harrydixon93's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
dhusovic's review against another edition
5.0
Beloved was not the first Toni Morrison book I read but after reading Sula many years back, I remember bookmarking Morrison as an author whose style resonated with me. Beloved took me many tries over the course of five years (much like many other exceptional books) and here is why.
Morrison does not write unnecessarily. If you miss a line, you miss detail she meant for you to know. This book needs to be read slowly and deliberately. Picking up the <300 page novel this last time, my main thought was that I could get it read quickly. Frequently I would sit and read for a very lengthy time only to find myself only having completed a few pages. You cannot simply run through it amongst a busy lifestyle and get 100% of its message, which is probably why my prior attempts failed. My advice for those of you who 'didn't get it' is to read it again, slowly, without distraction and give it your undivided attention.
Beloved paints a haunting picture of one of the United States' most troubling time periods and the true impact felt by its people. Themes of community, hope, despair, fear, and love, dominate the pages. I am a firm believer in the fact that a story does not make the book. It has to be written beautifully as well. It is not light reading and is certainly not a feel-good novel to read at the beach (as I almost attempted) but it will leave you in awe of its characters and author's beautiful way of defining them for a long time after.
Brilliant!
Morrison does not write unnecessarily. If you miss a line, you miss detail she meant for you to know. This book needs to be read slowly and deliberately. Picking up the <300 page novel this last time, my main thought was that I could get it read quickly. Frequently I would sit and read for a very lengthy time only to find myself only having completed a few pages. You cannot simply run through it amongst a busy lifestyle and get 100% of its message, which is probably why my prior attempts failed. My advice for those of you who 'didn't get it' is to read it again, slowly, without distraction and give it your undivided attention.
Beloved paints a haunting picture of one of the United States' most troubling time periods and the true impact felt by its people. Themes of community, hope, despair, fear, and love, dominate the pages. I am a firm believer in the fact that a story does not make the book. It has to be written beautifully as well. It is not light reading and is certainly not a feel-good novel to read at the beach (as I almost attempted) but it will leave you in awe of its characters and author's beautiful way of defining them for a long time after.
Brilliant!
coltonchase_'s review against another edition
5.0
What else is there to say about Toni?
Beloved is one of those novels that gets a little clearer every time you read it.
23 year old Colton understood it better than 17 year old Colton did. Hopefully 29 year old Colton loves it just as much and understands it even more.
Thank you for your gifts, Toni.
Beloved is one of those novels that gets a little clearer every time you read it.
23 year old Colton understood it better than 17 year old Colton did. Hopefully 29 year old Colton loves it just as much and understands it even more.
Thank you for your gifts, Toni.
showd's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
ar_ya's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
tirragen's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
5.0
colleenbee's review against another edition
I got only one or two chapters in before I quit due to crudeness. I'm no prude, but start talking bestiality and I'm done. I looked up a synopsis on Wikipedia and found out it only got worse from there, so I'm glad I quit when I did.
celeste98's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
bookiss's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
4.25