Giovanni's Room

I've just read this novel for the first time; it's devasting and one of the most crippling depictions of isolation that I've ever read.

I just had a question regarding David's bisexuality: was it merely a facade? Although it's undeniable that he ultimately rejects Giovanni due to his internalized shame and guilt that he associates with homosexuality and it seems that his foray into heterosexuality is merely a cover for his true desire, but is it all a cover? I do get the vibe that he was genuinely attracted to Hela and in some sense desired the family life, or were these merely lies that he was using to self-deceive his true intentions? I know the book is about self-deception (not only with David, but definitely with his father), but it does seem that at least some of his heterosexuality was not acting.