A beautiful new Clothbound edition of Baldwin’s ground-breaking novel, which established him as one of the great American writers of his time
David, a young American in 1950s Paris, is waiting for his fiancée to return from vacation in Spain. But when he meets Giovanni, a handsome Italian barman, the two men are drawn into an intense affair. After three months David’s fiancée returns and, denying his sexuality, he rejects Giovanni for a ‘safe’ future as a married man – a decision that will bring tragedy, longing and regret.
“Audacious… remarkable… elegant and courageous.” — Caryl Phillips.
“Exquisite, a feat of fire-breathing, imaginative daring.” — The Guardian.
“Gorgeous, fearless, tempered by dark knowledge and pain… the greatest American prose stylist of his generation.” — Colm Tóibín.
“A layered exploration of queer desire… It is electric.” — Hilton Als.
A beautiful new Clothbound edition of Baldwin’s ground-breaking novel, which established him as one of the great American writers of his time
David, a young American in 1950s Paris, is waiting for his fiancée to return from vacation in Spain. But when he meets Giovanni, a handsome Italian barman, the two men are drawn into an intense affair. After three months David’s fiancée returns and, denying his sexuality, he rejects Giovanni for a ‘safe’ future as a married man – a decision that will bring tragedy, longing and regret.
“Audacious… remarkable… elegant and courageous.” — Caryl Phillips.
“Exquisite, a feat of fire-breathing, imaginative daring.” — The Guardian.
“Gorgeous, fearless, tempered by dark knowledge and pain… the greatest American prose stylist of his generation.” — Colm Tóibín.
“A layered exploration of queer desire… It is electric.” — Hilton Als.
