Review by lexi_k - The Bluest Eye

lexi_k 's review for:

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

3.5

challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Toni herself and it’s possible that her narration is what put me off about this book. She had no emotion or conviction whatsoever when reading dialogue, didn’t change her voice in any capacity for characters. Her tone was monotone to the point where it was hard to discern climactic points vs generic parts of the story. The story was also so short that it didn’t really enthrall me emotionally, and I never got invested in the characters. Maybe that was intentional, but for a book that is so critically acclaimed, I thought it was just okay. It was well written and the themes were very dark and powerful, but it almost seems like it would make a better movie than a book because even just listening to it I didn’t feel as much emotional impact as a movie would have made me feel. It was also interesting to read about the black experience and prejudice from a black perspective, in that even within the black community there is judgement and negativity. I didn’t hate this book, I just didn’t find myself enjoying the story and that is big for me.

Content Warnings