Giovanni's Room

Giovanni's Room is a 1956 novel by James Baldwin. The book concerns the events in the life of an American man living in Paris and his feelings and frustrations with his relationships with other men, particularly an Italian bartender named Giovanni whom he meets at a Parisian gay bar. While he deals with his difficulties with men, he is engaged to an American woman who is travelling in Spain.

Baldwin’s novel was considered controversial upon its release in 1956 and has since prompted discussions of many issues, including representations of homosexuality, bisexuality and struggles with internalized homophobia. The novel also raises questions of social alienation, identity, masculinity, and manhood.