With summer drawing so near, I’m thinking about all the books I plan on promptly devouring as soon as I have a bit more free time to actually sit down and read leisurely; summer reading is one of my favorite activities. 

I’m not usually the biggest rereader, but a book I’ve read within the past year just might end up being one of the first books I pick up come summer; that book being James Baldwin’s 1956 novel, “Giovanni’s Room.” 

This novel might just be at the top of my list for one of the best pieces of literature of all time. From the powerful and punctuative prose to the complex explorations of the self and masculinity, Baldwin carefully creates a complex inspection of identity in this novel. 

“Giovanni’s Room” was the book I chose to accompany me on my flight back from studying abroad in Japan. Obviously, it did not disappoint, and I even finished the book in one sitting on the flight; it was that enthralling. 

What piqued my interest in the novel was a genre stint I was on last spring. 

I was very fascinated with novels and literature that were part of the literary canon, which were about queer characters. Before “Giovanni’s Room,” some of the novels I read were “The Picture of Dorian Gray” and “Call Me By Your Name” (Both titles did not disappoint). 

Beyond this genre stint, I was also fascinated with the author. 

Baldwin was a prominent writer and activist during the 19th century, characterized by his intellectual and rhetorically aware style. A queer Black man, Baldwin explored race, humanistic love, queerness and other topics in his writings in a prophetic, lyrical way. 

Baldwin was on my list for a while, so I thought, why not knock out two birds with one stone and read this piece of classic queer literature.  

Set in 1950s Paris, France, “Giovanni’s Room” is told from the perspective of David, a young American immigrant whose girlfriend, Hella, has recently left to Spain for a bit. Alone in Paris, David begins to explore his sexuality with an Italian man named Giovanni. 

The novel follows the incredibly tumultuous relationship between David and Giovanni, and the dramatic escapades that ensue throughout. 

I really wish I could give you more plot points in the novel, but trust me when I say you just have to read it for yourself to understand. 

This book was incredible from front to back. I found that Baldwin was able to create this enchantingly and absorbingly complex character with David. 

Incredibly toxic, yet riddled with emotional and psychological depth, David epitomizes the privileges of being a man while simultaneously being self-critical in coming to terms with his queerness. 

I boil down the novel to an exploration of masculinity, in all its forms. 

Baldwin has this way of perfectly depicting David’s internal confrontation with himself — his masculinity, his queerness, his internal social-psychological understanding of what it means to exist as yourself. 

It is incredible how Baldwin is able to weave together words that hit so hard. It’s mesmerising. 

Reading the book, I found myself crying (at multiple parts) not only because of how devastating the book was, but also because of the powerful, beautiful and moving ways Baldwin was able to create alluring prose. I was entranced while on my flight back home. 

If you’re looking for a soul-crushing book that also has some of the best-written sentences known to humankind, look no further than “Giovanni’s Room.” 

Hirata can be reached at [email protected].