Why EVERYONE Should Read Baldwin's Giovanni's Room... And Then Read It Again

When I first read James Baldwin's 1956 novel Giovanni's Room, the world felt like a different place.

It was the summer of 2017. My body sprawled across a sandy beach towel as I listened to the waves of the Jersey Shore. In my hands were the words of one of America's most dynamic social critics, as I flipped from page to page in my leisurely state, sipping a cold beverage between each paragraph.

A friend of mine suggested I read Giovanni's Room, as he described it as the most authentic depiction of love ever written. Other folks told me it changed their life. But when I finished it, I couldn't help to feel like I had ripped myself off.

I enjoyed the story immensely, but was I reading deep enough? Did I learn anything? What did I have to say about it?

While the writing was simplistic, the thought-provoking nature of Baldwin's themes on sexuality, identity, gender, class, and belonging was a little heavy for a beach read. The distractions of a boozy summer vacation made it difficult to appreciate his genius.

When I re-read Baldwin and his socially conscious tale of a 1950s Parisian love triangle, I took in so much more.

Baldwin had the eyes of the FBI pinned to his back. He was Black, Gay, and prominent. He skipped high school to meet Beauford Delaney, a modernist painter remembered for his work with the Harlem Renaissance. Years later, Baldwin would participate in the 1963 March on Washington with Hollywood Actors Charles Heston and Marlon Brando.

Go Tell It on The Mountain and The Fire Next Time, two of Baldwin's most prominent books, which I can only say I've read about (but are on my list), thought on the issues of racism and inequality.

Out of fear of losing his Black audience and creating even more controversy, editors and colleagues suggested Baldwin burn Giovanni's Room, rather than publish it and face the backlash.

The world feels different now, but we have always had the systemic and social issues addressed in Baldwin's work, which existed long before his time.

This novel, no longer than 161 pages, can make the reader feel as lost as the characters themselves. It takes place in France, but the three main characters are all outsiders, literally and figuratively.

Many of the characters are complex enough to have their own novel, yet Baldwin chooses to focus mainly on David, an American who left home to escape his father.

While his mistress Hella is exploring Spain, David falls in love with an Italian waiter named Giovanni, and they spend quite a few nights in his tiny room on the outskirts of Paris— hence the title.

David's thoughts on his manhood, his guilty conscience, his denial, and his lack of direction allude to the outsider, of which could be anyone. It could be the LGBTQA+ person anxious to "come out" or someone of color who doesn't feel safe around the police.

I say the message behind Giovanni's room is to express yourself or face the consequences.

Giovanni and Hella express themselves flamboyantly. They rant, cry, and plead for their lover to open up. It is David's neglect that ultimately tumbles down on all three characters, and all three people end up more lost at the end of the novel than when it began.

Baldwin may have been onto something when he chose to publish. Many people, including myself, declare Giovanni's Room a must-read. But the lesson should not be overlooked.

A book, a daring novel for its time, is itself a form of expression. Add it to the fact David faces dire consequences for his lack of self-expression is a reminder to the reader the benefits of bravery outweigh the cost.

If Giovanni's Room had never materialized and we burnt away all forms of self-expression, what would we learn?

Outsiders, express yourself the best way you know, be it through marching on the streets or writing the next Great American Novel. When Baldwin wrote his masterpiece, it wasn't for its time; it was timeless.

You can be timeless too.