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hawkrose18's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
CAWPILE: 8.29
I had to read this book for school and I am so glad that I did because it was truly an amazing story. I plan to check out more of Hurston's work in the future because I really enjoyed how she told this story. I loved following Janie and learning about her life and the hardships that she went through to become who she was. I also loved how this book was not solely focused on the black suffering (it was there, but it wasn't just this), and instead also focused on black joy and black love and it was all around just a beautiful story that I hope more schools include in their curriculum. Sometimes the abusive relationships Janie was in got to me and hit me harder than I would have expected, but I do think that it was still important to the story and helped Janie become the person she ended up being and I love that she ended up becoming herself and lives for herself instead of those around her.
I had to read this book for school and I am so glad that I did because it was truly an amazing story. I plan to check out more of Hurston's work in the future because I really enjoyed how she told this story. I loved following Janie and learning about her life and the hardships that she went through to become who she was. I also loved how this book was not solely focused on the black suffering (it was there, but it wasn't just this), and instead also focused on black joy and black love and it was all around just a beautiful story that I hope more schools include in their curriculum. Sometimes the abusive relationships Janie was in got to me and hit me harder than I would have expected, but I do think that it was still important to the story and helped Janie become the person she ended up being and I love that she ended up becoming herself and lives for herself instead of those around her.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Medical content, and Grief
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Gun violence, Rape, Slavery, and Blood
ohlhauc's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
This is a classic for a reason. The story follows Janie through three of her relationships as she increasingly finds her voice and power amidst domestic violence, sexist gender norms, and the pursuit of a true love.
It is extremely well-written, scarce but evocative enough to imagine what's happening. The dialogue is also masterful, and makes you feel like you're on the porches with the characters as they banter, gossip, fight, and reflect on their lives. Seeing Janie liberate herself from the worlds she's put in through her three relationships is also inspiring, and her growth through the journey was very emotional.
I highly recommend listening to this as an audiobook if the written dialect is hard for you. The version narrated by Ruby Dee is spectacular.
It is extremely well-written, scarce but evocative enough to imagine what's happening. The dialogue is also masterful, and makes you feel like you're on the porches with the characters as they banter, gossip, fight, and reflect on their lives. Seeing Janie liberate herself from the worlds she's put in through her three relationships is also inspiring, and her growth through the journey was very emotional.
I highly recommend listening to this as an audiobook if the written dialect is hard for you. The version narrated by Ruby Dee is spectacular.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexism, and Violence
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Racism, Rape, and Slavery
Minor: Homophobia
krachaelm's review
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
"He drifted off into sleep and Janie looked down on him and felt a self-crushing love. So her soul crawled out from its hiding place."
This book was a masterpiece of writing. It started off slow for me, especially to adjust to the dialogue. After about a quarter of the way through, the plot really picked up for me. There were some troubling plot points, but I think it is important to learn about this time period and the massive injustices of the time.
This book was a masterpiece of writing. It started off slow for me, especially to adjust to the dialogue. After about a quarter of the way through, the plot really picked up for me. There were some troubling plot points, but I think it is important to learn about this time period and the massive injustices of the time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism
Minor: Gun violence, Physical abuse, and Slavery
kaitlinlovesbooks's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Genocide, Misogyny, Racial slurs, and Racism
Minor: Domestic abuse, Slavery, Grief, and Medical trauma
psistillreadyou's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Rape and Slavery
booksthatburn's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- 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
Their Eyes Were Watching God is a quiet story of one Black woman's life two generations out from slavery, trying to be happy and find a life she'd like to live.
This book is the story of a life, the MC's life, and the relationships she has beginning as a young woman until she's in her forties or fifties. The narration is full of care, gently stepping in every once in a while when what the MC is thinking goes beyond what she feels safe to say (or even is ready to think).
I love how the MC is handled, especially the way the book covers a very long period of time by focusing in on the decision points, the times where the level of agency expressed by the MC is changing in some way. It keeps the focus on her and her choices rather that subjecting the reader to many pages covering spans of years where she wasn't steering her life. The sections describing the MC’s realization that her inner life and exterior presentation needed to be separate for her safety and self-preservation is so powerful and insightfully written. The whole book handles misogyny in a way that makes it both unmistakable for what it is but also understandable as something that women (specifically Black women in the USA one to two generations away from slavery) would put up with for their own survival. It has a way of describing a way the world was (and often still is) without making it too stressful to read. The secondary characters (even the ones we're maybe not supposed to like) are written really well and their motivations are understandable even, perhaps especially, when they conflict with the MC.
I'm mostly in awe, at the end of reading this, and I fear that my review feels sparse because of it. It feels steeped in life, soaking it in, as much as it can hold until it can take no more and lets everything out in a roaring wave. There's enough framing that we enter the main narrative with a question of why did the MC come back home after leaving, then the main story is so absorbing on its own merits that we forget about that for a little while. Until, at last, we have the answer and end where we began, with a quiet story told of a long life lived sometimes well, sometimes poorly, that isn't over yet.
This book is the story of a life, the MC's life, and the relationships she has beginning as a young woman until she's in her forties or fifties. The narration is full of care, gently stepping in every once in a while when what the MC is thinking goes beyond what she feels safe to say (or even is ready to think).
I love how the MC is handled, especially the way the book covers a very long period of time by focusing in on the decision points, the times where the level of agency expressed by the MC is changing in some way. It keeps the focus on her and her choices rather that subjecting the reader to many pages covering spans of years where she wasn't steering her life. The sections describing the MC’s realization that her inner life and exterior presentation needed to be separate for her safety and self-preservation is so powerful and insightfully written. The whole book handles misogyny in a way that makes it both unmistakable for what it is but also understandable as something that women (specifically Black women in the USA one to two generations away from slavery) would put up with for their own survival. It has a way of describing a way the world was (and often still is) without making it too stressful to read. The secondary characters (even the ones we're maybe not supposed to like) are written really well and their motivations are understandable even, perhaps especially, when they conflict with the MC.
I'm mostly in awe, at the end of reading this, and I fear that my review feels sparse because of it. It feels steeped in life, soaking it in, as much as it can hold until it can take no more and lets everything out in a roaring wave. There's enough framing that we enter the main narrative with a question of why did the MC come back home after leaving, then the main story is so absorbing on its own merits that we forget about that for a little while. Until, at last, we have the answer and end where we began, with a quiet story told of a long life lived sometimes well, sometimes poorly, that isn't over yet.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, and Violence
Minor: Homophobia, Rape, and Slavery
CW for homophobia (minor), sexism, racism, racial slurs, slavery (backstory), rape (backstory), animal death, domestic abuse, domestic violence, violence, major character death.danteandvirgil's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Wow, this book!! My friend recommended me this and I'm so grateful.
Some great quotes (more to come when I am reunited with my copy!):
“There are years that ask questions and years that answer.”
I really feel like the story really picks up once Jody dies. Janie really isn't even the focus of the story it seems. But once Jody dies, Janie emerges as a full character as opposed to simply Jody's wife. This mirrors Janie becoming more outright about getting what she wants. And she does! I love love love Janie with Tea Cake even if he's TOO STUBBORN for his own good.
Read this book. Read this book again. Read this book to love a character.
Some great quotes (more to come when I am reunited with my copy!):
“There are years that ask questions and years that answer.”
Read this book. Read this book again. Read this book to love a character.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, and Sexism
Minor: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, and Slavery
kake's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism
Minor: Domestic abuse, Racism, and Slavery
readandfindout's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
On first read in 2019: 4.5 stars. Zora Neale Hurston's style is masterful.
2025 reread:
Overall rating: 4.25 stars
Style/writing: 5 stars
Themes: 4 stars
Characters: 4 stars
Plot: 4 stars
2025 reread:
Overall rating: 4.25 stars
Style/writing: 5 stars
Themes: 4 stars
Characters: 4 stars
Plot: 4 stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, and Classism
Moderate: Animal death and Gun violence
Minor: Rape and Slavery