Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Beloved by Toni Morrison

56 reviews

lou_o_donnell's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Grief, Mental illness, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Slavery, and Torture

pagesfromhome's review against another edition

challenging 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

5.0

Beloved was a reread for me this year and I still can't believe that a book this incredible exists in the world for us to consume whenever we'd like. There's a reason this is one of the few canonical stories that I would keep: no edits, no changes, no substitutions. I will always fight on the side of calling Beloved not just "a" but "the" great American novel.

While it can be an exceptionally difficult book to get through, it is well worth it. Approach with caution if you have sensitivities as it will burrow into your soul and won't leave for a while. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Grief, Hate crime, Mental illness, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, and Slavery

Moderate: Blood, Confinement, Rape, and Sexual assault

mvvelde's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Racial slurs, Grief, Violence, Torture, Slavery, Sexual violence, Self harm, Rape, Physical abuse, and Mental illness

sunpuddles's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ writing
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ insightfulness
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ readability
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ plot development
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ character
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ pace

Beloved is a true classic. This was a re-read for me, but all the memories of reading it in college came swarming back as I turn the pages. Toni Morrison has such a voice and gives her character such a voice. She is really able to give a mood and feeling to the scenes with her prose and cadence. She uses repetition so often and to great effect, turning the words into such beautiful poetry at times; creating an ambiance beyond the actual words themselves. Beloved is also such a heartbreaking story. The brutality of slavery and how it broke so many men and women it’s shown in graphic details to the powerful stories of the characters. Sethe’s story of killing her baby is appalling, and yet you still sympathize with the choice and understand how she could feel like she had no other. So many stories of being broken and putting yourself back together. I loved Paul D’s words “You your best thing.” They could help each other, but had to do it on their own too. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Grief, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, and Violence

alisazhup's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• 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: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Blood, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Genocide, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, and Slavery

allyofshalott's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

I knew very little about this book prior to reading and yet it still surprised and destroyed me. This is my first foray into Morrison’s work and will definitely not be the last. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Grief, Toxic relationship, Slavery, and Racism

Moderate: Mental illness, Sexual content, and Sexual assault