The Bluest Eye | 
pickI love Morrison's storytelling. The work is equal parts poignant and disturbing. This isn't a horror story in the sense of a killer and a victim, but in the way that society treats those on the fringes of society. It also addresses the disturbing reality of African American's post Civil War and pre- Civil Rights. Heartbreaking and enlightening and captivating and emotional; true master writing.
I vividly remember my feelings while reading this my senior year in high school. Until this book I had never felt such conflicting emotions about a character. Morrison has such a way with words, weaving the reader into the story as she takes everything you think you know and opens your eyes to a completely different view. Her books are difficult to read because of that, but worth it.
#GratefulReads @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @OriginalCyn620
Watching Sabrina remake with my teenager here. They are advocating to read this book, which is banned, and they go to the library and looked through the card catalogue. With actual cards!
Didn‘t really want to finish my going #audiobook to kick off #readathon so I scanned my TBR on Scribd for a short novel for that early sense of accomplishment that‘s an important part of #Deweys24hourReadathon 🤓
pickThis book is about as harsh as they come. I can't love this story; it is too hard and it makes me sad. At least right now. But it will live with me forever. I hope I've learned something from it. I hope I will continue to learn from it. A terrific and powerful indictment of the brutal effects of casual everyday racism endured by people of color.
Announcing our October book of the month! We‘ll be honoring the late great Toni Morrison with our discussion book next month. There‘s still time to join us! Check out all our membership options at feministbookclub.com/shop
I am so excited by my book haul from one of my favorite independent bookstores!
Got this in on audio and I've got a road trip coming up this weekend. Perfect timing! 😊
Friday night reading with my companions cat nephew Dac, and dog niece Shandy as we remember the life of #ToniMorrison.
#192019Challenge #1970
“We were not strong, only aggressive; we were not free, merely licensed; we were not compassionate, we were polite; not good, but well behaved. We courted death in order to call ourselves brave, and hid like thieves from life. We substituted good grammar for intellect; we switched habits to simulate maturity; we rearranged lies and called it truth, seeing in the new pattern of an old idea the Revelation and the Word.”
Thank you for your words😢
“But to find out the truth about how dreams die, one should never take the word of a dreamer.”
The beloved Toni Morrison
I just found out today that Toni Morrison has passed away at 88.
I remember reading 'The Bluest Eye" and crying for days for a fictional character that resembled too many young girls.
That was the power of Toni Morrison and her words.
“At some point in life the world's beauty becomes enough. You don't need to photograph, paint, or even remember it. It is enough.”
https://www.vox.com/2019/8/6/20756732/toni-morrison-dead-at-88
RIP Toni Morrison, a bright star in the sky of literature. Here is a link to today‘s NYT article about her: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2019/08/06/books/toni-morrison-dead...
So immensely sad to hear about Toni Morrison passing away. One of the most brilliant, insightful, important writers I‘ve ever read. She taught me, and the world in general, so much. Heartbroken that she‘s gone but grateful that we have her books still. We need her words now more than ever.
I read Beloved in Yale Summer School—Gender and Political Science class—and it changed the way I looked at the American novel. I also read The Bluest Eye in that class, and it changed how I looked at my own writing, at sparseness of word to tell a powerful gut-punch of a story.
She won the Nobel Prize, the Pulitzer Prize, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She was a treasure, as is her work. #tonimorrison #rip #love
Toni Morrison has passed away. She was truly a legend and a national treasure. Her books are on my "shelf of honor".
Another sad loss to the book community 😢 She leaves behind a big legacy. Many Thanks. RIP.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-49254776
Crying at work with the news that Toni Morrison has passed away. The Bluest Eye, Paradise, Sula, Beloved; I loved and learned so much from her books. We are all blessed to have had her in our lives. Rest in peace.
pickBeautiful, poignant writing. An examination of beauty and self-acceptance. How easily the psyche of a child is damaged by indifference of adults. How physical and verbal abuse can break the spirit of one that feels no love. The pain of rejection by those who should love you unconditionally. #beauty #selflove #wordsdohurt #rejection #racism
Image taken from https://companyone.org/production/bluest-eye/
Read half of this book last night. Hope to finish tonight. It's quite good, which makes me happy, because Beloved didn't work out so well for me.
I keep trying to remember if the book was chewed up when I got it out of the LFL, or if my naughty cat got ahold of it. I'm leaning toward Gabriel being the culprit. #littlefreelibrary #adventuresofthegmen #damagedbook #naughty #littenkitten #catsoflitsy
so-soIt was pretty good, but there were some parts where is was more describing the scenery than the actions of the characters, which made it a little long winded.
pickI loved this book. It was a hard read. The story has a haunting quality about it. It keeps you thinking even after it is finished. The characters are able to come to life through the pages. Also being able to understand their back stories helps you understand what makes them make the choices that they do. Overall would highly recommend.
pickA tragic tale. Beautifully written. I recommend it.
pickThat one is hard, but so necessary!
I received it from my blind book of the month (taglivros).
Thanks @squirrelbrain & @Cathythoughts for the birthday presents - I'll try to wait until Saturday!
@Lel2403 @LoveToReadLiveToRead I've just sent both your books so should arrive Wednesday.
pickThis is one tough read but well worth the effort. Definitely one of the better Morrison books I've read (admittedly I've only read 3), but is one that will haunt me for a while. Thanks @Emilymdxn for choosing it for #lmpbc, Lesley I'll send it later in the month!
pick
All the world had agreed that a blue-eyed, yellow-haired, pink-skinned doll was what every girl child treasured. “Here,” they said, “this is beautiful, and if you are on this day ‘worthy‘ you may have it.” I fingered the face, wondering at the single-stroke eyebrows; picked at the pearly teeth stuck like two piano keys between red bowline lips. Traced the turned-up nose, poked the glassy blue eyeballs, twisted the yellow hair. I could not love it.
pickI know what to expect with Toni Morrison‘s writing. It is skillful and talented. I know that there is a gift for storytelling. So why was it difficult to fall asleep after finishing this book last night? Maybe, because of the transfer of emotion from those written words to a hibernating soul. Maybe, because of the free fall into a life experience that is so raw, naked, painful and uncensored, it‘s incomprehensible.👇🏽
The day was planned: laundry, potato-leek soup & reading. No other activity because the falling of lots of snow was expected overnight. Enough snow so that the pull of the outside world would be stymied. BUT the snowy weather seems to have blown right by. It is cold, windy & foggy.
The making of soup will still happen. Laundry...definitely kicked to the curb, because I hear that B&N is having BookHaul Sale. The rest of the day will be THIS BOOK.
pickI can't believe I've gone this long without reading Toni Morrison! This book is gorgeous and heartbreaking. Morrison's nonlinear structure, bouncing through time and between characters to illustrate the myriad was institutional racism has impacted the lives and psyches of the Breedlove family and their neighbors. A great choice for a #BlackHistoryMonth read.
pickThis book is so beautifully written I‘m mad at myself for not reading it sooner. The way Toni Morrison writes... its poetry... if you have not read this book you need to read is asap!
It‘s arrived! #lmpbc @suvata
So I‘ve never done this before and I hope i get it all correct. I‘ll read and mark this up in my colour pen (blue - how fitting 😊) and post to @jenniferw88 on March 31. Really excited for this gals! @mania @Lel2403
Hi new #lmbpc #groupv friends!! I‘ve never done anything like this before and I‘m super excited, I hope I‘m getting this right and tagging the right people @suvata
Right @jenniferw88 @Lel2403 @mania here‘s some possibilities for my book choice! Any thoughts?? I haven‘t read any of these before, they range from around 180-300 and something pages and I‘ve heard good things about them all! Hit me with any thoughts
Started last night its good so far should finish by the end of today
pickI'm rating this as a 'pick' but I'd rather you didn't read this. Not because this is a book not worth reading - the importance of this story cannot be overstated, but it is the most depressing novel I've ever read. The entire book is a relentless tale of solid misery with no redemption, not even the slightest sliver of hope. So, do read this (it's Toni Morrison ffs), but be prepared for intense gloom. TW : sexual violence, statutory rape.
#blitsy
Adults, older girls, shops, magazines, newspapers, window signs—all the world had agreed that a blue-eyed, yellow-haired, pink-skinned doll was what every girl child treasured. “Here,” they said, “this is beautiful, and if you are on this day ‘worthy‘ you may have it.”
so-soThis book is an important piece of writing, but not something I'd consider good as a novel, so I'm not exactly sure how I'd rate it. It highlights a number of factors that contribute to racism, and misogyny, things that can't be expressed simply. And I understand why the story moves around the way it does, to allow the reader to see separate events unfold. But I'm glad Toni addresses her own writing and acknowledges that some of it doesn't work.
