Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

131 reviews

angievansprang's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

This is such an outstanding debut from Morrison. There are few books I read and think to myself, “this might be too smart for me”, but I found myself thinking that throughout my time with this novel. This book is so rich in the juxtaposition of gorgeous prose  against the backdrop of truly heartbreaking scenes. There are particular scenes in this read that I found more chilling and stomach-churning than many others that I’ve read, please check trigger warnings and take care of yourself before indulging. I am sure I will need to revisit this book to get a full scope of it at some point, but I am in awe of Morrison’s genius. I cannot wait to read more of her works.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Incest, Rape, and Pedophilia

Minor: Racial slurs and Sexual content

elysev's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Incest, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

rsagarin's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Cursing, Death of parent, Incest, Misogyny, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Classism, Physical abuse, Infidelity, Sexism, Sexual assault, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, and Violence

emerentina's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad

• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Bullying, Sexual assault, Incest, Racism, Rape, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, and Animal death

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death of parent, Violence, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Fire/Fire injury, Classism, Racial slurs, Addiction, Grief, and Mental illness

dannymonty's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-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

What do I even say. This book hurt me. It hurt me so poetically that I have to love it. Toni Morrison writes so confidently. She so assertively builds the world of her story that it is unquestionably real. I’m going to have to read something more cheery after this

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Incest, Death, Rape, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racism, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Violence, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Child abuse

Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Chronic illness, Blood, Cursing, Death of parent, and Grief

Minor: Addiction, Body shaming, Abandonment, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Pregnancy, and Excrement

alexisgarcia's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Sexual harassment, Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Incest, Pregnancy, Body horror, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Abandonment, Pedophilia, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Classism, Grief, Violence, Bullying, Racial slurs, Child abuse, Infidelity, and Sexual content

rugbykake's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Miscarriage, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Incest, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, and Violence

hapikohw's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-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

4.0

It was an honor to experience my first Toni Morrison novel through a public (virtual) reading done by all Black women authors, feminists and radicals.

Pecola Breedlove, there are many of you. Many failed. May we fail many others no more.

Toni Morrison, may you rest in peace and power. You completed everything you hoped to in your foreword.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Racism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Body shaming, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Blood, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Grief, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Classism, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Incest, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Alcoholism, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Violence, Cursing, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Ableism

silver_lining_in_a_book's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad 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? Yes

4.75

 

Love is never any better than the lover. Wicked people love wickedly, violent people love violently, weak people love weakly, stupid people love stupidly, but the love of a free man is never safe. There is no gift for the beloved. The lover alone possesses his gift of love. The loved one is shorn, neutralized, frozen in the glare of the lover’s inward eye.

I think the quote above speaks for itself. There is no wonder that Toni Morrison is so beloved amongst both book readers and those who do not tend to read quite as often. This book is so moving, striking and shocking. Being Morrison's debut novel, I get the sense that she has not yet come into herself as a writer, but the writing is gorgeous nonetheless and accomplishes exactly what the author sets off to achieve from the start (according to the author's note). For the time in which it is written, this book and its narrative are exceptionally innovative, the language is exciting and memorable, and the characters are multidimensional and complex.

Overall, I am disappointed that I did not read this sooner. Morrison is an absolute treasure! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Excrement, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Sexism, Sexual content, Racism, Death of parent, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Drug abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Addiction, Mental illness, Classism, Religious bigotry, Drug use, Child abuse, Bullying, Misogyny, Incest, Miscarriage, Gun violence, Sexual harassment, and Hate crime

lilly_dav_reading's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Bullying, Racism, Child abuse, Abandonment, Violence, Animal cruelty, Rape, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Incest, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, and Death