Rating: 
Summary: Remarkable, Yet Flawed
Review: Zora Neale Hurston's 1937 novel "Their Eyes Were Watching God" is one of the first and finest looks by an African American woman at black female life. Although earlier works had examined the particular plight of black females, most notably Harriet Jacobs in her celebrated slave narrative, fiction had shied away from presenting convincing, three-dimensional portraits of black women. There are numerous reasons for this, mostly rooted in sexist and racist attitudes, but Hurston broke through the nonsense with this novel, an in-depth study of an amazing fictional woman named Janie Starks.Janie is amazing because of her strength and determination. She is not afraid to speak her mind, demand justice, or please her own desires. Her first marriage, to a unlikeable man named Logan, ends when she decides he's not good enough for her, and takes off with a smooth-talking ambitious man named Jody. Jody becomes mayor of a growing black town, but Janie soon becomes tired of Jody's selfish behavior and his rather rude treatment of her. But Janie never whines, or bemoans her lot. She acts to change the situation, and in her strength we glimpse not only hope, but the struggles for equality, both in terms of race and gender. If Hurston took flak for not painting a bad enough portrait of white racism, one doesn't need to read too carefully between the lines to find scathing criticism in this book. And yet, there is one feature in this book which softens Hurston's accomplishments, and that is her decision to render all dialogue and conversation between African Americans in a thick dialect. One may give various reasons in support of doing so, and of course there is no right or wrong about the issue, but at times her use of dialect reduces powerful individuals to one-dimensional cariacatures. Although her use of dialect was meant affectionately and to suggest authenticity (Hurston studied anthropology for many years before turning to fiction), it too often reeks of the minstrel tradition and Br'er Rabbit stories, and serves to distance not only the reader from the characters, but the omniscient narrator as well, who speaks in perfect, flowing, beautiful prose. The juxtaposition of the two styles is jarring, obvious, and at times slightly patronizing. I doubt this was Hurston's intent, and the book deserves to be read not only as a historical artifact of the times, but as a helpful and essential addition to American literature. Yes, it has notable flaws, but the book survives and at times transcends them.
Rating:
Summary: Their Eyes Were Watching God
Review: I read this book for my English class. I think the story is interesting and original. When the book was first published many African Americans, like Richard Wright, did not like this book because of the dialect given to the characters, or the fact that there is rascism between African Americans. I think that adds another dimension to the book. More dynamic books are always more interesting. The book is about Janie. As Janie lays under a pear tree she sees how the bees and tree interact. She sees that as ideal love. This book shows how Janie goes from man to man searching for her pear tree. Whether or not she finds her dream of true love can be decided after you read the book.
Rating: 
Summary: Dubois got it right
Review: W.E.B. Dubois did not like this book at all! It was because it makes a mockery of African-American men. It's ture! They are portrayed as nothing more than monkeys. They have no sense of family, spirituality, commitment, determination. This book makes one root fot the Klan more than Gone With the Wind did! The only thing which keeps me from giving it 1 star is the beautifully written narration. It's abou the only part worth reading because the dialogue is simply IMPOSSIBLE to understand. Only read this book if you already hate your fellow man!
Rating: 
Summary: DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK!
Review: This book is painfully bad. I cannot recommend this book to anyone except masochists.
Rating: 
Summary: Beautiful and perfect
Review: Of all the books I own and cherish in my fairly extensive literature collection, I hold this one dearest. I've read "Their Eye's Were Watching God" a countless number of times and each one is like the first--- a thrilling, heartbreaking, and wonderful experience.
Rating:
Summary: A GREAT BOOK, FANTASTIC STORY
Review: THIS BOOK WAS GREAT I DON'T READ TOO MUCH BUT THIS BOOK GOT ME GOING. MY ENGLISH III TEACHER WAS VERY SURPRISED ON MY PARTICAPATION IN CLASS. SHE DIDN'T THINK MY CLASSMATES AND I COULD GET IT, BUT WE DID AND I LOVE THE BOOK IF I COULD GET ANYONE TO READ IT I WOULD. IT IS A CLASSIC AND WORTH READING ESPECIALLY FOR THE GIRLS IT'S A FABULOUS BOOK.
Rating:
Summary: A Beautifully Written Book.
Review: Wow! It must be strange for to read this from someone who is Asian: I am in love with this book. There is beauty in the colloquial dialogues of the characters, which makes the characters believable and enduring. Zora Neale Hurston's use the colloquail is her way of showing life as it is (not a degeneration of the South and Blacks)--a celebration of the Black culture. Lawd, Lawd, Lawd! Janie is most brave character I have read. From her mule-like existence with her first and second husbands, her endures and endures until she blossoms with the arrival of Tea Cake--what smooth talker! But tragedy strikes when Tea Cake has hydrophodia and Janie is force to take action (read the book to find out). From from the start of the novel to the end of court ordeal, Janie comes to a realization: "They got to tuh God, and they got tuh find out about livin' fuh theyselves."
Rating:
Summary: An amazing book!
Review: Zora Hurston did a great job on this book. This book,about a woman's struggle to find love, is as close to real as fiction gets. The dialogue,which is sometimes confusing, makes you feel as if you are there listening to the characters speak. As the book progesses things get more and more interesting. The ending is like no other I've ever read. Everyone can learn something about life by reading this book. I strongly encourage everyone to read it.
Rating:
Summary: This is an American Classic.
Review: This book should be required reading for all Americans. It should be held up with anything that Fitzgerald, Hemmingway or Steinbeck wrote. It is a shame for someone like myself who has had a well rounded liberal education, that I would find this book when only now. Well I am happy I did. This novel is about culture. No different that the one that you and I live in. Just one that was forced to be separate because of the color of the people's skin. It also about the opening of a Women's soul. A soul forced closed by upbringing. An upbringing of love and fear. Her life with Husbands who would not let her hair down. The love of her life and their beautiful but at time troubling dance. Just sit down and read it.
Rating:
Summary: Every woman's hero.
Review: At the end, I closed the book and I cried. Then I wanted to open it and start reading all over again from the beginning. Janie is a woman who has endured oppression, suppression, and tragedy. She found love and she found herself. She not only survived but discovered her own strength and accepted life without self-destructing. Janie, is every woman's hero, most certainly mine.
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