Giovanni's Room

Who it's for

David narrates from the night before Giovanni's execution, so the reader watches his choices with the knowledge of where they lead.

Feelings it meets

• Shame
• Fear of Intimacy
• Moral Injury
• Regret

What it is

James Baldwin's 1956 novel is narrated in Paris by David, a young American, over the night before his former lover Giovanni, an Italian bartender, is to be executed. Looking back, David recalls the affair he began with Giovanni while his fiancée, Hella, was travelling in Spain, and his conflict between his desire for Giovanni and the pressure to live a conventional married life.

Where to find it

In print; widely available from libraries (Libby/Hoopla) and as an audiobook. Not public domain in the US.

Before you start

Heads up: A killing and internalized homophobia.

Age: Ages 16+

To regret one's own experiences is to arrest one's own development.Oscar Wilde, De Profundis