As always, Baldwin's prose is evocative, lyrical, and arresting in this brief but devastating tragedy about an American expatriate in France who finds himself drawn to a bartender named Giovanni. This novel is a layered meditation on queer desire, shame, and the struggle to honor one's true self when it is at odds with societal expectations. It is an all-time favorite that I often find myself revisiting - I cannot recommend it enough. — Gwyn Sise
Description
Set in the 1950s Paris of American expatriates, liaisons, and violence, a young man finds himself caught between desire and conventional morality.With a sharp, probing imagination, James Baldwin's now-classic narrative delves into the mystery of loving and creates a moving, highly controversial story of death and passion that reveals the unspoken complexities of the human heart.
About the Author
James Baldwin (1924-1987) is the author of more than twenty works of fiction and nonfiction, including "Go Tell It on the Mountain, Notes of a Native Son, Another Country," and "Blues for Mister Charlie." He received many awards including the Eugene F. Saxon Memorial Trust Award, a Rosenwald Fellowship, a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Partisan Review Fellowship, and a Ford Foundation grant. He was made a Commander of the Legion of Honor in 1986.
