Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

75 reviews

melba1975's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative sad tense medium-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

4.5

Their Eyes Were Watching God belongs in every library. Listening to this classic, read by Ruby Dee, is even more of a treat. I really felt like I was WITH the characters as the tale unfolded. The FMC, Jamie is lovable, yet strong from the beginning. When she’s sitting with her grandmother, legs dangling over the chair after a rather tense moment, the reader can’t help but love her. 

From there she continues to grow, enduring through many trials. She repeatedly finds her voice and her own inner strength, despite the many odds stacked against her and the trying times of the 1930s. There are parts of this book that are downright challenging to read; however, redemption always shines through in the end. The main thing I can say in conclusion is that I wish I’d read this title sooner. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Terminal illness, and Classism

fischmama4's review

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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Content Warnings

Minor: Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, and Murder

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.

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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

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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

mchampl01's review

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Body shaming, Terminal illness, and Alcohol

kellpy's review

challenging emotional fast-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

5.0

I read this book for an English Literature class 8 years ago and it still haunts me to this day. It is one of the most beautifully written books you can read from that time period, and being from Florida myself, the depiction of suffering through a hurricane is genius. No one else could have written this besides ZNH.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Abandonment, and Classism

cekmethvin's review

hopeful sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Racism, and Toxic relationship

e_neu's review

emotional informative inspiring 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? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Minor: Gun violence

suzyvee's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

4.0

This was a little bit difficult to get into at first because of the way it was written in the dialect/vernacular the characters would’ve spoken at the time. The story itself is set in the early 20th C, and follows Janie, a biracial young woman, as she grows through her late teen years through adulthood and her 3 marriages/partnerships. I am finding it very difficult to describe my thoughts on this book, as I think a reread would help. 4 ⭐️ 

CW: racism, sexism, domestic violence, rape, death, drowning

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, and Violence

sdmarmolejo's review

emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.25

Seriously a beautiful and heartfelt story. Main character goes through hell and back to finally redeem her love story that she has longed for her entire life. This one will have you happy, sad and going through your emotional roller coaster entirely. Beautiful classic! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, and Grief