This engaging summary presents an analysis of Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin. The Giovanni of the title is a handsome Italian barman whom the novel’s narrator and protagonist, a young American man called David, meets in a clandestine gay bar in Paris. Despite David’s conflicted feelings and prior relationship with a woman, the two men soon embark on an intense but volatile affair which ultimately ends in tragedy. James Baldwin was one of the most influential African-American writers of the 20th century. His best-known works include his novels Go Tell It on the Mountain and Giovanni’s Room, and he also penned a wide range of essays on social rights issues. Find out everything you need to know about Giovanni’s Room in a fraction of the time!