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

adventurous challenging sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

I can see how this book became a piece of classic American literature - while almost every piece of the world Janie lived in is foreign to me, it speaks to the human experience so forcefully.  As much as I will never understand janie’s experience, I think everyone can relate in part to how she felt about the world, about love, and about herself. I couldn’t believe how a book with such a simple story had me so invested, and how quotes written in such rough dialogue could capture so much beauty. The way Tea-Cake and Janie communicated their love to each other was heart-wrenchingly beautiful.  Austen would have taken notes… if she could have deciphered the black southern slang. The book was slow going because the dialogue took me a second to get used to, and the plot itself was almost never riveting (except for the hurricane scenes), but I was never bored or uninterested. We won’t talk about the ending, but while it made me sad, I couldn’t hate it.  While it felt unjust, I related with how Janie strangely felt satisfied. Satisfied with the life she was finally able to live, and thankful for the memories that she could now live with. An interesting perspective on grief - instead of running away from the things that remind us of our loss, wrapping those things around us tight, like a blanket and allowing those memories to warm our souls.