Reviews tagging 'Pregnancy'

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

234 reviews

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

I should have read the content warnings, that’s on me.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
dark emotional sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Oh this was so very sad but also incredibly beautiful. I can’t wait to read more by Toni Morrison. A pleasure to buddy read once again. :)

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
challenging emotional reflective relaxing sad tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This book can be really triggering so be sure to read the trigger warnings but Toni Morrison’s writing is u deniably brilliant and raw and the messages she brings to the reader are invaluable. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
dark emotional reflective sad slow-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

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

Once again, I really wish classics didn't have so much pedophilia, rape and incest. But this was one of the most beautiful books I have ever read.

Soaphead Church was real close to singlehandedly bringing this rating down. He could've not been there. I get that he's the foil to other characters who indulge their bodily pleasures too much, and showing how extremes on either end grow twisted fantasies. But it was wack. And didn't need to be that long. None of the graphic scenes had to be that graphic in my opinion, but Toni M is our storyteller and in her I trust.

The animal abuse. Okay so much of this book is about how we treat our innocents ex. children and animals. However. All the animal abuse scenes felt so jarring and out of the blue?? The first time
a pyscho boy killed the cat and blamed it on Pecola.
The second time
the pedophilic religious figure tricked Pecola into poisoning a dog.
I want to say it's something about perspective of blame and the outcome of that? The two scenes are obviously purposeful but I am not immediately understanding or finding answers online.

Themes that really struck me while reading
  • Seeing someone versus being seen and how it can fundamentally change you
    • Perspective of one's victimhood mentality and reclaiming your own power 
  • How people respond to shame 
    • Constant denial of the body and what it loves will grow hatred and violence 
    • Being untrue to yourself is being a desecration
  • A lack of a parental protector leading into generational trauma. Yes it's Hurt People Hurt People, but such an interesting, complex, beautiful portrayal of the layers of that.
  • Power of art, and the consequences to communities not having it as a way to understand themselves and translate their experience into growth
  • Our community martyrs

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
dark emotional sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Whoa. This was a difficult read for sure,  very emotional. The writing itself was amazing but equally devastating. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
challenging emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

We don't talk about Toni Morrison enough. Her writing is heavy, full of topics others would want to sweep under the rug. She calls out issues in society as a whole, but also within the black community itself, which is usually taken with negative criticism.   

For being written in 1970 (about 1930s era black communities), this books themes of race/racism, women/femininity, home/family (or the lack of...), and sex/sexuality and how our characters deal with all of these things rings so true in today's world. The characters in this book all carry their stories with them, and are products of their environment and lack of addressing or growing from experiences. 

The way that this book focuses on Pecola's story all while telling stories of those around her is astounding and masterful. Each character, possibly aside from Frieda and Claudia, all struggle with ingrained self hatred because of the racism they've encountered in their world. This book highlights how even within a community, especially one so affected by racism,  racism exists inside of it, with lighter vs darker skinned African Americans. It shows how they strive for a sense of family and home, but have to distor  it and find their own way to create it and "love" or love in their surroundings. 

A book everyone should read and learn from. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
challenging dark reflective fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Diverse cast of characters: Yes

It's hard to believe this was Morrison's first novel - it's such a sophisticated, moving, mature-feeling work. The use of shifting perspectives and time jumps was extremely effective at simultaneously emphasizing the characters' alienation and building compassion. Somehow it is both a searing indictment of the entrenched systems and structures of racism, and a deeply personal exploration of individual experience under them. An all-timer from an all-timer.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-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

My heart’s aching in my chest after reading this. From the depth of the sadness, and the visceral beauty of Toni Morrison’s writing. I feel it. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
challenging emotional medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Expand filter menu Content Warnings