My first encounter with a Toni Morrison novel has left me with the distinct impression that I've given my brain a beneficial workout.

Beloved is one of those extraordinary books that constantly surfaces in conversations among bookish friends, on "you-need-to-read" lists, and as recommendations from bookstore employees. Moreover, several of the authors of my favorite books from the past few years have cited Morrison as a crucial influence. Consequently, as the second installment in my 2020 read-a-Pulitzer/month challenge, Beloved was the evident choice.

First and foremost, it is impossible to overlook the deeply moving and disturbing content of this book. In essence, its premise is that former slave Sethe kills her infant daughter to prevent her from being recaptured by a slave hunter. This is not immediately evident in the story but is hinted at and gradually revealed throughout the novel. The book then alternates between the perspectives of Sethe, her living daughter Denver, Sethe's love interest Paul D, and a revolving cast of other characters who play various roles in the story.

As the main characters' points of view shift, so does their position in time. Although Sethe, Denver, Paul D, and eventually Beloved spend most of the book's time in Cincinnati, Beloved is more preoccupied with how the past shapes the present. These可怜的 characters endure numerous indignities at the hands of whites, and some of the chapters, such as Paul D in the chain gang, are written so powerfully that my attention was completely engaged. Regrettably, those accessible and moving passages are few and far between.

Indeed, much of my reading of Beloved required me to frequently consult the internet to ensure I was understanding what Morrison was trying to convey. While there is a great deal of beautiful writing, many of the book's sentences and paragraphs left me confused and slightly disoriented. I can concede that this may be the novel's intention, but I began to feel a bit frustrated trying to decipher what was metaphorical language and what was a plot point that might be expanded upon in subsequent chapters. It is the kind of book that made me long for a university class to guide me through or a book club with whom to discuss it all.

Then, as the book approaches its final 100 or so pages, the obscurity and poetic sections intensify. There is a chapter from Beloved's perspective that is written in fragmented, oddly spaced paragraphs that completely eluded me. Of course, a quick glance at SparkNotes (which I haven't used since high school) helped to clarify what was happening, but I still felt as if I were being led astray and that there were simpler ways to convey the same information while still maintaining the poetic language. It was in this latter half of the book that I felt like I was doing just as much reading online as I was within the pages.

I have written about this before, but when reading a challenging novel, it all comes down to achieving the right challenge-to-reward ratio. Is the writing serving a plot device, an attempt to reveal a character's inner self, or a clever means of disguising what's to come? There are elements of all of these in Beloved, but it didn't have the same impact on me as a Marlon James, N.K. Jemisin, or Jesmyn Ward novel might. It also felt like much more work than those aforementioned authors who often capture my attention with their voices in just a few sentences. Ultimately, this makes Beloved an experience that I hold in high regard, but not one that blew me away as I had hoped.

This is the second book in my 2020 Pulitzer Challenge.

The clear blue sky above seems to smile down upon a world rich with life. The vivid colors of nature blend seamlessly with the exquisiteness of material life. The soft milky ambrosia, untainted by the sweat of forced labor, offers a promise of a day to reflect on existence without the worry of an empty stomach. Free thought is granted, and the assurance of a smile on a child's face, who has never known deprivation or fear, brings joy to a parent's heart. Disassociation is not even a distant possibility, and there are no ghosts lurking in the backyard or playing with one's mind, for no beloved has ever died an unnatural death. This is a world of peace and plenty, a world where life is lived to the fullest.

However, this world is not the only one that exists. There are other worlds, worlds where the night never seems to end, where the living are denied the basic necessities of life, and where realizing one's heart beat is a luxury unaffordable. In these worlds, colors are few and far between, save for the grey or earth-brown that dominates the landscape. When red comes, it turns everything upside down, bringing with it a sense of chaos and destruction.

"Beloved" exists in one of these worlds. Her existence is a precarious one, hanging between the living and the dead. She is furious for the life that was denied her, and she demands that her people never forget the vicious past. She forbids them from coming to terms with freedom, and she sucks the life out of her mother in revenge for the milk that was denied her.

"Beloved" is a powerful and poignant prose that delves deep into the themes of slavery, love, and freedom. It is a story that is difficult to put into words, for it contains so many layers of meaning and emotion. Toni Morrison's writing is magical, weaving a tale that spans time and space, and blurring the boundaries between the living and the dead. Through her words, we are able to experience the horror and the heartbreak of slavery, as well as the hope and the resilience of the human spirit.

Morrison's use of magical realism in "Beloved" is both innovative and effective. By allowing years and characters to permeate the boundaries of time, she creates a sense of timelessness and universality that makes the story relevant to readers of all ages and backgrounds. Her prose is reminiscent of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's "One Hundred Years of Solitude," yet it also has a unique voice and style all its own.

The character of Beloved is perhaps the most complex and fascinating in the novel. She represents not only a lost and hungry child, but also the blood of all those slaves who died in the Middle Passage or were murdered. Her ghost haunts the lives of Sethe and her family, serving as a reminder of the past and the horrors that they have endured. Yet, in the end, it is through the power of community and the recognition of their own worth that Sethe and her family are able to overcome the ghost of Beloved and claim their freedom.

"Beloved" is a masterpiece of American literature, a work that will be studied and cherished for generations to come. It is a tribute to the millions of slaves who suffered and died during the Middle Passage and the era of slavery, and a testament to the power of the human spirit to overcome even the most difficult of circumstances. Toni Morrison has created a work of art that is both beautiful and tragic, a work that will leave a lasting impression on all who read it.

Is it over? Can I wake up yet?

Sigh. THIS won the freaking Pulitzer prize, REALLY?

I feel like I need an adrenaline shot to the heart, Pulp Fiction style, just to recover from this snoozefest. This was so terribly written. It jumped ALL over in time, sometimes in the middle of sentences, conversations, thoughts. All of a sudden the author was like "HEY let's fuck with everyone's mind and go back 20 years and see how long it takes these readers to figure it out. I bet I'll even win an award for it!"

The writing itself, the vernacular and slang were unheard of. I live in South Carolina, OKAY? I was raised on Southern literature. Gone With the Wind is one of my favorite books of all time. Mark Twain is one of my favorite authors. I am well familiar with the way slaves talked back then. But the way this author made the characters speak was ridiculous. Half the time I had no earthly idea what the hell they were talking about.

And THEN, on top of that, the author combined her terrible slave writing with a pathetic attempt at metaphors and symbolism, which miserably crashed and burned.

Just stop, please.

  

An absolutely incredible read!!!

It was truly a remarkable experience that left me in awe.

The moment I started listening to Toni Morrison narrate the audiobook, it was as if a whole new world opened up before me.

Her voice, filled with passion and emotion, brought the story to life in the most vivid way.

I found myself completely immersed in the narrative, hanging on to every word she spoke.

It was everything I didn't know I needed, a literary journey that touched my heart and soul.

Toni Morrison's talent as a storyteller and narrator is simply无与伦比, and this audiobook is a testament to her genius.

I can't recommend it highly enough.

If you're looking for a truly unforgettable reading experience, look no further than this audiobook narrated by the great Toni Morrison.

\\n  \\"Beloved

You are my sister

You are my daughter

You are my face; you are me

I have found you again; you have come back to me

You are my beloved

You are mine

You are mine\\"\\n

It's 6 o'clock in the morning and I've just finished one of the most remarkable books I've ever read in my short life. I'm completely sleepless, as I need some time to organize my jumbled thoughts and sort out my intense feelings. I'm trying to come back to real life, but it's almost impossible.

A part of me is still with Sethe and her daughters, Denver and Beloved, at 124. I can almost feel myself being tied to a pole and whipped mercilessly for eating a shoat that I skinned, butchered, and cooked myself. I'm also giving birth to children of fathers who forced themselves on me. I'm constantly wondering whether my husband Halle is still alive and free out there or if he's long dead. I'm burying the daughter I killed with a handsaw because I couldn't bear to see her pushed into the endless abyss of torture and humiliation that I had to endure. I'm engraving the word 'Beloved' on the headstone of my dead girl, as she has no name.

But it's not really me. It's Sethe, and Sethe is not me. I'm not even Baby Suggs, Sethe's mother-in-law, who never had the chance to recognize that she was a human being with a beating heart. Baby Suggs, who only looked at her own hands at the sunset of life and realized that they were her own, for her own use and not for the use of another. Baby Suggs, who was forced to accept the "kindness" of being bought out of slave labor by her own son, at the cost of never seeing him again or knowing what happened to him.

I'm not Paul D either, being made to wear neck braces as punishment for an act of belligerence, unable to move his head. He's deeply afraid of starting a new life and adding a purpose to it, not knowing what to do with the new-found freedom after the Civil War. He's afraid of loving too much and losing too much because of it.

I'm just a lucky Indian girl who was born in an era free from the worst form of human rights violation that ever existed on the planet. I wasn't alive during the period of systematic brutalization of one particular race by another just because one proclaimed racial superiority over the other. I wasn't in the plantations of Kentucky or Georgia or the Carolinas before or after the Civil War. I wasn't in the hell called 'Sweet Home'.

But Sethe was. So were Halle, Paul D, Sixo, Paul A, and Baby Suggs, and the unnamed ones. And a part of me is still with them, and I can't seem to wrest it away. I could perhaps ramble on and on and still be unable to write a proper review of 'Beloved'. I won't even try to summarize the book in a few sentences, as that would be deeply disrespectful of me.

Beloved is not just a masterpiece; it's not even just a remarkable literary achievement. It's the beauty of the resilience of the human spirit. It's about hope and endurance. It tells us about the unspeakable cruelty and abuse inflicted on humanity by humanity itself. It reveals the festering psychological wounds and deep emotional scars that could never ever heal. It's profoundly lyrical and empathetic in its depiction of the grotesque events that unfolded during the most ignominious part of America's history. It wrenches your heart out, shreds it into a million tiny pieces, but then stitches all the pieces together and hands your heart back to you - all bloodied and messed up.

Maybe a few years from now, when I read Beloved again, I'll write a more coherent review and sound less emotional. Maybe I'll get every cryptic message Toni Morrison intended for her readers to receive and decode. Maybe I won't. But I'll try. And I'll read this book again when I feel like my life is difficult or I can't go on anymore. I'm sure Sethe and Beloved will be there to hold my hands and lead me forward.

I can't write anymore. I must go and find myself another tissue.

P.S.:- Apologies for the spoilers I've ended up including in the review. But I just had to write this the way I did.

“You are my face; I am you. Why did you leave me who am you?

I will never leave you again

Don’t ever leave me again

You will never leave me again” (Morrison 256).

My first encounter with this titanic and one of literature's most significant masterpieces took place in the early 2000s, and it has been a recurring presence in my reading life, with multiple readings in the 2020s. Each time I pick up "Beloved," I am astounded by the vividness with which I can hear Toni Morrison herself narrating the text, even without the aid of audiobooks. Her voice, as comforting as it may be, cannot detract from the disturbing scenes of terror and horror that depict how human beings were degraded as chattel, which remain just as harrowing as they were the first time I read it.

After this latest reread, I have some additional thoughts that I wish to share. This book has made me reflect on how I approach this masterpiece, both for young readers and for myself. While it's difficult to single out a favorite Toni Morrison novel, as I love them all for different reasons, I do agree that "Beloved" is her most famous and revered work. It is an utterly unforgettable and spellbinding piece of historical fiction, horror, and a meditation on love.

Sethe Suggs is one of literature's greatest heroes. She is a tough yet tender survivor of unspeakable and unfathomable trauma. Having endured the horrors of Sweet Home, Kentucky, including sexual assault and the theft of her breast milk, and forced to make a life-altering choice, she endures, falls, and triumphs all at once. Paul D, another survivor of many of the same horrors, is an unforgettable male character, masculine yet suffering. Sethe's daughter Denver is also resilient and grows into a courageous heroine, while Baby Suggs, her strong-willed mother-in-law, preaches love and wishes for color.

The title character, Beloved, whether she is a reincarnation of Sethe's dead baby or a mysterious woman, is a chilling and horrifying presence. Morrison also reminds us that the Underground Railroad was a harrowing and sad journey, full of horror, the unknown, dread, and unbearable suspense. It is far from the stereotypical images of brave leaders with torches leading slaves to freedom.

One of the many beautiful quotes that stood out to me was "We got more yesterday than anybody, we need some kind of tomorrow" (Morrison 322). There are countless quotes and passages that could be written about, but this one particularly resonated with me, as in the 2020s, I am living in a constant state of anxiety, constantly remembering trauma and sadness that is difficult to put into words. On this reread, I focused on the deep mother love that Sethe had for both Denver and Beloved. "It was Beloved who made demands. Anything she wanted, she got, and when Sethe ran out of things to give her, Beloved invented desire" (Morrison 283), and this love remains the beating heart of 124 Bluestone Road.

This time, I was able to further unpack Sethe's feminist will to remain independent without any man. Her rebuff of Paul D's wish to have a baby with her to solidify his masculinity is even more relevant today. Sethe simply wants to be reunited with her children and beg for remorse for the unspeakable sins of the past. "I wanted to pick you up in my arms and I wanted to look at you sleeping too" (Morrison 227).

I continue to believe that "Beloved" is one of the greatest works ever written, born out of pure love, anger, and pain, and transformed into one of the most lyrical and heartrending novels. The large cast of characters, including Stamp Paid, Ella, the villainous Schoolteacher, Sethe's hapless husband Halle, and the brave white woman Amy Denver, all play integral roles in this powerful story. I will always treasure the spirit of Toni Morrison and, inspired by her, strive to do my best in everything I do. Because, as Sethe and her creator remind us, "love is or it ain't. Thin love ain't love at all" (Morrison 194). Love deeply, live in the moment, and feel what you want to feel. This is a book that will never leave you.

Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/

  

I FINISHED!!!!!!

  

I realize "Beloved" is a classic and a Pulitzer Prize winner. But, oh my goodness, I'm so glad to be done. Dear Oprah, what's going to happen to me since I hated it? That's what I was afraid of. Going into this book, I knew nothing about it except that it was on the Banned Books List and Oprah said I should read it. I managed to finish, but it was such a slog. There are countless reviews out there. I feel like I sacrificed a lot of my reading time on this instead of just two days. I'm not going to rehash every detail I didn't like. Let's face it. No matter what reason I give for not liking it, there's a good chance I'll get trolled for having an unpopular opinion. So why bother? I will say that "Beloved" is the only book I can remember where I loved the story but hated the way it was told. Toni Morrison's writing style is one that you'll either love or hate. Obviously, I'm in the hate it category. But I'm glad I can say I finally read her. As for "Beloved" being touted as one of the best books of all time? Thanks for nothing, Oprah!

  

In the past, there was a sweet home, as sweet as slavery could permit, a haven encircled by cancer. However, this cancer was no benign tumor that could be held at a distance and condescended to; it was always malignant. It would invade and kill the body, with each part dying one by one. From the past into the present, the cancer came and made a new home for itself. A cancer is not so easily eradicated, even when the doctors claim: the surgery was successful, it was excised, and it officially no longer exists! It changes its shape, metastasizes into something different, and reconstructs itself. Morrison knows this, and so do Sethe and Paul D; it will take generations to cure this illness.

A child dies, and a child is reborn: Beloved. She is the fog of memory, regret, and violence, made solid, no longer a recollection or abstraction, emerging from the past to destroy the present. She is what occurs when the body and mind are broken down: a symptom of the cancer, not the cancer itself. She will wound the worst those who love her the most...

The story lacks a traditional storyline; the movements of the past and present overlap, combine, and become one. The stories and memories bleed into each other, in both the mind and the flesh, with the blood flowing in all directions. A tree of scars, a longing for colors, and all the tragedies remain alive. What was then, what is now, what will be, and what can be. Can the body survive this cancer? One can only hope or pray. The last few pages of Beloved hint at survival, a new life, new paths, and new hopes. Perhaps the prayers have been effective? Keep praying.

What kind of wonder have I just read? I will lack words to express how good this novel is and all the things it has conveyed to me. Years ago, I had the novel at home and always ended up setting it aside. Finally, the good reviews both of the novel and the author gave me the push and what a hit it was. Now I'm eager to read the rest of her work.

Through a mysterious event that will be revealed to us bit by bit, we will witness a story that is gradually being created, and where each piece fits perfectly. Sethe, a mother who had to flee from a plantation where she lived as a slave, escapes while pregnant. Previously, she had managed to send her three older children to her mother-in-law, Baby Suggs' house. After many hardships, she herself will finally arrive at this house, with her baby already in her arms.

I won't tell you anything more about the story because I think it's so spectacular that every detail I tell you, no matter how insignificant, would be a pity not to discover on your own. But seriously, it's one of those stories that leave you touched and impact you a great deal. It has made me rethink many things as a person and what I would be capable of doing myself to flee or "for love". And when a book makes you question so many things, it means that book is worth it, as it makes you grow.

One of the best things about the novel is how it is told. The narration seemed wonderful to me. Always leaving you with a sweet taste in your mouth, always keeping you on edge. It has managed to keep me expectant on every page, eager to know all the details of the great event and everything it caused. The author's ability to narrate the plot, combined with a spectacular setting, makes the novel sublime. And if we add to that that the characters are very well created, all with many layers and shades of grey, then we have a masterpiece in front of us.

I have fallen in love with its characters. Sethe, Denver, Baby Suggs, Beloved, Paul D., all of them have that something that makes you believe in them and empathize with them. It's one of those stories where there are no completely bad guys (or not many), nor completely good guys. The characters have nuances and that's something I always love. In addition, it touches on very important themes and does so in a way that reaches you deeply. Racism, slavery, sexism, motherhood, criticism in a community, religion, are some of them. Well, a complete story. In conclusion, a work that everyone should read. What a great pleasure it has been to discover Toni Morrison!

On January 24th, 1988, the New York Times published an article titled "BLACK WRITERS IN PRAISE OF TONI MORRISON."

This article included a letter, written by June Jordan & Houston A. Baker and signed by a total of 48 Black authors and critics. It spoke about the undeniable merits of Toni Morrison's five novels at that time.

The letter was published 54 days after the passing of James Baldwin, who was often regarded as one of the best when it came to picking up a pen, sitting next to Toni Morrison in the literary pantheon.

James Baldwin passed away without receiving any of the highest literary awards in American letters, such as the National Book Award, The National Books Critics Circle Award, or the Pulitzer Prize. However, the Black literati of the time came together and took a stand. In 1988, when the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction was awarded, it went to Toni Morrison's "Beloved."

John Edgar Wideman stated that the letter wasn't written to influence the Pulitzer judges in any way. But many readers would argue that no persuasion was necessary as "Beloved" is frequently recognized as one of the best novels ever written.

This is because it is true. Toni Morrison, who dedicated her 5th novel to "Sixty Million and More," writes beautiful sentences that Black people deserve, over and over again. She does so because we can only rely on ourselves to write beautiful sentences about ourselves. If we wait for outsiders to write 324 pages of beautiful sentences about us, they will watch us die, 60 million times over.

Through characters like Sethe, Denver, Baby Suggs, Paul D, Halle, Sixo, Stamp Paid, and more, Toni Morrison shows us love – how to give it, how to receive it, and how we can be made to feel we don't deserve it.

She also shows us how they tried to make us less than human, how they wanted our human traits on one side and our animal traits on the other, but how our fully human spirit could never be destroyed by those who tried to define us.

With "Beloved," Toni Morrison illustrates, through the beautiful sentences we deserve, that we are our best thing.

This is my 1980s entry into the #10Books10Decades Challenge. Here is a link for you to consider participating as well: https://www.instagram.com/p/CJnNxP5gRME/.

Here are a couple of articles I think you'll enjoy:

1. The piece where the Black Literati came together for Toni Morrison: https://www.nytimes.com/1988/01/24/bo...

2. A piece on Margaret Garner who is the inspiration for Sethe's characterization in "Beloved": http://library.cincymuseum.org/aag/bi...

This book is truly a mess.

I guess I should have anticipated a great deal of terrible things considering it delves into an atrocious period in our history.

Toni Morrison manages to take a plethora of tragedies and infuse them with such exquisitely beautiful and flowing words that, despite the harshness of the content, you eagerly look forward to reading more.

This was my very first encounter with Toni Morrison's work, and I am now eagerly anticipating reading more of her masterpieces!

P.S.

I initially began reading this book physically, but then, at a friend's urging, I switched to the audio version.

I highly recommend having Toni Morrison's own voice guide you through this story; you will most definitely not regret it!

Beloved is a remarkable work that has the power to evoke intense emotions with remarkable ease. Morrison is a master at giving voice to the inarticulate feelings that lie within us, expressing the profound and oceanic pulls of grief, joy, hurt, and love that exist beneath our conscious thoughts. Her writing style is fluid and graceful, and her tone is secretive and cautious, yet she writes with a poetic sensibility that is truly captivating.

In Beloved, Morrison asks us to consider our identity and how we can bear the heavy weight of the past. The novel challenges us to look within ourselves and to confront the painful memories and experiences that shape who we are.

The quote from the novel, "She did not tell them to clean up their lives or to go and sin no more. She did not tell them they were the blessed of the earth, its inheriting meek or its glorybound pure. She told them that the only grace they could have was the grace they could imagine. That if they could not see it, they would not have it," beautifully captures Morrison's message. It reminds us that grace is not something that is given to us by others, but rather something that we must imagine and create for ourselves.

Overall, Beloved is a powerful and thought-provoking novel that will stay with readers long after they have finished reading it. Morrison's writing is a testament to her talent and her ability to explore the human condition with depth and sensitivity.