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beks_reads's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
2.5
I just couldn’t get past how much I disliked all 3 of her husbands to truly enjoy the book. The way Tea Cake finds Janie’s money, spends it, and leaves Janie to believe that he had abandoned her had me fuming. Different times I guess.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
daws_online's review
emotional
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book is a perfectly executed portrait of the main character and her frustrations to get the life she wants out of the life she has been repeatedly resigned to. However, what I appreciate about this book is that alongside doing that, it's an ode to language, or really an ode to talking, to the beauty of everyday 20th century southern black dialect. Hurston's background as an anthropologist is what makes this book tick, she's able to tell the story of a whole region and culture indirectly through language alone. There's full scenes of the book where nothing plot critical happens, people just gather around a porch and talk, but the talking itself is the action, the heart of the whole book.
My instinct is to compare it to the laconic style of Hemingway in The Sun Also Rises, where the whole point (to me) is that the characters' language fails to really capture the tragic plot and they can never really talk through their feelings. In Their Eyes Were Watching God, too, the character's emotions are defined and restricted by their ability to express them through speech. However, the rich figurative language of this Southern slang is a lot freer than anything Hemingway's characters were given, and the frequent switches into the highly poetic third person narration allows the reader to perceive even further that gap between true feeling and what we're capable of saying.
The string of relationships that we see Janie have over her life are captivating to read, and I think reveal a lot about the gender/romance conflicts that men and women have been enacting on the private level for generations. Ultimately, Janie wants a love of equals where her partner doesn't just love her (or really an image of her or what her partner would like her to be), but understands what she wants out of life and actively accounts for her needs. Social status and gender identity is a cage she forever fights to escape, and in the moments where she does, it's a real pleasure for the reader. Each lover gets a fleshed out, distinct, and wholly believable portrait of themselves, often accomplished in only a paragraph or two of dialogue.
I was also very surprised by the sudden changes in tone and honestly genre throughout the book as she goes from setting and relationship. At times it feels like there's a lineage between this and an Austen romance, at times with Hemingway as I described above, at times it has airs of an old school dramatic tragedy, and even briefly it slips fully into the tone of a thriller. Throughout it all, Hurston's language is confident and expressive and I gotta recommend this book to anyone interested.
My instinct is to compare it to the laconic style of Hemingway in The Sun Also Rises, where the whole point (to me) is that the characters' language fails to really capture the tragic plot and they can never really talk through their feelings. In Their Eyes Were Watching God, too, the character's emotions are defined and restricted by their ability to express them through speech. However, the rich figurative language of this Southern slang is a lot freer than anything Hemingway's characters were given, and the frequent switches into the highly poetic third person narration allows the reader to perceive even further that gap between true feeling and what we're capable of saying.
The string of relationships that we see Janie have over her life are captivating to read, and I think reveal a lot about the gender/romance conflicts that men and women have been enacting on the private level for generations. Ultimately, Janie wants a love of equals where her partner doesn't just love her (or really an image of her or what her partner would like her to be), but understands what she wants out of life and actively accounts for her needs. Social status and gender identity is a cage she forever fights to escape, and in the moments where she does, it's a real pleasure for the reader. Each lover gets a fleshed out, distinct, and wholly believable portrait of themselves, often accomplished in only a paragraph or two of dialogue.
I was also very surprised by the sudden changes in tone and honestly genre throughout the book as she goes from setting and relationship. At times it feels like there's a lineage between this and an Austen romance, at times with Hemingway as I described above, at times it has airs of an old school dramatic tragedy, and even briefly it slips fully into the tone of a thriller. Throughout it all, Hurston's language is confident and expressive and I gotta recommend this book to anyone interested.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse
atamano's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Racism, Sexism, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, and Classism
Moderate: Gun violence, Grief, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Domestic abuse, Violence, Blood, and Abandonment
kyndallb's review
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, and Racial slurs
cadygraceteague's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Racism
Minor: Sexual assault
ella7211's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Gun violence
readingrainbowconnection's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
5.0
The line, "She stood there until something fell off the shelf inside her", stayed with me the entire book. I think every woman has her own version of that very feeling. Some of the best storytelling I've ever encountered. Can't believe I didn't read it until now but I understand why it's on every must-read Black history and American literature list.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, and Sexism
Moderate: Body shaming
madelinewieters's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
This classic had been in my audio library for ages, and I’m glad I chose to listen to it—the narrator of this version in particular was extremely talented. Janie’s story is one of tragic hope, worth the quick read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
fairyollie's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
from her very conception, Janie has no agency. every decision was made for her: where to live, who to marry, what to do, who to talk to, and how. seeking true love, Janie finds herself and her own agency.
it took me a bit to get used to the dialect, which was written so realistically and honestly. a clear classic, and it is a shame that it is not taught in academia. a bigger shame is that it has been forgotten.
it took me a bit to get used to the dialect, which was written so realistically and honestly. a clear classic, and it is a shame that it is not taught in academia. a bigger shame is that it has been forgotten.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Grief
Moderate: Abandonment and Alcohol
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, and Animal death
ekgranstro's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Classism
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Slavery, Death of parent, and Alcohol