Reviews with content warning for Gun violence - Their Eyes Were Watching God

The prose and imagery are absolutely stunning. The ending was tragic and not at all what I expected. This story will sit with me for the rest of my life.

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fischmama4's review

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adventurous challenging 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

3.75

Classic American literature, very important piece of African-American writing. I found it difficult to read at first as Hurston writes it in the southern Negro dialect, something we aren't used to hearing or reading in 2025. Once I was able to get the rhythm in my head (I am from the south so I just had to channel the accent in my brain!) It got quicker and easier to read. The story is a good one, there's plenty of adventure! You become attached to Janie and want to see her happy. Shocking turn the last 60 or so pages, but leaves off feeling resolved.

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fairyollie's review

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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.

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ekgranstro's review against another edition

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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

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drjoannehill's review against another edition

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emotional reflective fast-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

5 stars for the truly excellent audiobook reading by Ruby Dee, as well as the detail in the story.

We meet Janie who is returning to her home town in Florida after a long period of absence, looking rather poorer than when she left. This causes all her old friends and neighbours to think something terrible happened to affect her fortunes. She tells a friend her life story - through tales of respectability, control, love, care, fun, agency, and living, for black women at the turn of the 20th century.

I'm quite annoyed not to have come across this on my American Studies degree (we read 1950s short stories instead)

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mchampl01's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective medium-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

4.0

Written incredibly well, Hurston is brilliant at painting a picture with words. I particularly enjoyed the visualization of the vultures. The way she writes paints detailed pictures, especially with connotation to guide the reader's feelings.

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