The Bluest Eye
Registered by 
SqueakyChu
of Rockville, Maryland USA on 10/21/2020
This Book is Currently in the Wild!
SqueakyChu of Rockville, Maryland USA on 10/21/2020 This Book is Currently in the Wild!
1 journaler for this copy...
I selected this trade paperback from the Parkside Little Free Library in Derwood, Maryland, USA. Thank you!
This book turned out to be amazing. I read it in response to a recommendation by author Frederick Joseph from his new book The Black Friend to read all books by Toni Morrison. I've only read two of her other books, and one so long ago that I remember nothing at all about it. I did this read to better immerse myself in the Black culture, one I've long neglected in my reading about other more worldwide cultures. It seems to me that I need to take better look at some cutures that are closer to home.
The story is of two poor black families in Lorain. Ohio, during the early 1940s. The stories dwell msotly on the young girls in the families, sisters Frieda and claudia in one family, and Pecola, in the second family. In their voices, we learn how they dealt with friendship and racism, what was of value to them, and what frightened them. Their biggest test of all was dealing with the knowledge that Pecola had been raped and impregnated by her own father. (Note: This is not a spoiler as we learn this in line two of the opening paragraph of this novel).
i would like to say that I didn't want to continue reading this book. The subject matter was deeply painful, and in my current environment of American political unrest and global pandemic, it was hard for me to concentrate on difficult subject reading matter. In addition, I often am turned off when individual chapters are about only one of the characters or just present that character's viewpoint alone. Nevertheless, because others have praised this book so highly and because Toni Morrison is a Nobel Prize winner for her body of literature, I persisted. I am glad I did.
By the end of this book, I was wowed and brought to tears. What made my edition of the book more meaningful was an Afterward by the author, written 25 years after its first publication, to say why she treated parts of the story the way she did.
In understanding Black culture, I need to allow myself to dig a little deeper and not turn away from things about it that make me uncomfortable. I tested myself with this book, and I won! Morrison's debut novel touched my soul. Her way with words and story-telling was super-impressive. I now feel up to reading more of her work and will press my way through them no matter how much they will test me.
The story is of two poor black families in Lorain. Ohio, during the early 1940s. The stories dwell msotly on the young girls in the families, sisters Frieda and claudia in one family, and Pecola, in the second family. In their voices, we learn how they dealt with friendship and racism, what was of value to them, and what frightened them. Their biggest test of all was dealing with the knowledge that Pecola had been raped and impregnated by her own father. (Note: This is not a spoiler as we learn this in line two of the opening paragraph of this novel).
i would like to say that I didn't want to continue reading this book. The subject matter was deeply painful, and in my current environment of American political unrest and global pandemic, it was hard for me to concentrate on difficult subject reading matter. In addition, I often am turned off when individual chapters are about only one of the characters or just present that character's viewpoint alone. Nevertheless, because others have praised this book so highly and because Toni Morrison is a Nobel Prize winner for her body of literature, I persisted. I am glad I did.
By the end of this book, I was wowed and brought to tears. What made my edition of the book more meaningful was an Afterward by the author, written 25 years after its first publication, to say why she treated parts of the story the way she did.
In understanding Black culture, I need to allow myself to dig a little deeper and not turn away from things about it that make me uncomfortable. I tested myself with this book, and I won! Morrison's debut novel touched my soul. Her way with words and story-telling was super-impressive. I now feel up to reading more of her work and will press my way through them no matter how much they will test me.
Journal Entry 3 by SqueakyChu at LFL - Vandegrift Ave (5811) (#7720) in Rockville, Maryland USA on Tuesday, December 15, 2020
SqueakyChu at LFL - Vandegrift Ave (5811) (#7720) in Rockville, Maryland USA on Tuesday, December 15, 2020
Released 3 yrs ago (12/15/2020 UTC) at LFL - Vandegrift Ave (5811) (#7720) in Rockville, Maryland USA
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
I'm releasing this book for...
***The 2020 What's in a Name Release Challenge hosted by DragonGoddess. The title of this book contains the names BLUES and BLUE.
-----------------------------
Hello and welcome to BookCrossing ... where we make the whole world a library!
Now that you've "caught" this book, it is yours to do with as you like. Read it, keep it, or give it away. It's your choice!
I'd love if you'd enter a note here on BookCrossing about this book -- where you found it, how you like it, and/or where you release it. If you join BookCrossing (free and fun), kindly list me, SqueakyChu. or any other journaler on this thread as your referring person. Thank you so much.
Enjoy the book!
***The 2020 What's in a Name Release Challenge hosted by DragonGoddess. The title of this book contains the names BLUES and BLUE.
-----------------------------
Hello and welcome to BookCrossing ... where we make the whole world a library!
Now that you've "caught" this book, it is yours to do with as you like. Read it, keep it, or give it away. It's your choice!
I'd love if you'd enter a note here on BookCrossing about this book -- where you found it, how you like it, and/or where you release it. If you join BookCrossing (free and fun), kindly list me, SqueakyChu. or any other journaler on this thread as your referring person. Thank you so much.
Enjoy the book!
