Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

113 reviews

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense 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: Complicated

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challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Somehow I’ve never read this book so I jumped at the chance when I was gifted a copy by BookBrowse. The book is described as the story of a young Black girl named Pecola who desperately wants the blond hair and blue eyes she associates with beauty. While Pecola is supposed to be the main character, she barely shows up in the book and is not the book’s narrator (who instead is another child, Claudia). Instead, we’re offered the stories of Pecola’s parents, as well as the parents of Claudia and her sister Frieda - and how their parents’ upbringing, experiences, and parenting styles led to the girls’ view on self beauty.

It’s incredibly sad to think of any child (or adult) doubting their own self worth because of societal values, and specifically something as beautiful as skin color. I can relate on other levels and certainly as a parent of a child who similarly struggles.

Morrison’s writing is lovely and poetic though, for me, challenging. I did not understand the ending and ended up spending a bit of time online learning more. It then all came together but I would have liked to have been able to decipher that myself.

All in all, I’m glad to have read The Bluest Eye

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emotional sad tense 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: Yes

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

This book was astonishing. The prose was absolutely magical. Toni Morrison’s writing is unmatched and inspiring. Her ability to speak so poetically is perhaps my greatest adoration. 

This book covers many topics in ways that I found to be so effective and concise, while also still being poetic and indirect. The discussions of colorism, racism, sexism, and trauma were incredibly impactful. Inter generational trauma is not something often covered in the books I read, but it was done so effectively in The Bluest Eye. 

This book is worth an endless amount of rereads and is absolutely necessary for education and people of various walks of life. 

I have never read a book quite like this.

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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: Yes

This read is poignant and important, though it is not gentle. It takes on internalized and external racism, generational trauma, and the harm of lack of diverse representation in media. It's a stunning read, but review the content warnings. The end includes an excellent afterward by the author that delves into her choice to explore these themes through the lense of such a traumatic, unaverage case. I was disappointed that she chose to equate homosexuality with sexual indifference and derangement. 

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challenging dark sad 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: Complicated

ok this book is obviously important in the way that Morrison is exposing the vicious cycles of hatred and isms in America with Pecola’s horribly tragic life story, but it was way too graphic for me. especially with how beautifully Morrison writes, the imagery and detailed descriptions of cruelty and vulgarity come across way too vividly. it’s a 3.5 for me. avoid if you’re a survivor of SA!

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challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: N/A
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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

Truly shocking that this is Morrison’s novel debut. An incredible work with prose that is unmatched in deliciousness, evocativeness, and incisiveness.

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

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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