Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Beloved by Toni Morrison

48 reviews

notthatcosta's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

3.75

I had read about Margaret Garner last year and it has stuck with me ever since. I was deeply moved by the ingenuity and vision it took to take that story and build a wider world around it that encompasses the horrors of slavery with themes of motherhood, family, shame, religion and community in a way that is tender and gut wrenching but also cathartic.

This book is difficult to rate because so much of my enjoyment of it stems from the lore around it and the inspiration, much of which comes from the forward of this edition. The book itself is of course excellent, but at times difficult to follow.

Although the more abstract passages and the tragedy of Beloved, Sethe and Denver as characters made it difficult to get through, this is a book that will remain with me for some time, I feel.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Racism, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Slavery, Gore, Murder, Physical abuse, and Violence

razorfangz's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

Read this for class and really loved it. It's a very difficult read both due to the subject matter and how it's written, but very worth it if you can stomach it. The prose is beautiful and does a perfect job of being reflective and tense. Sethe is a very tragic protagonist and while the decisions she makes are horrifying, you fully understand how and why she came to be this way and know that at the end of the day she doesn't deserve it. Being vague of course, but read it for yourself. Again, if you can handle the subject matter, give it a chance.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexual violence, Body horror, Death, Grief, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Slavery, and Violence

Moderate: Animal death, Death of parent, and Animal cruelty

This one is a Lot. It is upfront and brutal about its themes and can be very uncomfortable (which is the point).

annelihghh's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Slavery, Sexual content, Mental illness, Child death, Abandonment, Forced institutionalization, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Pregnancy, and Racism

lindseyhall44's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective 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

“And in all those escapes he could not help being astonished by the beauty of this land that was not his.”
I have been a reader since I first learned the skill, eventually swapping picture books for novels and poetry collections. While reading has exposed me to the beauty of stories many times before, never in my life has my perception of literature been completely transformed by a book. However, Beloved did just that. 
Morrison crafted an incredibly complex and stunning book, brimming with figurative elements and raw emotion. 
I am forever greatful for reading the genius of Toni Morrison and cannot wait to continue on with the rest of her work.
This is a new all time favorite.
*PLEASE CHECK TRIGGER WARNINGS! This is a very heavy and dark read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Confinement, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Physical abuse, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, War, Violence, Hate crime, Rape, and Sexual violence

mle11's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Violence, Child death, Gore, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Abandonment, Blood, Body horror, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Sexism, Sexual violence, and Slavery

Moderate: Animal cruelty and War

Minor: Alcohol

michaelion's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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

4.5

My eyes flew across the page. For once I have nothing to say.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Slavery, Torture, Child death, Death, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, and Violence

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, War, Abandonment, Blood, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, and Xenophobia

Minor: Bullying and Confinement

balfies's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Murder, Death of parent, Pedophilia, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Trafficking, Suicidal thoughts, Incest, Domestic abuse, Colonisation, Slavery, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Child death, Death, Torture, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Sexism, Self harm, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Hate crime, Grief, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Child abuse, Blood, Animal cruelty, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Gore, Genocide, Animal death, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Alcohol, and Abandonment

lucy_shanners's review against another edition

challenging dark informative sad slow-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Death of parent, Slavery, and Child death

amandas_bookshelf's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Torture, Bullying, Pregnancy, Grief, Racial slurs, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Blood, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Colonisation, Gore, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, War, Child death, Death, Death of parent, and Violence

amandas_bookshelf's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Colonisation, Confinement, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Torture, War, Blood, Bullying, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Violence