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oliviah16's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Incest, Racial slurs, Racism, and Sexual assault
amyschmelzer's review against another edition
5.0
That’s one heavy book. I wasn’t expecting it to contain ALL the content warnings that it did. I was prepared for most of them until it came down to Soaphead. That part made me sick.
felicity26's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Animal abuse, rape and sexual contexts
organicwario's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
bluereen's review against another edition
5.0
"You looked at them and wondered why they were so ugly; you looked closely and could not find the source. Then you realized that it came from conviction, their conviction. It was as though some mysterious all-knowing master had given each one a cloak of ugliness to wear, and they had each accepted it without question."
Wow. Just wow. I read this with the hope that it could serve as the novel for my thesis. I can't say for sure yet if I'll go with this—but even if it doesn't end up being the one, I definitely have no regrets reading this book. My first Morrison! What happens when notions of beauty intersect with race, gender, and relationships? You get a masterpiece called The Bluest Eye.
The novel confronts heavy issues and my heart honestly broke for the characters multiple times throughout. While Pecola experiences the worst downfall, I couldn't help but feel devastated for Mrs. Breedlove too. I think it was clever of Morrison to introduce this character without initially mentioning her first name. She is depicted to be cold and authoritative to her children; they don't even call her mother—only 'Mrs. Breedlove.' I flipped through the novel thinking she was a heartless old soul; but some hundred pages later, Morrison stunned me by providing Pauline's heartbreaking backstory. Afterward, I could never look at her the same way.
So thank you, Toni Morrison, for reminding us once again of how humans belong to multiple social categories throughout their lives. While it is a given that women are more disadvantaged than men in society, it wouldn't be fair to equate the experiences of white women with black women, as The Bluest Eye makes it painfully clear just how different the latter's situation truly is.
Wow. Just wow. I read this with the hope that it could serve as the novel for my thesis. I can't say for sure yet if I'll go with this—but even if it doesn't end up being the one, I definitely have no regrets reading this book. My first Morrison! What happens when notions of beauty intersect with race, gender, and relationships? You get a masterpiece called The Bluest Eye.
The novel confronts heavy issues and my heart honestly broke for the characters multiple times throughout. While Pecola experiences the worst downfall, I couldn't help but feel devastated for Mrs. Breedlove too. I think it was clever of Morrison to introduce this character without initially mentioning her first name. She is depicted to be cold and authoritative to her children; they don't even call her mother—only 'Mrs. Breedlove.' I flipped through the novel thinking she was a heartless old soul; but some hundred pages later, Morrison stunned me by providing Pauline's heartbreaking backstory. Afterward, I could never look at her the same way.
So thank you, Toni Morrison, for reminding us once again of how humans belong to multiple social categories throughout their lives. While it is a given that women are more disadvantaged than men in society, it wouldn't be fair to equate the experiences of white women with black women, as The Bluest Eye makes it painfully clear just how different the latter's situation truly is.
alisarae's review against another edition
5.0
My first Morrison. It is dense and the narrative is intentionally fragmented to challenge the reader's ease of accepting the story, so I need to read it again. Maybe in time.
supercoolhotgirl's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Every word Toni Morrison chooses is purposeful. The way that she humanizes the villainous characters of her novels forces us to confront OUR role in their actions and how we, societally, have interacted with their downfalls.
trizfernandes's review against another edition
challenging
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75