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A review by mreiki
Beloved by Toni Morrison
5.0
"It was the right thing to do. But she had no right to do it." (Toni Morrison)
It's been almost 7 years since I first read this book, which, in my opinion, is one of the most powerful contemporary American novels, and I still discover new things about it with every re-read.
The almost fluid way in which perspectives shift between the characters and the way in which past and present interweave make this book a demanding read, but also increase its impact as the reader gets to know these characters and their histories and begins to understand their actions in impossible situations.
I'm always deeply moved by this book and there are always passages that make me stop and just sit and think for a while.
It's been almost 7 years since I first read this book, which, in my opinion, is one of the most powerful contemporary American novels, and I still discover new things about it with every re-read.
Spoiler
Morrison here takes the story of Margaret Garner, who killed her daughter rather than have her taken back into slavery, and uses it to weave a story that is part slave narrative, part ghost story, and part historical novel and that explores the heartbreak of slavery and what it takes to build a self and a life in its aftermath.The almost fluid way in which perspectives shift between the characters and the way in which past and present interweave make this book a demanding read, but also increase its impact as the reader gets to know these characters and their histories and begins to understand their actions in impossible situations.
I'm always deeply moved by this book and there are always passages that make me stop and just sit and think for a while.