Reviews

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

jenmangler's review

3.0

I wanted Janie to be a powerful woman on her own after Joe's death. She had money, she began asserting herself, and she flat-out rejected all the suitors who suddenly wanted to help her navigated widowhood (but weren't all that interested in helping any of the poor widows in the community). I loved that about her, and thought she was finally going to stand on her own and make her own way. And then came Tea Cake. Ugh. I cannot get over how hard she fell for him and how he took advantage of that.

jmrprice's review against another edition

4.0

Powerful story of relationships, hardships, and love.

monalisalisa's review against another edition

3.0

This book was insightful into looking at what does love actually mean and poses questions like should you be able to lovr if you are not feeling secure in yourself.

Janie goes through many relationships in this book where she is the submissive, it reflects the times that the book took place as well as the role that Janie jas been placed in her whole life.

Janie had certsin privelidges growing up, which inclide her lighter skin colour, hair texture and her childhood where she grow up surrounded by white people.

I think that this book really had several points on race, gender roles and marriage itself. And the idea that women have to be submissive and judgmental of other women to prove superiority over them.

Even though I thought all these points were interesting, I think the pacing of the novel was a little off for me. The way time was represented also confused me, I did not know when and where we were in terms of time periods and how much time had passed.

All in all a very thougg provoking novel and Hurtson really has a unique style of writing.

zimm_liz's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

ivethevo's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

goose_ism's review against another edition

4.0

yeah, I get why this is a classic.

hounded's review against another edition

5.0

Honestly a beautiful book all around! I loved the writing style, I loved the characters, I loved the complextities of all of the story. The hearbreak felt so real and the people felt so real. The action in it was some of the most harrowing I've read in a long time. The audiobook narrator was out of this world amazing! I could not have asked for a better book! A good narrator along with the dialogue was some of the best I've ever heard ever!!!!! Look forward to reading this again some time

jsav9's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

gbasta0813's review against another edition

emotional slow-paced

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

3.5

lmcoffman's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective

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

4.0