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52nd out of 3,795 books
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20,674 voters
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Beloved
Staring unflinchingly into the abyss of slavery, this spellbinding novel transforms history into a story as powerful as Exodus and as intimate as a lullaby. Sethe, its protagonist, was born a slave and escaped to Ohio, bur eighteen years later she is still not free. She has too many memories of Sweet Home, the beautiful farm where so many hideous things happened. And Sethe...more
Paperback, 324 pages
Published
July 24th 2007
by Vintage
(first published 1987)
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Jessica
rated it
Recommends it for:
makes a nice mother's day present
Recommended to Jessica by:
"recommended" is putting it mildly
Beloved is the Great American Horror Novel. Sorry Stephen King: evil clowns and alcoholic would-be writers are pretty creepy, but they just got nothing on the terrifying specter of American slavery! I literally got chills -- physical chills -- over and over while reading this book. To me, great horror has the scary element (e.g., a ghost) and then, lurking behind it, something so vast and evil that trying to think about it can make you go insane. Beloved did that! It worked as horror! And then a...more
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I don't give books low marks lightly. If anything, I am prone to being carried away by the author's enthusaism and rate books more highly than they deserve. I am an aspiring author, myself, and that also leads me to be kind to the books.
That being said, I really hated this book.
I like fantasy and magical realism. I find the dreams and allegories that live just underneath the skin of the world we can more readily see and touch endlessly fascinating. I like my stories inten...more
That being said, I really hated this book.
I like fantasy and magical realism. I find the dreams and allegories that live just underneath the skin of the world we can more readily see and touch endlessly fascinating. I like my stories inten...more
I hate this book. But I guess I should say why. Some might say that I was too young to read this book since I read it when I was 15 but I'm a few years older now and I still hate it with seething anger. I heard that Toni Morrison was a good writer so when we had to pick a book from this long list I decided to read it. BIG MISTAKE!
I didn't like any of the character -at all-or the plot. I know the book is supposed to give you a view on the cruel treatment of slaves but after I finishe...more
I didn't like any of the character -at all-or the plot. I know the book is supposed to give you a view on the cruel treatment of slaves but after I finishe...more
I geniunely disliked this book. I can't think of anything more direct to say about it than that. I do not understand why on earth people find it so compelling. I do not understand why it is rated so highly by critics. I had to read this for a class, and I struggled with every minute of pushing myself to finish it. Usually, I will at least get involved enough with the characters' story or the writing to have some vague interest in finishing the book. But try as I might, I did not come across one ...more
(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com:]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted here illegally.)
The CCLaP 100: In which I read for the first time a hundred so-called "classics," then write reports on whether or not they deserve the label
Book #23: Beloved, by Toni Morrison (1987)
The story in a nutshell:
To understand the importance of 1987's Beloved, y...more
The CCLaP 100: In which I read for the first time a hundred so-called "classics," then write reports on whether or not they deserve the label
Book #23: Beloved, by Toni Morrison (1987)
The story in a nutshell:
To understand the importance of 1987's Beloved, y...more
This is probably my least favorite book I have ever read. I think I hate it even more because so many people like it so much. Unlike really trashy novels, people actually try to argue that this is a great book. But it definitely embodies all the things that make me hate books. It's heavy handed with its message, which ultimately ruins some pretty spectacular imagery. Its also just a giant pastiche of people who can actually write, which makes it just feel disjointed and annoying since it switche...more
Ivy's Mom
rated it
I have long believed in ghosts, but not in the supernatual or paranormal sense. I believe ghosts are memories or what Toni Morrison names as "rememory." I heard on NPR this week a man say that he was the grandchild of slaves and when he went into the voting booth and cast his ballot for Senator Obama he saw his grandparents faces, rememory. I once went to Auschwitz in Poland and my friend said to me as we walked thru the sadness, "they are looking at us, they are in the flowers...more
Unfortunately, I just could not get into this book. I tried reading it as a class assignment and again on my own, but alas. It wasn't the writing style, which was...a cute attempt for creativeness but resulted in harming the progress of the story (much like Faulkner's Sound and the Fury actually). Don't misunderstand me, I love being exposed to different styles such as stream-of-consciousness, magical realism or what have you - but I feel that this book fails, miserably. I am also not a fan of ...more
K.D.
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommended to K.D. by:
TIME Magazine's Best 100 Novels, 500 Must Read Books, Pulitzer Winner, Oprah Selection, 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die (2006-2010)
My first book by Toni Morrison (born Chloe Ardelia Wofford in 1931), the first black Nobel (1993) laureate for literature. Published in 1998 and many considered as her greatest work, Beloved won that year's Pulitzer award.
This is also my 124th book included in the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die 2010 edition and I say that there is absolutely nothing like this. The theme is multi-layered: pointblank, it looks like a plain ghost story. But if you dig deeper, it is an anti-raci...more
This is also my 124th book included in the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die 2010 edition and I say that there is absolutely nothing like this. The theme is multi-layered: pointblank, it looks like a plain ghost story. But if you dig deeper, it is an anti-raci...more
Shane Malcolm
rated it
Recommends it for:
fans of Toni Morrison, fans of contemporary fiction, fans of the written word
Shelves:
novels-and-novellas
Toni Morrison may be my favorite contemporary author. She is certainly in my Top 5. Each and every one of her novels is extraordinary. Beloved won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, and although it's not quite my personal favorite, it's probably her masterpiece as well as one of the greatest creations in the history of the written word. Morrison's prose is exquisite, which makes reading her books pure joy. If she was simply writing nonsense, the pleasure would still be all ours. However, she ...more
I hated this book. There's just no nicer way to put it. Toni Morrison is definitely NOT my favorite author. I got stuck reading this for a book report my junior year of high school and I wanted to take it outside and burn it. If it wouldn't have been a library copy, I probably would have. I don't know what else to say. I won't go into grand detail about all the things that made this book awful because I would be here all night. Needless to say, I will never pick up another book from her. ...more
If it weren't for a long plane ride, I probably wouldn't have gotten past the first 30 or so pages of this novel. But I'm glad I did because the novel is very beautifully written and well-constructed, though not necessarily a page-turner. The prose is very lyrical and dream-like, as it weaves the reader in and out of the past, but can also be confusing, especially if you read the novel in short chunks on the subway. The book basically explores the return of Paul D., a slave who once worked for t...more
Is Beloved a Great Novel? Certainly it is a very good one, holding as it does the unique distinction of being one of the few eminently popular 'serious' novels that appeal equally, which is not to say universally, to casual, serious and professional readers alike. But is it Great? Is it one of the greatest? Or isn't it?
I ask because I get the sense that Beloved's status as a/(the?) Great (American) Novel tends to garner a range of support less unequivocal than that of, say, Moby Dick...more
I ask because I get the sense that Beloved's status as a/(the?) Great (American) Novel tends to garner a range of support less unequivocal than that of, say, Moby Dick...more
Christy
rated it
Every time I read this book I love it more.
Eventually I'll be able to write about it and feel I'm doing it justice.
In the meantime, here are a few thoughts, beginning with a favorite scene, one that is at the heart of Beloved--Baby Suggs' sermon in the Clearing:
"She did not tell them to clean up their lives or to go and sin no more. She di dnot tell them they were the blessed of the earth, its inheriting meek or its glorybound pure.
"She told them th...more
Eventually I'll be able to write about it and feel I'm doing it justice.
In the meantime, here are a few thoughts, beginning with a favorite scene, one that is at the heart of Beloved--Baby Suggs' sermon in the Clearing:
"She did not tell them to clean up their lives or to go and sin no more. She di dnot tell them they were the blessed of the earth, its inheriting meek or its glorybound pure.
"She told them th...more
Morrison's classic novel of the female slave experience speaks to history and remembering (or not remembering). She addresses the meaning of being free, especially for women; women's roles and expectations, defiance, and what it means to rather kill your children than let them experience what you experienced.
Some of the themes include
Learning and knowledge: the character of schoolteacher embodies the oppressor's knowledge and education and writes with the ink that Sethe hersel...more
Some of the themes include
Learning and knowledge: the character of schoolteacher embodies the oppressor's knowledge and education and writes with the ink that Sethe hersel...more
Toni Morrison's Beloved is one of the greatest achievements of the 20th Century. Studying the present state of African-American existence and slavery's long reach into people's lives today in the United States, Beloved gets a constantly discussed and debated social and political message across through the use of surrealism. The aspect of Beloved that is truly profound is not the character development (which is deep and well-crafted) or the presentation of Morrison's main intent (which is bo...more
confusing, boring, and pretentious, this is the book that convinced me that the pulitzer doesn't mean shit.
I chose to read this novel for a variety of reasons. For many years now, I have heard of the brilliance of this book. This book has been billed as the “best work of fiction of the last 30 years” by the NY Times and has also been placed within the top 10 of various lists of best fiction of the 20th Century. With praise like that, it is almost impossible not to disappoint, but for a lot of reasons, I though this book was very much a four-star book instead of a five-star book.
The sto...more
The sto...more
Alison
rated it
Recommends it for:
so many mixed opinions out there, I couldn't recommend this in good faith--I'll keep it for myself
Recommended to Alison by:
RGBC
Shelves:
alltime100novel,
ew25best
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I'm struggling to write my book review of Toni Morrison's Beloved, which, quite frankly, left me speechless. After turning the last page, I found myself in one of my favorite reading predicaments: there was nothing for me to do but sit there and feel the story wash over me. I couldn't analyze, I could vocalize, I could only be with the narrative. A day later, I still feel like that's all I can do. But I'll try.
Beloved is inspired by the story of a fugitive slave, Margaret Garner,...more
Beloved is inspired by the story of a fugitive slave, Margaret Garner,...more
This is the worst book that I have ever read. It epitomizes what elite academics love about literature: It is dark and nasty (which, to an academic, means realistic) and it is obscure and incoherent (to an academic, this means deep and profound). This is like the deliberately hideous painting that is called "art" by intellectuals: Common-sense individuals question its merit and are told it is complex, beautiful, and beyond the untrained understanding and crass sensibilities of the uned...more
I read about half a dozen pages of this before I chucked it.
The description of the male servants/workers f***ing the cows (poor creatures) because of the girl's good looks totally disgusted me.
I would never have picked it up if it weren't on the reading list for my uni class.
The description of the male servants/workers f***ing the cows (poor creatures) because of the girl's good looks totally disgusted me.
I would never have picked it up if it weren't on the reading list for my uni class.
Granted it's generally unwise to believe the hype, but everyone should make an exception to that rule for Toni Morrison, who is a master of prose fiction. Beloved is a remarkable contribution to world literature for many reasons: metaphor and a sense of human character on the level of Faulkner; total mastery of historical setting; and what surprised me most, what's perhaps most unusual about this book, is that it's not only about the injuries that history perpetrates on the human mind, but spec...more
Admitting that I am not a fan of this book is a gross understatement. And this, given that I read it before Oprah filmed her genuinely pathetic and ill-conceived movie version. The fact that I am giving this one star has more to do with my respect for Toni Morrison than with any regard or lack thereof that I have for this book. Which is probably antithetical to the very purpose of the rating system, but I persevere nonetheless in bending it to my will. Avoid this book if you value your sanity.
I read this book in college and remember it with sincere hatred. The only reason I am giving this book 2 stars is because the story is incredibly original and Morrison is a truly gifted author (as she tells the stories in characters point of views, using every unique style of speech to convey the story). This has to be one of the most difficult books I have ever read. The book switches narrators without being told who is narrating the story, so you have to figure out either by their style of spe...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I think it is very interesting that most people have either given this book 5 stars or 1 star.
Toni Morrison's language flows like a river. At times strong, at times slight, never overwhelmed. Dialog among characters is very well done, and just like in real life, sometimes it may not be obvious what's going on. In fact, this is perhaps one of the most interesting things Morrison does in Beloved. As readers, we visit the thoughts and stories of many characters, and in a way, we have pr...more
Toni Morrison's language flows like a river. At times strong, at times slight, never overwhelmed. Dialog among characters is very well done, and just like in real life, sometimes it may not be obvious what's going on. In fact, this is perhaps one of the most interesting things Morrison does in Beloved. As readers, we visit the thoughts and stories of many characters, and in a way, we have pr...more
Disclaimer: This is not a review. This may have spoilers. Read at your own risk. Visit original post at Book Rhapsody.
***
Intro
I don’t know if I will be able to write anything about this novel. For the past five days, I’ve been doing two full-time jobs. I am a trainee at the new one, a trainer at the old one.
Anyway, what goes on in my personal life is none of your business. Let us proceed with the real business. It’s Friday today and I have to do my duties ...more
***
Intro
I don’t know if I will be able to write anything about this novel. For the past five days, I’ve been doing two full-time jobs. I am a trainee at the new one, a trainer at the old one.
Anyway, what goes on in my personal life is none of your business. Let us proceed with the real business. It’s Friday today and I have to do my duties ...more
It has been a while since I last was online (according to this computer's calculations: 13 days ago) and since then I have finished the monumental "Beloved."
The only way I can describe this sure classic is: "a mix between the most brilliant of Hawthorne (his Scarlet Letter bears plenty of similarities to Beloved since it too deals with a time of intense persecution in this country, the roles women play at such historical crossroads, the ghosts of the burdensome past ma...more
The only way I can describe this sure classic is: "a mix between the most brilliant of Hawthorne (his Scarlet Letter bears plenty of similarities to Beloved since it too deals with a time of intense persecution in this country, the roles women play at such historical crossroads, the ghosts of the burdensome past ma...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Rory Gilmore ...: Beloved by Toni Morrison | 5 | 19 | Feb 05, 2012 05:40am | |
| What did you like most about Toni Morrison's "Beloved"? | 9 | 42 | Jan 24, 2012 09:04am | |
| I haven't read the book yet... | 9 | 27 | Jan 10, 2012 10:09am | |
| beloved | 4 | 53 | Jul 04, 2011 09:22pm | |
| Book Discussion multi-cultural | 2 | 34 | Apr 11, 2011 04:45pm | |
| 'stealing the milk' | 3 | 55 | Apr 04, 2011 11:28pm |
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Toni Morrison (born Chloe Anthony Wofford), is an American author, editor, and professor who won the 1993 Nobel Prize in Literature for being an author "who in novels characterized by visionary force and poetic import, gives life to an essential aspect of American reality."
Her novels are known for their epic themes, vivid dialogue, and richly detailed African American characters; ...more
More about Toni Morrison...
Her novels are known for their epic themes, vivid dialogue, and richly detailed African American characters; ...more
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“She is a friend of my mind. She gather me, man. The pieces I am, she gather them and give them back to me in all the right order.”
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“Sweet, crazy conversations full of half sentences, daydreams and misunderstandings more thrilling than understanding could ever be.”
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