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A review by bookmaddie
Beloved by Toni Morrison
4.0
TW - racism, sexual abuse, loss of a family member
This is the first book by Toni Morrison that I've read, and I really loved it! Her writing is absolutely beautiful—poetic, warm, and loving, even as the story itself can be quite hard to read at some points.
This is a story about so many things, and I can see why is makes a great book to read and analyze in school. I especially appreciated the idea about how grief, and the memories of those you lost, haunt you—more specifically, how white oppression of Black people and slavery continue to haunt and traumatize Black people. This story explores that cycle of trauma and grief, showing the ups of escaping slavery and learning the depth of freedom, yet also showing how that experience can never truly leave an individual.
It was also interesting to read about the gap between generations within this context. Sethe, Paul D., and the older Black people in the story all experienced slavery in some form, and have those memories that hold together their community and solidarity—they all share this understanding. Yet Sethe's youngest child, Denver, lacks that visceral, traumatizing experience and questions what it is that her mother lived through that could still haunt her so much. This divide was really evocative to read about, and helped me understand the nuances of the story, and Sethe and Denver's relationship.
When people asked me how I liked this book, I would always think of it as a book that was warm and comforting. Even while this story is hard to read at some points, it also has beautiful moments of joy, love, forgiveness, and community. Morrison's language serves to heighten these moments, and imbues the entire story with a deep sense of love and care. I am very excited to read more of her work, and bask in the beauty of her language.
This is the first book by Toni Morrison that I've read, and I really loved it! Her writing is absolutely beautiful—poetic, warm, and loving, even as the story itself can be quite hard to read at some points.
This is a story about so many things, and I can see why is makes a great book to read and analyze in school. I especially appreciated the idea about how grief, and the memories of those you lost, haunt you—more specifically, how white oppression of Black people and slavery continue to haunt and traumatize Black people. This story explores that cycle of trauma and grief, showing the ups of escaping slavery and learning the depth of freedom, yet also showing how that experience can never truly leave an individual.
It was also interesting to read about the gap between generations within this context. Sethe, Paul D., and the older Black people in the story all experienced slavery in some form, and have those memories that hold together their community and solidarity—they all share this understanding. Yet Sethe's youngest child, Denver, lacks that visceral, traumatizing experience and questions what it is that her mother lived through that could still haunt her so much. This divide was really evocative to read about, and helped me understand the nuances of the story, and Sethe and Denver's relationship.
When people asked me how I liked this book, I would always think of it as a book that was warm and comforting. Even while this story is hard to read at some points, it also has beautiful moments of joy, love, forgiveness, and community. Morrison's language serves to heighten these moments, and imbues the entire story with a deep sense of love and care. I am very excited to read more of her work, and bask in the beauty of her language.