A review by btaylorb
Beloved by Toni Morrison

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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

5.0

I have vague memories of reading this in high school, and only a surface level reading at that; I think the structure and curriculum sucked the joy out of reading a lot of things that I otherwise would have loved. I also remember feeling frustrated by my peers who could only deal with the more difficult and complex passages with uncomfortable squirming or giggling. I’m glad I returned to this work now, and listening to it in Toni Morrison’s own voice was especially powerful.

There were passages that were so stunningly beautiful even when they described horrific things, that I had to pause the book not because they were upsetting but so I that I could sit with the words and marvel at their composition.