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Summary: Amazing- Author of "BrainChild": Visions of a Blind Poet"
Review: No one writes a novel like Toni Morrison. No one. Her descriptive style is incomparable. The clever narrative pulls you in from the start. The language is beautiful. "The Bluest Eye" is a novel with many intricate stories that all intertwine and read more like poetry than anything else.The book's main character, Pecola Breedlove, is a poor, dark skinned, black child. She is considered to be ugly, and she is teased and ridiculed by most of the people that she comes into contact with. She sees that society's image of what beautiful looks like does not look like her. While society merely tolerates her, it warmly embraces it's beautiful people. The beautiful people had money, dressed nicely, and typically had white skin and blue eyes. Even a light skinned black girl with pretty clothes and green eyes was accepted in society as being beautiful. Pecola equated this acceptance into society with love. Perhaps if she had blue eyes, the bluest eyes, then she too, would be loved... What was unthinkable at the time the book was written is possible now. One CAN buy colored contact lenses, change one's hair length and color, and even bleach one's skin if one wants to. There are still many people out there who are being made to feel like Pecola did. "The Bluest Eye" invites us to not only feel sorry for poor Pecola and people like her, but also to examine our own views as well.
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Summary: A Heart Warming Story
Review: This wonderful novel is a story of an eleven year old girl, Pecola, who goes through the hardships in life such as being raised in a ghetto neighborhood, how it is like to be treated when your African-American, wishing you could be beautiful like the blue-eyed white girls in school, and growing up physically as a girl.
Pecola grows up in a big family and her family suffers through many hardships because they are not wealthy; they eat leftovers and buy cheap groceries. Pecola prays that she could be one of the little girls who sleep in their extravagant beds with little Raggedy-Ann dolls with pictures of their family all by their bedside (Morrison 20). She just wishes her family was normal, which they are far from it. Her father got drunk every night and would have weird rants, her brother has a traumatizing experience (almost like being raped), and the mother is just a little on the "loony" side.
Not only does Oprah recommend this book, but I do because you could easily relate to Pecola personally. If you have ever lived in a poor neighboorhood or knew someone that went through hardships in a neighborhood like that then you would really enjoy this book. The author, Toni Morrison, uses amazing detail and imagery that makes the story really easy to picture in your mind.
The reader would like this book because it shows what a pre-teen girl in the 1960's had to go through in everyday life.
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Summary: It's in the Language
Review: This book is thoroughly entertaining. I began it with some reservations since Morrison has been repeatedly compared to Alice Walker of whom I'm not a fan. I found, however, that the Bluest Eye is vastly superior to Walker's writing. Morrison's language is beautiful as her descriptions and metaphors are so apt they virtually leave a taste in your mouth. Additionally, Morrison uses a variety of storytelling techniques that keep the reader's attention. The characters are alive as the story progresses unpredictably - the finale is so out of the blue plot wise, but so thematically perfect. Every fan of literature should read this.
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Summary: To be white, please?
Review: Race, from being black, not white, called black as opposed to brown or tan or cafe or cafe au lait or mocha or chocolate or obsidian even, is not a good thing. What is black? Does anyone not Black truly yearn to be Black? Come on, honestly? But White, as in Caucasian, that is the desire, the passion that graces magazines covers. Count the White faces, the colored eyes, the blonde hair and then look at the irony of the suntanned skin. Present in shade...slightly but denied in form.
Pecola yearns to be White, not just for the physical form, I think the title distracts the initial reader as too literal, she yearns for it working out, for life being fair, for being eligible to be on magazine covers, one day television, in movies, in power, in control. Hair and eyes are just the ink on the admissions ticket.
Children today, this day, teenagers across the country, play at Black. The slang, supposing that they are speaking jive, that rap music makes them down, that knowing, touching, dating Black makes them the tabooed Other. Baggy pants, name brand plastered clothing. We shall overcome? Ha! We shall succumb, succumb to a hypocrisy that is as twisted and amazing and mazed as the beauty in all shades, from chalk to chocolate.
Perhaps my children, whatever color or combination of colors they may will look up at me with blue eyes and they won't be alien, they won't be strange, they won't be the Other, they will be embraced. For ultimately Pecola wants to be embraced. Embraced by parents, friends, love. And yet she is in America, a country which is still divided over which children to embrace, which faces to spread white, brown, yellow...etc, etc..
And still I, ME! ME! Still I rise everyday. And thats the built in irony to being Black, knowing that tomorrow whether you're in the South or the North, poor or rich, pretty or ugly, you must get up, get up, get up even if your hair isn't blond eand your eyes aren't blue. But like Pecola, sometimes, on the fringe of a day, on the edge of a glance of suspicion, or a clutched purse as wealth bulges silently in my wallet, or someone who tells me how incredible I am but that they would never date or be attracted to Black as if I am a Martian, as if I lack humanity enough to be considered, I wonder as I wander about having eyes of azure and hair the color of urine.
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Summary: Powerfully depressing
Review: I have seldom felt as depressed as I did the day I finished reading "The Bluest Eye"; not because I was sad it was finished, but because it is simply an overwhelmingly depressing book. So, if you are fond of books that make you feel this way, you will love it. Personally I hated it for this reason, but I give it an extra star because at least it made me feel at all.
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Summary: A literary genius of courage
Review: This book is definitely the work of literary genius. Morrison takes the life of a girl that would ordinarily be trivialized, and gives it royalty by the presentation of truth with boldness in description and detail. Not only does Morrison examine the prejudicial thoughts and actions towards the victim, but she also presents the trail of victimization that led to the tragedy (ies). This is an exquisite "book quilt" of human frailty and strength, patched together by a mastermind of literature, poetry, and humanity. A highly recommend this book to those who enjoy poetry and who dare to explore truth.
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Summary: A MUST Literary Read.
Review: This is not a book you will pick up and read quickly; although it isn't large. You will read this book slowly; trying to figure out it's message... the message, however, brings about a story that it compelling. Deep south, 1930's-1940's, black children trying to live their lives. Especially Pecola Breedlove... who has an 'ugly family' and who feels ugly herself. Pecola wants blue eyes, they will make her pretty. Pecola is the 10 year old in this book who takes the story beyond human emotion. It is a simple story with a heavy, heartfelt message. All in the name of Pecola Breedlove.
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Summary: this book is a lit class in itself
Review: I am hardly finished with it, but I have to recommend this book to anyone interested in true literature. There is very little fiction out there now that is worth the time it takes to read. This is not only a meaty, moving story but an excercise in beautiful use of language. Morrison's use of description is a treat for all senses. Women especially will appreciate her imagery. And to think, this was her FIRST novel...
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Summary: Greatly Disappointed
Review: I was so sure I'd love this book. I'd heard so much about it on [T.V.]. However, although the story line held my interest (it was in no way spellbinding), and the prose was sufficient, I was very disappointed that Toni Morrison went to such lengths to include bad language and disgusting imagery. I was sickened, not by the subject matter, but by the gutter-dredging manner in which she presents it. Toni went out of her way to get it in there, necessary or not (and it was not). The story could have been told without all the sensationalism of filth. I finished the book (this book with no end) and dropped it in the return slot of my local library. Maybe someone will enjoy it. Personally, I will never waste my money on Toni Morrison again.
Rating:
Summary: Great
Review: This book is heart wrenching. It truly makes you reflect on yourself and your values. The setting is simple, but the characters grab you in to the story. This book confronts the issue of racial identity and pride, as well as how beauty is perceived. This is definitely a must read.
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