Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

113 reviews

narbine's review against another edition

4.25

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Abandonment, Alcohol

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Slavery, Grief, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy

booksjessreads's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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I feel like any words I could write about any Toni Morrison book could never do her work justice. 

This book was not what I was fully expecting, and I think this made me appreciate it more. Told from multiple points of view and through a seasonal perspective of the events Pecola ensures, it details the complexity of the ways in which beauty, culture, poverty, colourism and sexism intertwine. 

I think the things that have completely astounded me about this novel is its purpose and its language. What I love about this, is that Morrison tells the story in a structured way, allowing us to understand the psychological motivations and histories of the characters. She shows us that the characters should not be excused for their behaviour, but simply showing us what made the characters the way that they are. In her forward and afterword, Morrison mentions how she wanted to fragment the chapters into different perspectives, seasons etc. and allow the reader to piece the story together. Whilst she looks in retrospect and felt this didn't work for the novel, I think it works well and made the novel effective. 

This novel is short but it is packed with so much heavy content. It is beautifully written - each sentence flows into one another. I don't think I have read lyrical writing quite like this. There is a lot that is packed into its 212 pages, but I appreciated every page and the story and messages told through her work. I am highly anticipated her other novels and am eager to get into them.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Rape, Violence, Alcohol, Classism

Minor: Excrement, Pregnancy, Abandonment

lizziaha's review against another edition

4.25

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The language in this book is so wonderful. Each word tumbles into the next—a pace that I occasionally wanted to slam the brakes on due to the perverse and horrific things the words depicted. But the words tumbled on, slipping and sliding and settling in my brain. It’s odd, because they seemed comfortable at first, but quickly became restless as Morrison’s words stayed in my brain long after I’d put down the book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Incest, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment

Moderate: Bullying, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Classism

Minor: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Excrement, Abandonment

vanesst's review against another edition

3.5

challenging emotional tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Classism

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child death, Fatphobia, Sexual content, Excrement, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol

aleksanski's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Abortion, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis

esther_5's review against another edition

4.75

challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racism, Abandonment

gkgkgk's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Excrement, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment

Moderate: Alcoholism, Abandonment, Alcohol

glutenfreemaggie's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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:(

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Incest, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol

marywahlmeierbracciano's review against another edition

5.0

challenging sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

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Toni Morrison was a visionary.  This, her first novel, was my first foray into her work, and I found it approachable, yet deep with meaning.  It borrows its structure from a children’s “Dick and Jane” story, which Toni reads like a haunting incantation.  Her narration of the entire book is flawless and stunning, like the text itself.  The novel circles around Pecola, who rarely narrates but whose story is largely told by other characters, often children.  Her story is traumatic yet minimally graphic, making it appropriate, even, for most sensitive readers.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Racial slurs, Racism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Excrement, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Dysphoria

Minor: Abandonment

bimboopo's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Pedophilia

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Abandonment