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The Bluest Eye

Toni Morrison

Start date: February 1, 2021

Finish date: February 19, 2021

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The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

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Oct 13, 2022 Rose rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: drama, read-in-2022, audiobooks, grief, abusive-relationships, mature, historical, realistic-fiction, tough-subjects, quick-read

Quick review for a quick read. This is one of those novels that I have a hard time rating because the content in it really hurts my heart. I recognize how significant of a narrative it is and why. It's not one of my favorite novels or one in particular that I loved by Morrison notably because of how hard it is to read for how vividly it depicts rape and incest. I was disgusted by the actions of Mr. Soaphead. The sections in which he details his exploitation of girls is just...skin crawling. (Tho Quick review for a quick read. This is one of those novels that I have a hard time rating because the content in it really hurts my heart. I recognize how significant of a narrative it is and why. It's not one of my favorite novels or one in particular that I loved by Morrison notably because of how hard it is to read for how vividly it depicts rape and incest. I was disgusted by the actions of Mr. Soaphead. The sections in which he details his exploitation of girls is just...skin crawling. (Though intentional given how his part of the story connects the events to relate back to where the story starts.)

Even picking it up now, I can appreciate how well written this was and the notable themes it tackles in its unraveling story. Morrison's style of writing in "The Bluest Eye" is absolutely stunning for attention to detail and emotion, as well as her narration of the audiobook. I picked this up from my library on a whim - to revisit - over the past few days because it became available. I'm gutted after finishing the novel because of revisiting Pecola's journey, especially how bleak, spiraling, and depressing it is.

At the heart of this story, 11-year old Pecola Breedlove is a Black girl who wants blue eyes, shunning her own looks for a beauty standard beyond what she has because of the constant encounters and reminders of how people - and the world around her - say that she's ugly. But the narrative goes beyond just that distinction. The setting is in Ohio during 1941, told from a multitude of perspectives at different times. It can be confusing for a reader who may not realize how the stories intersect, but the primary first person perspective is through 9-year old Claudia MacTeer, the daughter of the foster parents who take in Pecola. Claudia is one of a few friends Pecola has, alongside Claudia's sister Frieda. You gradually learn about what factors into Pecola's experiences and reasoning, including learning about Pecola's parents (Cholly and Pauline - aka Polly) as they were young, family members, and several other supporting characters that are highlighted in the flashbacks throughout the novel.

There's so much trauma that gets unpacked in the experiences by these characters. It's so well-layered throughout the novel, particularly where the characters are either faced with familial rejection, internalized and externalized racism, domestic abuses among other showcases of trauma. I'll note that aside from the rape/incest, which I felt was a bit too much for me to really connect. I'll be transparent and say the latter threw me out of the story several times having to take breathers between. I followed everything else well even with the shifting perspectives.

Eventually, the narrative works up to the moment where Pecola "gets her blue eyes." And believe me when I say, her achieving that measure - especially with respect to everything happening before that and what Claudia observes in Pecola at that part of the novel considering particular revelations - is nothing to celebrate. My heart hurt seeing where the story goes from where it started. I understood the intention, but also noted that this is the kind of novel where the reception of it is polarizing because of the specific portrayal of the difficult subjects in this.

So with that in mind, it made sense to me to give "The Bluest Eye" 3-stars, right on the fence of my perception of it. I loved the writing style, I loved the attention to the characterization and the unpacking of many themes I could relate to that are pertinent to the experience of racism and unrealistic perceptions of beauty alongside other unpacked experiences of trauma in the experiences of the Black cast of characters here. But I would say the way some of those traumas were unpacked were too much for me - personally - to consider it a favorite.

Overall score: 3/5 stars. ...more

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Jan 18, 2016 ColumbusReads rated it liked it

I'm currently on my quest (journey?) this year to read the Toni Morrison canon in chronological order and the first stop in this quest is of course her literary debut, The Bluest Eye. Prior to starting this exciting journey I've been told to give my undivided attention to the prose or else. Well, that was my intention but lo and behold life events waylaid, ambushed and interrupted my plans and my focus was not totally there. And as one knows reading Toni Morrison that's just not going to cut it. ...more

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May 15, 2014 Samantha A rated it really liked it · review of another edition

"Love is never any better than the lover."

Tragic, haunting, and painful to read. I am amazed at how Toni Morrison has the ability to write such heartbreaking content, yet make it sound so beautiful. Her writing is enchanting and utterly poetic. ...more

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Aug 23, 2019 Stuart rated it it was amazing

Listened to the book on Audible, read by Toni Morrison herself — definitely the right choice for me. My version also had an author’s note epilogue with Toni’s thoughts and explanations.

Others can more deeply express how powerful and timely such a work is at this moment in time.

I will say how struck I was by the strength of the writing, and the use of language and lyricism. I found myself appreciating the book more as it went along, especially when it shifts perspectives and storylines. From my ...more

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