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kathryngardyne's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child death, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: War
chloebethx_'s review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
katsbooks's review against another edition
- 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
"...we got more yesterday than anybody. We need some kind of tomorrow.”
“Freeing yourself was one thing, claiming ownership of that freed self was another.”
“You are your best thing”
I don't even know how to formulate my thoughts on this novel but I'm going to try. If you are a faster reader, like me, my best advice when reading this book is to slow down. This book is not meant to be inhaled in 1-2 sittings. The writing is gorgeous, obviously. Morrison won a Nobel for this book for a reason. However, there is so much symbolism and allegory that takes a hot minute to unpack. I am not ashamed to admit that I had to look up the SparkNotes for this book to understand some of the underlying symbolism. I'm incredibly glad I did because when I finished the book, I honestly felt let down. I felt confused and unsure of what I had read. I often found myself questioning whether certain passages were meant to be taken seriously. What would have helped me going in was understanding that there are two timelines. The one that begins when Paul D arrives at 124 ("present time") and the timeline told through flashbacks. There are two significant climaxes, one for each timeline. After the first one, I was really confused about where the rest of the novel could possibly be going just to get when the final climax occurred. I also wished I would have looked up some of the themes so I could have made more connections as I read. As soon as I understood how one of the major themes is how slavery destroys identity, so many things clicked for me. (And to be completely transparent, the fact that that theme didn't click for me until I saw it written out explicitly says a lot about my own privilege.) I completely understand why this novel receives as many accolades as it does. It is truly impactful but I don't think it's the type of book you can go into blind unless you have a really fundamental understanding of race and the generational trauma of enslavement. As a history teacher, I thought I "got it" but I think what I appreciate about this novel is how personal it made the history. It reminded me that it's not enough to sit around and intellectualize about the impacts of the horrors of history. This novel really makes you feel the very real personal implications of it and that is absolutely awe-inducing to me.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, and Classism
marissasa's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
strabbyfieldz's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Child death, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Grief, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, and Blood
Minor: Animal cruelty and War
booksjessreads's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
I won't lie, this book sometimes was so confusing that I had to use a guide to read alongside. However, I found this so helpful and after reading some of the analysis that was in the guide, it really helped me to appreciate this even more. Despite this though, I haven't read a novel for a while that has delved so deep into human emotion and trauma and in such an intricately exquisite way.
The freedom Morrison gives you when you take in her story is at times overwhelming, but excellently done. The titular character can be interpreted as a physical person present in Sethe's life, or as a metaphysical representation of the guilt and inescapability of Sethe's past trauma. Whilst grappling with the freedom of interpretation, you also have the challenge of decoding her lyrical prose. But this was most definitely the point. Trauma and the complexity of the emotions experienced by the character cannot be told in a linear narrative. Her writing is purposefully complex to reflect that.
This story is a haunting and poetic retelling of the story of Margaret Garner, an escaped slave who murdered her child to save them from returning back to being enslaved. I didn't always get the haunting atmosphere around the house, but I certainly got a creepy feeling with regards to Beloved.
I feel as though a re-read of this will really help to decode more of the meanings laced throughout this text. However, I do still stand by the fact that this book is absolutely beautifully crafted and whilst it was a challenge, it was an amazing read.
Graphic: Child death, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Torture and Blood
93explorer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Sexual assault and Grief
clapyourshands's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
coco_5's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Toxic friendship
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, and War
bricharis's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Gore, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Violence, and Blood