Reviews tagging 'Classism'

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

63 reviews

lynxpardinus's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Rape, Toxic relationship, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Child abuse, Hate crime, Medical content, Incest, Death, Racism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Vomit, and Grief

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Child death, Classism, Alcoholism, Abandonment, Excrement, Sexism, and Death of parent

grboph's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

This was quite the read. It was definitely one of the most heartbreaking stories I've ever read, and the characters were fully fleshed out and even the more insignificant ones played important roles. Morrison's writing is so beautiful and engaging that despite how heavy this book is, it made me want to read more of her books as soon as I can. I would recommend this book to just about anyone out there.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Classism, Incest, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Violence

Moderate: Death of parent, Pregnancy, Sexism, Alcohol, Infidelity, Alcoholism, Child death, Cursing, and Death

Minor: Blood, Bullying, Hate crime, Mental illness, and Slavery

estanis's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Child abuse, Abandonment, Physical abuse, Rape, Racism, Mental illness, Animal cruelty, Pedophilia, Classism, Sexual assault, and Animal death

jaiari12's review against another edition

dark sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Rape, Racism, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Incest, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Classism, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, and Mental illness

booksjessreads's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

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

5.0

I feel like any words I could write about any Toni Morrison book could never do her work justice. 

This book was not what I was fully expecting, and I think this made me appreciate it more. Told from multiple points of view and through a seasonal perspective of the events Pecola ensures, it details the complexity of the ways in which beauty, culture, poverty, colourism and sexism intertwine. 

I think the things that have completely astounded me about this novel is its purpose and its language. What I love about this, is that Morrison tells the story in a structured way, allowing us to understand the psychological motivations and histories of the characters. She shows us that the characters should not be excused for their behaviour, but simply showing us what made the characters the way that they are. In her forward and afterword, Morrison mentions how she wanted to fragment the chapters into different perspectives, seasons etc. and allow the reader to piece the story together. Whilst she looks in retrospect and felt this didn't work for the novel, I think it works well and made the novel effective. 

This novel is short but it is packed with so much heavy content. It is beautifully written - each sentence flows into one another. I don't think I have read lyrical writing quite like this. There is a lot that is packed into its 212 pages, but I appreciated every page and the story and messages told through her work. I am highly anticipated her other novels and am eager to get into them.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Incest, Pedophilia, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Alcohol, Animal death, Classism, Domestic abuse, Rape, and Violence

Minor: Abandonment, Pregnancy, and Excrement

littlebrittofthis's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

My first Morrison novel, I’m honestly surprised that I made it this far without reading anything by Morrison, but then again I’m kind of glad for my first taste to be as an adult. In her first book, Toni Morrison explores the meaning of beauty, and how destructive attempting to conform to beauty standards can be, with lyrical language that grips the soul.

Morrison is a powerhouse of showcasing the hard realities no one wants to face in such a way that we must always be confronted with it. Never, in a Morrison novel, are we allowed to forget what the central problem is. There is no lull into some false sense of security. There is only facing the harsh reality and the consequences of how we choose to deal with it.

This novel has been banned across schools in the U.S. since 1999 and continues to be. While I say this is an amazing read, there are heavy trigger warnings that everyone should check before picking this up. If working through this book, has taught me anything about the way we try to filter what we want society to be — whether it be through banning books that make us uncomfortable or through ostracizing people we classify as Other because they make us afraid — it’s that doing so has nothing but horrendously negative results. Pecola’s story is fiction, but just how fictitious is it, really? And what does it mean when we won’t listen? What does it mean when we won’t look her in the eye?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Bullying, Classism, and Hate crime

Moderate: Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Incest, Alcoholism, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Misogyny

iheartapolloxxi's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Blood, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Classism, Cursing, Death, Fatphobia, and Incest

joyfulfoodie's review against another edition

challenging emotional medium-paced

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

4.5

Let me start with this; this is a most elegantly written novel. The style is superb and absorbing. The perspectives make it a very important read. 
But while some sections you can float in the prose and just enjoy how fabulous a storyteller Morrison is, the overall subject matter has some deeply disturbing threads. Yes, you know this already if you’ve read even one summary of the book. It doesn’t make it easier to read. It is heartbreaking and disgusting and so so overwhelming that you can’t help but read with a grimace. 
I know this book has changed me and I will be thinking about it for a long time. I do recommend reading this between fluffier pieces to keep balance. 

The banned elephant in the room… I understand why this book gets put up for bans. It has some really dark stuff. But while I don’t know what age I would recommend this to my future hypothetical offspring (certainly after they’ve learned about sex in a more loving and positive context) and I would rather they not have to read this with someone unqualified to guide them through it (which happens in schools sometimes- either due to peers or professionals…). All that said, I cannot imagine denying this voice. Context matters. Don’t ban books. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Miscarriage, Animal death, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Classism, and Racism

sienna_54's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

cried in public TWICE reading this

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Animal death, Child abuse, Classism, Death, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Incest, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, and Animal cruelty

lizziaha's review against another edition

4.25

The language in this book is so wonderful. Each word tumbles into the next—a pace that I occasionally wanted to slam the brakes on due to the perverse and horrific things the words depicted. But the words tumbled on, slipping and sliding and settling in my brain. It’s odd, because they seemed comfortable at first, but quickly became restless as Morrison’s words stayed in my brain long after I’d put down the book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Body shaming, Incest, Adult/minor relationship, Racism, Racial slurs, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Bullying, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Classism, and Sexual content

Minor: Excrement, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, and Abandonment