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

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.5

i connected with this book on such an interesting level. janie was so incredible to follow, and the way she danced into flowery language anytime she was alone earlier on in the book was beautiful, as was the fact that hurston decided to fade away that thoughtfulness as time went on and she was taught she couldn't be that. the images of the pear tree and God destroying & rebuilding the world each dusk & dawn really struck with me. i also just adored the way she created settings. the store was incredibly well done as a sort of cage for her, but i also loved her description of the muck & the everglades-- i could imagine it so perfectly, especially in terms of the energy she described

one of the most intense moments for me, though, was when

tea cake's friends all praised janie's compliance when he beat her-- the way they were so in awe and excitedly said things along the lines of "wow, i bet she didn't even fight back, huh?"

the feeling hit me so hard and i feel like it brought the whole book together, despite being a small moment

i don't have much else to say, but it was truly just a beautiful book. those were my favorite moments. i hope you enjoy it if you read it, too