Reviews with content warning for Pedophilia - The Bluest Eye

A grim look into the life of a little girl whose life is destroyed at the hands of those close to her and greater society. I came into this expecting to just follow the journey of Pecola, but instead each chapter is devoted to a different character that touches her life in some way. If this book was just focused on Pecola's life and perspective, I think I would have been much harsher on those that had a hand at ruining her life. But when reading about their stories and hardships, while it doesn't take away from the how terrible their actions were, it does help us see that there are larger forces at play here. Racism, colorism, toxic beauty standards run deep. It's sad to think they can have such a devastating effect on their lives.

"Along with the idea of romantic love, she was introduced to another— physical beauty. Probably the most destructive ideas in the history of human thought. Both originated in envy, thrived in insecurity, and ended in disillusion."

Content Warnings

joja_zch's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Léanla.
Desgarradora, melancólica, un bofetón de crudeza, pero no pierde la dulzura, aunque no necesariamente para bien. Hay dulzura porque la protagonista es una niña y la narradora, también, pero la vida de Pecola, particularmente, no tiene nada de dulce… es una pena constante ❤️‍🩹

Esta edición tiene un prólogo y epílogo con un desmenuce de las primeras páginas del libro de la misma Toni Morrison, donde explica las decisiones narrativas que tomó, con las que quedó satisfecha y con las que no. Es como una ventanita a su mente y 🤩
Realmente, una genia. Libro increíble 💯

Content Warnings

_jasper_394's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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kanj1's review against another edition

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challenging emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix

5.0

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cmurphysgf's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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torismazarine's review against another edition

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dark sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Content Warnings

ashleykhoffman's review against another edition

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emotional sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

I have mixed feelings about this. You can tell it's an early Toni Morrison work and I think her later works are a much better representation of the voice she developed. I do think this work was poignant and portrayed the message it wanted to, but I agree with the forward of the book that the style might not have been the best fit for the message. I see why this is a classic, but I also see why it sits on banned book lists, because this book did not shy away from hard or despicable topics; it even described pedophilia with an almost reverence through the character's eyes and I found those parts really hard to read.

Content Warnings

theromanticace's review

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challenging dark emotional reflective tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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