A review by lostinthelibrary
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

challenging 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? No

4.0

This classic has been sitting on my shelf for a while so I'm glad I finally got around to reading it. Although I was frustrated by a lot the decisions she made, Janie was a great character who was strong minded, adventurous, romantic and loving. You really want to root for her to get her happy ending. The men in her life are a whole other matter but you can understand what attracted her to each of them.

The real triumph of this book is in the writing. It is lyrical without being dense of flowery and it has such a rhythm to it that once you start reading you don't pause for breath. Most of the story is portrayed through dialogue and this is done masterfully. The opening chapter using gossiping ladies to set the story was just perfect. 

Where it falls down slightly for me is in the pacing of the overall story. I felt that some parts were hammered home for a bit too long while other more exciting aspects of the plot were over in a flash. But really, this is not the type of book that you go in to for a twisty exciting plot and for what it wanted to achieve, it certainly delivered. 

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