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okiecozyreader's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
It’s taken me a long time to pick up THE BLUEST EYE, namely because two of my Bookclubs chose it to discuss, and I am so glad I did. I heard a clip of Morrison saying how she wants everyone to read her books and that she wrote them because writing and having children were the two things she felt most called to do.
This is the sad story of Pecola Breedlove, who we learn early on is not beautiful by the world’s standards - but was destroyed by the rape of her father (which we learn on the page before Autumn begins). In that section, Morrison writes,
“There is really nothing more to say - except why. But since why is difficult to handle, one must take refuge in how.”
Through Morrison’s beautiful poetic language we get the story of how all of this came to be, even though it is a tragedy. But it is still the story of our world 50 years later - the story of what is beautiful and how a young Black girl wanted to have blue eyes to be part of the beauty.
“If happiness is anticipation with certainty, we were happy.” P16
“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.” P39
“In these violent breaks in routine that were themselves routine, she could display the style and imagination of what she believed to be her own true self.” P41
“Thrown, in this way, into the binding conviction that only a miracle could relieve her, she would never know her beauty. She would see only what there was to see: the eyes of other people.” P46-47
Moderate: Incest, Violence, Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, and Rape
dsuzno's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Rape, Incest, and Pedophilia
aishallnot's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Rape, Child death, Racial slurs, Racism, and Incest
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Physical abuse
ealish's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Animal death, Racial slurs, Mental illness, Incest, Domestic abuse, Addiction, Religious bigotry, Miscarriage, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Death, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Sexual assault, Excrement, Bullying, Toxic friendship, Sexual violence, Sexism, Grief, Hate crime, Abandonment, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Classism, Child abuse, Rape, Racism, and Pedophilia
betag1013's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Infidelity, Racial slurs, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Grief, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Bullying, Colonisation, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Incest, Terminal illness, Child abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, and Sexual content
matt_zimo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Sexual content, Rape, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Medical trauma, Grief, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Sexual violence, Incest, Vomit, and Body shaming
_jasper_394's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Rape, Child abuse, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Incest, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Bullying, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Animal death, Body shaming, and Child death
kanj1's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
5.0
Graphic: Racism, Sexism, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, and Classism
Moderate: Drug use, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Death of parent, and Sexual content
Minor: Pedophilia
torismazarine's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Death, Rape, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Animal death, Antisemitism, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Sexism, Classism, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Misogyny, Murder, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, and Violence
nat_jasper's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Domestic abuse