Rating: 
Summary: An intriguing and captivating story, rich in symbolism
Review: This is without a doubt, the finest book I have ever read. Not only is the story captivating, but its language is rich and poetic. It manages to combine the qualities of a great novel with a captivating story--something which is exceedingly rare. Beloved is not difficult to read but it is exceedingly complex. It is full of the symbolism of Christianity, which Morrison incorporates in heterodox ways throughout the novel--the arrival of the horsemen (Apocalypse) to a Eucharistic vision of the death of the baby whose blood is consumed by Denver and who is "eaten" by the teeth of the saw. It is a deeply psychological novel as well--Baby the superego, Denver the emerging ego and Beloved the demanding id. This was a great book about slavery and women, but it is so much more than that. I could not put it down nor could I stop thinking about it.
Rating: 
Summary: NO THANKYOU
Review: Let me start out saying that I love to read. But this book was so difficult to follow. I had a really hard time getting involved with any of the characters or caring about them. I do not want to have to try that hard to find a flow to the words I am reading. I realize a lot of people loved this book, but not me.
Rating:
Summary: Intreguing, powerful, and amazingly written
Review: Beloved is a very involved book. It has twists and turns to it that make it exciting. It captures your attention. Toni Morrison is a very good writer. She puts excitement into her story and tells things that happened in the 1800's that a lot of people did not or may not have known about. All in all it is excellent.
Rating: 
Summary: Not highly recommended for teens
Review: I read Beloved as an assignment for school and I was left completely confused. The novel, in its entirety, is overpowering and at times I found myself afraid to turn the page for fear of what I may read next. At other times, I had to flip back 5 pages and start sections over again because I was lost. I would not recommend this book to anyone.
Rating: 
Summary: How the story explains itself thru the chapter's
Review: This is a book of the trials and tribulations of life and struggles a women and her family wen't & goe's thru. Such as loosing loved one's by natural death and murder and the a love tail that develop's as you read the book. Over all Toni Morrison does a good job of keeping your attention questioning your thought's on everyday life.
Rating:
Summary: This book is a must read
Review: If you are looking for a good book to read, Bloved, by Toni Morrison, is definitly a book for you. The imagery is great. The author does a great job at painting a picture for the reader. Morrison also does a great job at involving the reader in the book and sucking them into it.
Rating: 
Summary: Huh? I don't understand this book.
Review: After reading the very first paragraph of the book, I immediately became intimidated, as well as confused. Who or what was 124? And what baby? And why was the child spiteful? I simply did not understand. Unfortunately, I never did truly "catch on" to the plot, and I feel that I still have missed a lot of concepts, symbols and relationships concerning the book. First of all, I would like to comment on Tony Morrison's style of writing. It seemed to me that she wrote down whatever came to he at the moment and never went back and arranged the chapter so that they made sense. Do not get me wrong, I love the imagery that she uses in subtlety but that is the very thing that is wrong with it, everything is too subtle! Morrison never goes into detail in this book and detail is the one thing that I need to comprehend a story. I did, however, enjoy the characters of the story. Their actions and dialogue seemed very life-like, as if Morrison had listened to real life conversations and written them down. The raw emotions that the characters emitted caused me, more that once, to ponder if they were indeed fictional. Paul D's character especially called to me. He was admirable yet I did not want to be like him. Morrison has created a one-of-a-kind ensemble that shines more and more with each page. Each character, though, has his or her own story and I felt that many of theose stories were not important to enough to be added to the collective plot. Morrison, for example, could have completely omitted the character of Stamp Paid. He had no real part in the plot and, if anything, he just added to my confusion. Instead, Morrison should have concentrated on developing another realationship, such as the one between Paul D and Denver. There was one small plot, though, that I did like: the story of Amy Denver of Boston. It was hard to decide which story to follow. It took me many times to figure out which was the correct "path" to take. Tony Morrison has written a very unique and puzzling book. It may take the reader more that one time to get all those little "quirks" that Morrison has added. I give one piece of advice to those who want to read the book: Read between the lines. It will save you a lot of time if you read the chapter again if you do not understand it. If anything, I have learned that you have to dig deep down into yourself and into the words of the book, to receive the full experience of this uncustomary book.
Rating:
Summary: Definitely worth the effort
Review: "Beloved" is not an easy read. Morrison's use of language was at first difficult to get used to, but I soon found myself slipping into the characters and really losing myself in the poetic flow of the story. Re-reading certain sections was not only necessary, but a joy to discover some little nuance that escaped me the first time.The subject of slavery, although not an original theme, is presented from such a personal perspective, and in such an intriguing plot line, that it hits home full force. Several times I found myself crying, yet unable to put down the book. It is incredibly moving and heartwrenching. I find the character of Sethe one of the most memorable and intriguing women I have encountered in fiction. Her wisdom, naivite, strengths and weaknesses all combine to form a contradiction in a believable and sympathetic heroine. I haven't seen the movie, but I'm sure it can't measure up to this excellent piece of original story-telling.
Rating:
Summary: Beloved is story of human spirit
Review: Beloved is a story of human spirit. Baby Suggs' once powerful and thriving is broken soon after the baby's death. Sethe is worn down by years of painful memories and regrets. Denver is forced from lonely solitude to be strong and independent as her mother weakens. Toni Morrison uses vivid, sometimes offensive, imagery to show the life Sethe ran away from. In Sethe's mind, she never seems to escape slavery. The memories haunt her, they keep her apart from other people, which is why she finds comfort in Paul D because he is familiar, he can understand. There is, however, often much distance between such scenes and since they take place outside of the current plot, they can be distracting. The scenes shine like faint glimmers in darkness, only small pieces of the whole picture are seen. The novel ends with a feeling of incompleteness. No matter how thoroughly Beloved is read, it gives the impression of skimming, instead. Toni Morrison tosses pieces of the story puzzle in the air, but gives no direction on how they fit together. Resultingly, the story keeps you guessing, and hoping.
Rating:
Summary: The Heart Changes Slowly
Review: I have just finished reading Beloved and am hooked. Morrisons book is filled with the beautiful language of literature while remaining readable and compulsive. Some appear to be confused by the style, it helps to let go occasionaly and just let the words be. I think a problem that many Americans have with this book is that it encourages the rememory of how the US was built upon the back of slavery and genocide. Its pretty much the same in Australia. Denial never helps, it merely perpetuates the oppression. Accept the source of your riches and recognise how and why you have the standard of living that you enjoy.
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