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notesbynnenna 's review for:
Beloved
by Toni Morrison
Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book! All opinions are my own.
I don’t even know how one goes about reviewing Toni Morrison, so let’s not think of this as a review, but a reflection on my reading experience instead.
I had no idea what it was about going in, but I soon learned that it’s about a mother who will do anything to protect her children, and about a house haunted by a spirit that’s been wronged.
It goes without saying, but Morrison’s writing is exceptional and I was intrigued by the way that she experimented with a few different writing styles throughout the book. There are these minute details that she includes that add a richness to the story and transport you to a time and place.
It’s not an easy read and Morrison doesn’t shy away from the horrors of slavery. But at the same time, you know that she’s only showing us the surface of the atrocities that were committed against Black people. There were many passages that I read and had to read again to understand what she was saying between the lines.
What does motherhood mean? How does a mother behave? These are just a couple of the questions that Morrison explores in this book. I was also struck by the juxtaposition of freedom and slavery, and what it means to escape.
I wish I’d been taught this book in school and I did feel that some of this book went over my head, which led to me seeking out articles and other explanations of the book to learn more about what I’d missed.
This book is based on a true story. In the foreword, Morrison writes about how she wanted to make the slave experience intimate, and it certainly felt that way to me. I won’t be forgetting these characters anytime soon.
I don’t even know how one goes about reviewing Toni Morrison, so let’s not think of this as a review, but a reflection on my reading experience instead.
I had no idea what it was about going in, but I soon learned that it’s about a mother who will do anything to protect her children, and about a house haunted by a spirit that’s been wronged.
It goes without saying, but Morrison’s writing is exceptional and I was intrigued by the way that she experimented with a few different writing styles throughout the book. There are these minute details that she includes that add a richness to the story and transport you to a time and place.
It’s not an easy read and Morrison doesn’t shy away from the horrors of slavery. But at the same time, you know that she’s only showing us the surface of the atrocities that were committed against Black people. There were many passages that I read and had to read again to understand what she was saying between the lines.
What does motherhood mean? How does a mother behave? These are just a couple of the questions that Morrison explores in this book. I was also struck by the juxtaposition of freedom and slavery, and what it means to escape.
I wish I’d been taught this book in school and I did feel that some of this book went over my head, which led to me seeking out articles and other explanations of the book to learn more about what I’d missed.
This book is based on a true story. In the foreword, Morrison writes about how she wanted to make the slave experience intimate, and it certainly felt that way to me. I won’t be forgetting these characters anytime soon.