Beloved - Toni Morrison

You could be forgiven for mistakenly thinking Toni Morrison's 'Beloved' is a literary masterpiece, what with it winning the 1993 Nobel Prize for Literature. Unfortunately though, these prizes don't always go to the right people. I'll risk controvesy by maintaining that I find 'Beloved' quite awful, and simply unworthy of such a great accolade as a Nobel prize. It's a novel with delusions of grandeur, written in arrogance and, to be quite frank, a book that is impossible to engage with. Remember the day when reading fiction was all about escapism and enjoying a read about someplace/someone doing something far more interesting than you? Now, I'm not against ...  Read the complete review

How far would you go to protect your children? And in what form would that protection take? Could you live with the consequences of your actions? Beloved, by Tony Morrison, is often considered an 'ethnic' book. Indeed, I studied it in a course entitled 'Ethnicity in American Literature'. But to me, the book is about motherhood, family, community and pride. But let me back up a little. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Story ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This is a VERY complex book, with very complex themes. But the plot is not amazingly difficult to summarise. Morrison got the idea for this book from a newspaper clipping ...  Read the complete review

This book was slightly ruined for me by the fact that I had to study it at school. Last minute readings meant that I missed some of the details, but as time progressed it turned out to be one book that I really enjoyed studying. The startling, almost unbelievable start of this novel made me read on and on until it was properly explained, and the characters so shockingly disturbed by their past were upsetting, but amazing. The narrator takes the reader through a confused chronology, describing many different aspects of slavery in the Deep South of America during the abolition years. Nothing is revealed in too much detail at one time, giving the reader an understanding of ...  Read the complete review

Toni Morrison won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1989 for her creation of Beloved. Although you are more likely to have seen the film than read the book, don't be put off by the film. It certainly doesn't compare to the book, neither does it capture its heart-rending essence. Beloved is a marvellous depiction of the American black slave trade; its inhumanity and dehumanising effects. The story is told through a series of memories of one slave who had been freed from slavery. Toni Morrison writes in an intelligent style which is very moving but compels the reader to read on. ...  Read the complete review

I studied this nobel prize winning book for A-Level, and although complex in language and theme, I can honestly say that it is the best book that I have ever read. Toni Morrison describes black slavery and the dehumanisation of the slaves with a poignancy and beauty that compels you to keep turning the page. The novel is compiled using a series of memories of a slave so the writing is not ordered, but this adds to the beauty of the writing. Morrison never allows you to pity the slaves, which means that the reader is not allowed to feel superior. I urge whoever reads this to just give it a go. You won't regret it.... ...  Read the complete review