You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Still trying to find the words to describe the magnificence of this book. The writing was full of captivating yet simple descriptions of very complex, human experiences. I was absolutely turned upside down trying to understand the depths of this book but ultimately I'm so happy I continued because there is so much to learn from this writing. Dark and almost gothic, the magical realism and overall artistic, experimental endeavors with the writing style absolutely blew my mind! So brilliant and technical while also being explorative. Will have to reread again and again.
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It feels like a herculean task trying to describe this novel and talk about it in a critically evaluative way without sounding like praising it for the sake of praise-- it really is as good as people say it is. Morrison was a master at her craft, the way she wove different deliveries of narratives and perspectives into each other within an order that served the plot perfectly.
The point that held the most resonance was the speculation on the idea of "good slave owners/good ones". The story revisits this concept multiple times with different characters, with a backdrop of an instance that may portray a "goodness" in the favour of the concept or an act that contrasts strongly. And it is rather fascinating (read: absurd) to think of the discussion surrounding the emancipation of Black people being down to "good white people/kind slave owners" and not collective acts of self liberation with other oppressed peoples, making slave owning unprofitable and unviable. This need for a history that shows some people who participate in the acts of evil we witness today doing so because they "mean well" and not for their own interests, and thus furthering this false idea that eventually things that are bad will stop happening when people collectively decide its bad to do.
I often struggle with magical realism but I enjoyed this thoroughly.
The point that held the most resonance was the speculation on the idea of "good slave owners/good ones". The story revisits this concept multiple times with different characters, with a backdrop of an instance that may portray a "goodness" in the favour of the concept or an act that contrasts strongly. And it is rather fascinating (read: absurd) to think of the discussion surrounding the emancipation of Black people being down to "good white people/kind slave owners" and not collective acts of self liberation with other oppressed peoples, making slave owning unprofitable and unviable. This need for a history that shows some people who participate in the acts of evil we witness today doing so because they "mean well" and not for their own interests, and thus furthering this false idea that eventually things that are bad will stop happening when people collectively decide its bad to do.
I often struggle with magical realism but I enjoyed this thoroughly.
dark
emotional
inspiring
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
"It was not a story to pass on."
But it is. It is!!
Beloved is a story to pass on.
But it is. It is!!
Beloved is a story to pass on.
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is a **masterpiece**. I can think of no other way to say it, it was just absolutely brilliant. It was haunting, challenging, complex, beautiful, heartbreaking and overall breathtaking. I see why people say that everyone should read this. I started just with the audiobook and had to switch to immersion because I quickly realized that I needed to see words on a page to really grasp what the story was saying. The audio is also necessary imo because Toni brings this story to life in a way that is unforgettable. She makes you feel like you’re in the story which also terrifying because of the subject matter. This book has many trigger warnings, it is not a light read, so check them if that’s at all a concern. I’m very glad I read this, and I just loved the richness and poetic prowess Toni uses in her writing and I look forward to reading more of her work.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
dark
emotional
reflective
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
Książka mnie movno uderzyła. Na początku nie mogłam w pełni ogarnąć języka, bo słuchałam audiobooka po angielsku, a sposób w jaki ta historia była napisana, okazał się dość specyficzny. Pomimo wielu metafor czułam niemal każde z wypowiedzianych zdań, dzięki namacalnym opisom.
Sama historia zawarta w tej książce była druzgocąca. Zabójstwo niemowlęcia przez własną matkę, żeby uniknąć niewolnictwa bardzo mocno mnie uderzyło. Nie miałam ani na moment bohaterce za złe i nie uważałam czynu za haniebny czy podły. Byłam jednak bardzo przygnębiona tym faktem. Czułam się jak bierny widz, który może jedynie stać i wsłuchiwać się w paskudne opowieści, które miały miejsce na tym świecie, mogąc to wszystko jedynie zaakceptować.
Uderzającą historia, ale na pewno warta poznania, jako coś ukazującego, do czego można doprowadzić ludzki umysł.
Sama historia zawarta w tej książce była druzgocąca. Zabójstwo niemowlęcia przez własną matkę, żeby uniknąć niewolnictwa bardzo mocno mnie uderzyło. Nie miałam ani na moment bohaterce za złe i nie uważałam czynu za haniebny czy podły. Byłam jednak bardzo przygnębiona tym faktem. Czułam się jak bierny widz, który może jedynie stać i wsłuchiwać się w paskudne opowieści, które miały miejsce na tym świecie, mogąc to wszystko jedynie zaakceptować.
Uderzającą historia, ale na pewno warta poznania, jako coś ukazującego, do czego można doprowadzić ludzki umysł.
My 5th Morrison as I chip away at them in publication order. To say this is brilliant is an understatement. So heartbreaking to watch the enslaved people go to hell and back, lose everything, afraid to love too deeply in case it’s snatched away from them by the whims of white men. The characters were all amazingly fleshed out, even secondary characters had something memorable about them so despite the brutality of the content, I enjoyed reading them whether they were likeable or not.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail
medium-paced
“by and by all trace is gone, and what is forgotten is not only the footprints but the water too and what it is down there.”