Beloved

Rating:
Summary: slow read
Review: I just couldn't get into the story. It seemed to drag on.

Rating:
Summary: Review for and by the politically incorrect
Review: I approached this book with much trepidation. What did I expect? Based upon the book jacket, I was expecting yet another pointless belaboring of the evils of white people and the total irresponsibility of men in general. Would these themes, explored by even a mediocre author, guarantee adulation from the new york times, Oprah's book picks and the Pulitzer Prize committee? Sure it would. And those would be enough to guarantee its financial success. I was expecting politically correct rubbish smattered with enough "dat o'd white fo'ks" to make it appear sufficiently juvenile and bigoted to catch the eye of the contemporary literary world. Oh, was I wrong. This book is truly great literature. It presents life sized characters struggling to survive under unimaginable pressure. I do not agree with several of the other reviewers who present Sethe as a strong heroine. Many of her attempts to cope are completely inappropriate. That is not really the point. The point is seeing a believable character surviving pain that no one should ever have to face. The point is seeing her SURVIVE in the best way that she can and still do everything that she can to protect her children. Pay very close attention to the brief final chapter.

Rating:
Summary: Morrison's writing style is less to be desired
Review: This was the first and only book I have attempted to read by Toni Morrison and I really could not get used to her style of writing. Since I could not get past the style, I could not enjoy the book and get past the first couple of chapters. This book may have an "amazing" story line (if you can get that far); however the choppy dialect was hard to follow and read. Morrison tried to hard to immulate the dialect of that period, but it was more of a hinderance. I did not find this book reaching out and grabbing my attention. Good try though...

Rating:
Summary: Amazingly written!
Review: After reading Beloved, I came to the conclusion that this book was about a woman suffering back when there were slavery. The sins Sethe committed, to her, was okay but to others however, people would disagree. Sethe knew the hardships of slavery and that's why she did not want her children to live in that type of lifestyle or environment. Sethe suffered many experiences that left her to be alone for a long time. When Paul D came, she realized on what she missed out on. But then when Paul D found out what Sethe had done to her children, he discovered that he could not live with that type of life. The baby Sethe killed came back to her in the form of Beloved. After a while Sethe finds out Beloved is her daughter. This book was of good length. I say that it was perfect to an extent where I could understand everything. When I read this book, I really had a hard time. Most of the time I had to re-read everything which left me getting frustrated a lot because Toni Morrison wrote it in a way where getting lost is part of it and you would have to put the pieces together to understand and get the symbolism. I don't think I would want to read anymore of her books unless I was obligated to because her style of writing is just too complicated for me. Well in the book, a lot of stupid things occur. I don't get how Sethe could have killed her child. It's like she was not educated enough to know that children is our basis of life. Children are our next generation. I also think all the lovemaking in this book is kind of weird. To me, making love is special and should be kept within and not for anyone else to see.

Rating:
Summary: Beloved
Review: BELOVED

The story Beloved by Toni Morrison is a story of black life after living a life of slavery. Taking the life of her two-year-old child, Sethe the main character, is forced to live with regret and doubt of her actions. Fearing the thought of her own children being taken into slavery, she takes control of both her own and her children's fates sealing it with unthinkable actions. "Love" is what Sethe uses to justify her actions, and she goes on with life thinking she did the right thing. As the story begins, Paul D., a former slave from Sethe's past enters her life. He and Sethe's relationship grows during the story which lets us see into the past of their two lives. His presence to Sethe is one of her former husband Halle. With him in the picture we are able to get a vivid look on their past history at Sweet Home, the place where Sethe endured pain and suffering and also life. Morrison adds Paul D. to the story to open up past history which Sethe would not be willing to do herself. 124 blue stone road is the house where the lives of Sethe, Denver, Beloved, and Paul D. take place. Although originally owned by Sethe's mother-in-law, Baby Suggs, it becomes Sethe's after her death. On the verge of Sethe's rehappiness, Beloved, the ghost of her first child, comes back to see that happiness never reach Sethe again. Although Sethe tries to justify her actions of killing her child, I feel that she was wrong to do that. Saying that she feared of what might come to her children in slavery was just a way to make her feel at ease. The truth is that in the years of civil rights and racial understanding, blacks had a real chance at life. Beloved should have had the right to a chance to live, but instead her own mother took it from her. The way Morrison writes this book is almost guaranteed to cause the normal reader some confusion. Using many metaphors and terms such as memories and rememories, her style sometimes just makes you say," what's going on here?" But the writing style she uses is so unique because you are forced to come to your own conclusions about many situations in the story. Morrison doesn't come out and tell you what is happening but instead just leads you on and then weaves more of the story in causing you to read more to find out what is really happening. Another confusing aspect of Morrison's style is combining both the past and present together, sometimes in the same scene. Often times she includes little flashback, which is often confusing or goes into the mind of the characters to show why they act the way they do. Overall Morrison's style is one to be conquered. Slavery is the main topic Morrison tries to point out in this novel. By going into the past of Sethe and the people around her, we are able to see a general idea of what slavery was like. Sweet Home shown the black view of slavery, while we were also introduced to many views of whites thought of it. Trying not to seem racist, Morrison gives the reader a clear-cut view of a black slave's life during and after slavery. Although Beloved is a very hard book to read it was overall a pretty good book. At times I was confused because of Morrison's style and the way it seemed like a huge puzzle that I would never be able to put together, but in the end I felt rewarded in seeing a new view on slavery and black life. I thought this book was satisfying and I would recommend it to the experienced reader.

Rating:
Summary: A New Look On Slavery
Review: Ghosts, slavery, and inner torment which goes beyond words, these are only a few of the topics addressed in Toni Morrison's Beloved. Although a tough read at first, the unique story telling style really makes this novel standout. You'll hear that Beloved is confusing, hard to understand, and strangely different. If you'll let this scare you off then stop reading this review now and go find another typical slavery text that is little more than a documentary. However if you're not afraid of something new and original, continue on as Beloved is one of the few great books told by the human spirit. In the beginning of the story you're introduced to 124. The haunting of this infamous house is a part of the greater story of the character's lives. Living in the house are Sethe, Denver, and Baby Suggs. All were a part of the peculiar institution of slavery but are now trying to live as free blacks during the ante-bellum period. Not staying on one idea too long, Morrison brings Paul D. into the story. Paul D, a former slave who used to work at Sweet Home, a plantation, with Sethe, brings with him memories of a past that Sethe spends her life trying not to remember. As emotions and memories are stirred up, the plot begins to unfold. The lives of the characters are told through their memories, and Morrison's style of writing creates a feeling of confusion and struggle with these ideas in the reader similar to what the characters are feeling. By doing this she pulls you into the story so well because you feel what they feel. Soon the harsh reality of the memories is coming from everywhere. You hear of a dead baby, murdered, by her own mother? Then the haunting of the house stops with the appearance of a strange girl who calls herself Beloved. Beloved, the same thing Morrison carved into her unnamed dead baby's gravestone. Paul D, now living with Sethe, has bad feelings about the girl and the events keep building to the unexpected conclusion. Morrison has created a powerful piece of literature that addresses powerful topics. Sethe says "the future is only a matter of keeping the past at bay." She has grown up in the horrible world of slavery and now must live as a "free" woman. For Sethe "living" is nearly impossible and the future unthinkable. Paul D is truly the catalyst needed in Sethes life. "Me and you [Sethe], we got more yesterday than anybody. We need some kind of tomorrow." These words from Paul D illustrate his attempts to not only free himself from the "chains" of the past but free Sethe as well. Constantly the characters are asking themselves and each other what it really means to be "free." Baby Suggs was bought out of slavery with everything broken but her heart. This is another example of Morrison using the lives of the characters to display the horrors of slavery. Each character deals with this idea in their own way, which plays out interestingly. Morrison has also made a strange attempt to write with the voice of the dead. The chapters written from Beloved's point of view are sporadic and jumbled together. They almost sound poetic but the words and verses have little meaning to the reader. For instance, who are the men without skin? Why is she trying to join with a smiling face? What is a hot thing? These chapters were obviously written with good intent but they really seem to have little meaning and actually cause more confusion to the reader than necessary. Although the book is overall enjoyable, the ending is a real let down. After struggling through a couple hundred pages you're expecting everything to finally come together at the end. Obviously, that isn't Morrison's style; instead she leaves you confused and with unanswered questions. What becomes of Paul D, Stamp Paid, Beloved, Denver, and Sethe? All the lives you've been following so closely and all of a sudden the story ends and you're left to imagine, "what now?"

Rating:
Summary: A Literary Puzzle
Review: Toni Morrison's Award Winning novel Beloved can be compared to that of a thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle. The reader is required to put it together in-order to understand this novel. From the beginning of her novel Morrison confuses the reader throughout the story by randomly throwing different pieces of the puzzle (story), only to confuse the reader. As the story progresses, the literary puzzle is soon revealed to the reader. But this book is no ordinary puzzle. It is one that requires great skill to put together. I was required to read this piece in my AP English class and I could not link fragments of the book from the very start. There were times when I thought I had pieces of the story connected together, only to realize that the pieces were not of the right shape and size. Like the time when Paul D. was first introduced in the novel. This character just popped out of nowhere and throughout this chapter of his appearance it was never mentioned who he was and why he was there. At first I thought that Paul D. was there just to trouble the women by always bringing up the past and trying to hit on Sethe. But as I progressed through the story I finally understood who and why Paul D. is. He was a former slave and his role in the book is important to Sethe. Another example of "puzzling" parts is when Sethe talks of a tree growing on her back. This will definitely confuse the reader. I won't tell you what Sethe is talking about. If you want to know go and purchase or borrow the book and find out for yourself. I don't think this book is a very good book at all but I would recommend it to readers that want a good challenge. Morrison style of writing is too hard for me to comprehend. This book made reading a little easier for me because this novel is very complexed.

Rating:
Summary: Understanding "Beloved"
Review: Toni Morrison's novel "Beloved" is set in a time when slavery was supposed to be finished and over with after the Civil War. The newly freed slaves were depending on the Constitution to give them the rights that every man is born with, but daily life for the ex-slaves continued to be a struggle. This is the case for the main character of the story, Sethe, who had to confront the demons of her past. In 124 Bluestone Road Sethe and Denver are haunted by the ghost of her baby daughter whom she killed in an act of love and mercy. Sethe, unwilling to take abuse from School Teacher, decides to runaway from Sweet Home with the rest of her family. When confronted with the reality that they may be caught, she takes the life of her two-year-old daughter to prevent a life of slavery and injustice for her child. The baby ghost prevents Sethe and Denver to have any friends but the ghost itself. This changes when an acquaintance of Sethe's comes to 124. Morrison uses Paul D. as a tool to get a feel of Sethe's emotions. Within a little while of his visit, Paul D. rids the house of the ghost. This creates tension with Denver because the baby ghost was her only playmate. He becomes a major factor in forcing Sethe to talk about events of her past. Paul D. is the person that provokes emotions from other characters: happiness with Sethe, anger with Denver, and resentment with Beloved. A touch of the supernatural is evident with the flesh and blood reincarnation of the baby ghost in Beloved. The characters in the story don't question whether the ghost is real or not because they all believe in ghosts. Beloved comes as a young runaway slave and is offered shelter with Sethe. She then dominates the household so forcefully that Sethe and Denver are at the verge of starvation. Sethe, without even trying, lets Beloved take charge in the household. Sethe loves Beloved so much and maybe feels guilt for her actions so Beloved is able to dictate her mother's life. It appeared to look like Beloved would literally kill them but that all changed when Denver decides to get out of the isolation that she has lived with all her life and do something to help her with her family's situation. She goes out and tries to find a job and is now forced to be the financial supporter. As Denver comes out of her sheltered life, she is able to acquire the help of the black community to chase Beloved back to her grave. Slavery is the main topic behind this novel. Morrison is careful to not stereotype all the white people as bad people. Throughout out the novel, readers are introduced to different sides of how white people felt about slavery. There were the ones who were ruthless to blacks like School Teacher, but we cannot forget about those who respected blacks like Mr. Garner. The images of slavery at its most brutal height are hard to comprehend because we live in a time where injustice is not that obvious. Morrison is able to describe the physical and emotional horror that many endured during that time. Her words have an incredible effect on readers. "Beloved" has a unified plot but its events don't necessarily go in chronological order. We learn of past events by flashbacks of the main characters and this sometimes creates confusion for the reader. During these flashbacks, Morrison never lets the reader know too much. It isn't until towards the end of the novel where some of the questions start to get answered. Other questions also begin to surface towards the ending because the ending doesn't seem to be definite. We are forced to wonder what will happen to the people who live in 124 Bluestone Road, especially Denver because she surprisingly changed her attitude and swallowed any pride she had to ask others for help.

Rating:
Summary: It was better than I expected
Review: When I was first assigned "Beloved" for my English class I didn't know what to expect. I had never read one of Morrion's works before and was unfamiliar with her style; what I read surprised me. Morrison jumps right into the story without introducing the reader to any of the characters first. Because of this unique style the first few pages were a whirlwind of names and events I knew nothing about. I had to pause after the first chapter to try and make sense of everything. However, the more I read the more the book, and its characters, pulled me in; and the characters are what make this book good. Each character has many sides to his or her personality; Sethe, strong yet haunted by the past, Paul D, nurturing yet wanting to leave, and Denver, jealous and alone. Each character is believable and anybody can relate to them on some level. The book, however, is not perfect. Although Morrison's unorthodox style is beautiful, it's also confusing. Morrison is like a juggler tossing all these balls into the air, yet never telling the reader which ball to focus on. It's frustrating to be reading only to have to backtrack three chapters to catch an allusion you missed the first time. Constantly having to go back and forth really made the book seem a chore to read. "Beloved" is definitely a book that has to be read more than once. Overall, I feel "Beloved" is a very good book with an excellent story and cast of characters with a somewhat irritating style. It is something I believe everyone should read at least once. It's worth the time you'll invest in it.

Rating:
Summary: Confusing, or brilliantly written?
Review: A jumble of ideas and events. Beloved is a story that thrusts ideas and events towards you with no explanation. For example, the main character in the story, Sethe, has many flashbacks from the past. A paragraph in the story may start with an event in the present time and then bring in something from the past without notice. Because of this, I had to flip back to pages and re-read the paragraphs in order to get the idea. Amongst the confusion, I got one basic idea from the story-the past will come back to haunt you if you don't face it and come to terms with it. Morrison puts this idea into action by her impressive writing style. The confusing flashbacks to her days as a slave, to killing her own child, to the present (not necessarily in that order) all conspire to force Sethe to let go of the past. There are some things I didn't like about the story. The idea that Beloved, the daughter whom Sethe had killed, comes back is great, but there could be other scenarios to that idea. Why did Morrison settle on making Beloved return as an ungrateful person? Would making Beloved a loving character change the emotional emphasis on the characters? There would be more guilt on Sethe's part if the latter idea were chosen. Also, I disagree with Sethe's decision in killing Beloved to "protect" her. Sure, we want to protect our children, but we shouldn't be the one to decide for them whether we live or not-the one affected should decide. There's also the idea of afterlife-Morrison could have expanded that idea. After all, the fact that Beloved remembers (after all, Beloved was only two years old) everything about Sethe and her past opens up the question, "What happens after we die?"