Rating: 
Summary: Ok I suppose
Review: To my great displeasure, i was forced to read this in school, and I didn't like it at all. That is not to say that it was not a good book, but I didn't enjoy it. From the very beginning Janie is apoiled as all get out. Her grandmother forces her into marriage with a sort of old man, who seems to genuinly care for her, but is not as romantic as she would like, so she goes off with another man, who is not much better. You will have to read the book to find out the rest. Even though I personally didn't like it, this book was well written. Janie was a dynamic character who continuously grew throughout the book. She became a woman who understood what she was about and what she was looking for in life. I found the language hard to understand at times, and I would have to read it out loud. I also didn't really like any of the characters because they either seemed foolish or dislikeable. I personally would never recommend this book to anyone, but since other people really do enjoy it, maybe you will too.
Rating: 
Summary: I felt utterly indifferent
Review: In a nutshell, "Their Eyes" is a story of how one woman's passivity and acquiescence tempts men to abuse her. Janie Crawford-Killicks-Logan-Woods is almost impossibly dull and unrealistic in her role as the lead heroine. Being a young (but progressively older) black woman in the rural turn-of-the-century South she seems to have the mobility of a Harrier jet. She marries with little or no consideration, walks out on marriages, and seems unimpeded by either long-distance train fare, Jack Crow laws, or, for that matter, the conventions of standard English. Janie's quest is one for identity, although, being as witless as she is, she constantly gets caught up in deceptive romances that quickly turn into abusive relationships. This tale would be tragic were the heroine anyone but Janie. As it is, it leaves the reader hoping. The writing? In a word: florid. Hurston's prose is purple to the point of being ultraviolet. The narrative is peppered with discussions on the nature of mankind, the humanity of various characters, and how everything is for the best, but eventually the reader begins to notice that everything that happens in "Their Eyes" is due to acts of God. Deaths by kidney failure. Lucrative strangers proposing marriage. Floods and hurricanes. Rabies. By the end of the book, I was watching God myself, hoping that the next disaster to strike would at least propel the story by killing off a tired, depleted character. Frankly, I cannot see why "Their Eyes" is touted as a leading classic of black literature. Perhaps I am not part of its target audience, perhaps I am not in the mood for clumsy, didactic fables, perhaps I am misunderstanding something, but in the end, with everything said and done (I even read the original critics' reviews and the afterword!), I felt completely and utterly indifferent...
Rating: 
Summary: A Scathing Review of an Abominable Novel
Review: Much to my consternation, I was forced to read this book for school. Despite my efforts to take pleasure in the experience, the literature lacked any excitement. In addition, the imagery was sparse, and when it did appear, it was very dry. As the main character, Janie was a one-dimensional sap with the emotional integrity of a neanderthal. While the dialect attempts to create an authentic view of a southern locale, it succeeds only in aggravating the reader. Wading through the perplexing vernacular takes all attention away from the story itself, although this may not be an entirely negative aspect. All in all, Their Eyes Were Watching God fails to live up to its reputation as classic American literature.
Rating: 
Summary: Life and Love
Review: Everyone can identify with Janie in Their Eyes Were Watching God because she is searching for true love. Through the novel, Janie endures love, loss, humiliation, and redemption. A truly human story of a simple life where only the best will suffice. It is a story about finding oneself and becoming a stronger person.
Rating:
Summary: Of little literary merit
Review: It's a pity that Their Eyes Were Watching God isn't a few hundred pages longer; it would make a most excellent doorstop and perform far more capably in that position than it ever has as a work of literature. Even at its thankfully brief length, it is preferable as a mediocre doorstop to an intolerably pointless novel. Despite a modicum of skill at depicting life in small towns, Nora Zeale Hurston is ultimately unsuccessful in her attempt to write an enjoyable book. There are characters, though not likable ones; a romance, though highly unconvincing; a plot-- sort of; social commentary, though heavy handed and unsubtle. In short, Eyes has the elements of a novel that could and has worked with better writing (see A Room With a View). Unfortunate, then, that no such prowess is displayed. Perhaps the most flawed aspect of Eyes is that it is not written in English. I refuse to concede that the overdone vernacular dialogue contained within is English, particularly as it is fraught with inconsistencies: "lak" and "like" are used interchangeably, as are "yo'" and "you" and "mouth" and "mouf," adding to the confusion of any reader unfortunate enough to be slogging through the conversations. Nor is the prose any better (though it CAN be positively identified as English); it waxes melodramatic and insipid. "A sobbing sigh burst out of Janie"?! Dear me. The story-within-a-story format doesn't work either, particularly when dialogues Janie has no way of knowing and previous conversations with the friend to whom she is narrating her life story show up. Surely both Pheoby and Jane can still remember what they said to each other without Janie's having to repeat the entire conversation? The logic escapes me. Regrettably, the characters are equally baffling. Janie alternates between being incredibly rash (in my opinion, anyone marrying someone of about a fortnight's acquaintance deserves what she gets) and projecting a paragon of wise, black womanliness. This perfect specimen retains faith and optimism through the harshest trials to such a degree that it's nauseating. And did I mention that the magnanimous and courageous Janie is also a beautiful woman, excellent cook, and fast learner? Tea Cake is less perfect, though he does still repeatedly reassure Janie of her beauty and worth and even helps her cook dinner without being prompted. (This is realistic fiction, not fantasy, right?) Subsequently, their 'romance' is as flat as the characters themselves and inspires no interest. Barring characters and writing, Eyes still has a chance for redemption through masterful social commentary...which it does not possess. True, there IS social commentary. Every now and then, there is a brief but transparent rant on the lack of power of black women, or white injustice to blacks or the black inferiority complex. After awhile, these lose their power to amuse with their unsubtlety and become merely tiresome. They are too obvious to have much impact. Dreadful as the language may be, it at least provides the perfect word to describe the entire book: monstropolous. (My inability to find it in a dictionary strengthens my suspicions that Eyes is written in a language loosely based on, but inferior in structure and consistency to, English.) I conclude unable to justify its status as a classic whatsoever and highly recommend that future readers, unless masochists or insomniacs, avoid Their Eyes Were Watching God with utmost care. Ailanna
Rating:
Summary: Great book, much better than expected
Review: I didn't expect to like this book. This book was required reading and, to tell you the truth, I was going into the experience expecting not to like it. I had just read "I Know Why a Caged Bird Sings" and had heard this book was very similar to it. The people who told me that were blatantly wrong. This book has nothing to do with race. This book is the story of Janie and her microcosm of southern black culture. This book deals with cultural boundaries and cultural identitiesÑas WEB Dubois said "the reality of the hyphenated African-American." What I loved about this book was that it didn't deal with oppression or hatred, it simply celebrated the brilliant uniqueness of Janie's culture and all of its characters and lovable imperfections. Hurston did a good job with this book, as she showed the dichotomy between the American culture and the African-American culture through the use of dialogue and poetic prose. The story was interesting and Tea Cake was an intriguingly perfect character with so many imperfections. Reading this book, it is hard not to be engrossed in the culture of Eatonville and the other cities. Why only four stars? I thought Hurston tried a little too hard in some of the "poetic prose" sections and it sounded a little overdone. I think all meaning can be extracted from the exceptional dialogue of the book. A minor qualm. A great book nonetheless. milo
Rating:
Summary: Edifying yet ponderous
Review: Their Eyes Were Watching God is very well written, and Zora Neale Hurston evinces her themes excellently; however, this book is exacting and requires a lot of effort from the reader. Most of the dialogue tries to mimic southern vernacular and can be a pain for the reader; you should be prepared to invest at least 3 weeks for this book because even though the story is slow to pick up you can't skimp on the beginning and have to pay attention to metaphores, yet this book deserves 4 stars because of the sheer way it is written and the method Zora uses to present her themes. This book should be studied, and not read for entertainment. You will not be on the edge of your seat, but you will marvel at and envy Zora's prose. The three weeks or more weeks you spend on this novel should pay for itself as you see a master at work.
Rating: 
Summary: English
Review: I had to read this book for my AP English class last year, and it was absolutly amazing. The strenght of character is so comforting as well as inspiring. I liked it so much, I kept my loaned copy!
Rating:
Summary: Ruby Dee is a fantastic narrator
Review: This unabridged reading of "Their Eyes..." is wonderful. I first picked up an abridged version narrated by Ruby Dee and loved her interpretation of it, but hated the abridgement of the novel done for that tape. I have also heard another narrator for this book, but that version drove me (and my students) crazy. The woman's voice was great, but she paused so long between sentences that I just wanted to hurry her up. But this new reading brings all the beauty of Hurston's words and the lushness of her metaphors to life without interminable pauses. It's very evident why Ruby Dee is one of the American theater's national treasures. The varied voices she uses for the different characters are not always what I imagined, but they are all effective and all are "right." If you are an individual who wants a terrific interpretation of "Their Eyes Were Watching God" to listen to on your own, buy this. If you are considering buying the recording for a school (or as an institutional purchase), do so. In either case, you will have made a wise choice. To hear Ruby Dee read Zora Neale Hurston is worth every penny it costs to buy it and every minute it takes to listen to the tapes.
Rating:
Summary: It deserves to be a part of the canon
Review: This book took me by surprise, unfolding itself, layer after layer, page after page. I was wondering when it would become level, and my interest would wane. But it didn't! I kept being fascinated by the character development, the prose, the plot, the descriptions of everyday life. She was a great writer, and I want to read some of her other books. I hope more people get turned on to her and her book becomes a must read classic of American education, like The Great Gatsby or Moby Dick. It needs to be talked about forever, regardless if you liked it or not.
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