Kevin Young
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James Baldwin's groundbreaking novel with a new introduction.

Giovanni's Room is set in the Paris of the 1950s, where a young American expatriate finds himself caught between his repressed desires and conventional morality. David has just proposed marriage to his American girlfriend, but while she is away on a trip he becomes involved in a doomed affair with a bartender named Giovanni. With sharp, probing insight, James Baldwin's classic narrative delves into the mystery of love and tells a deeply moving story that reveals the unspoken complexities of the human heart.

©1956 James Baldwin (P)2024 Random House Audio African American Genre Fiction LGBTQIA+ Creators Literary Fiction Literature & Fiction Heartfelt

Critic reviews

"If Van Gogh was our 19th-century artist-saint, James Baldwin is our 20th-century one."—Michael Ondaatje

"A young American involved with both a woman and a man...Baldwin writes of these matters with unusual candor and yet with such dignity and intensity."—The New York Times

"Absorbing...[with] immediate emotional impact."—The Washington Post
Beautiful Writing • Timeless Story • Brilliant Narration • Complex Relationships • Emotional Depth • Clear Voice

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One hundred years ago and so little has changed. I want to read it again and savor the language

Heartbreaking

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I adore reading this type of thoughtful, deliberate writing. It's so fluid and eloquent. Matt Bomer did a bang up job. I haven't enjoyed a title this much in a long, long while.

Beautiful writing.

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I enjoyed everything about the book learned a lot. Especially about his life and overcome his trials and tribulations.

His character

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Giovanni’s room stands alone against the test of time as an extraordinary tale of the conflict many, myself included, have dealt with. Matt Bomer’s incredible performance gave this story a nuance I hadn’t seen before. At first a French pronunciation sounded a little off, but then I saw it as it was - through the lens of an American or Italian speaking French - and it gives it the proper color. I may just listen again.

Epic tale with an epic performance

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Giovanni’s Room, when evaluated apart from its subject matter, stands out for its concise narrative structure, vivid character development, and exceptional literary craftsmanship

What a ride!

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