The Bluest Eye

By Toni Morrison

The Bluest Eye - Toni Morrison
  • Release Date: 1993-12-28
  • Genre: Literary Fiction
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 852 Ratings

Description

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A PARADE BEST BOOK OF ALL TIME From the acclaimed Nobel Prize winner—a powerful examination of our obsession with beauty and conformity that asks questions about race, class, and gender with characteristic subtly and grace.
 
In Morrison’s acclaimed first novel, Pecola Breedlove—an 11-year-old Black girl in an America whose love for its blond, blue-eyed children can devastate all others—prays for her eyes to turn blue: so that she will be beautiful, so that people will look at her, so that her world will be different. This is the story of the nightmare at the heart of her yearning, and the tragedy of its fulfillment.
 
Here, Morrison’s writing is “so precise, so faithful to speech and so charged with pain and wonder that the novel becomes poetry” (The New York Times).

Reviews

  • Easy read/ study

    4
    By erinlovesmusica
    I liked the story but then the writing went off into a whole different tangent of writing and I just got lost. This could be partly easy read/ part something to study.
  • Speechless

    5
    By yubgra
    After taking a good deep dive into what the words were actually saying did I put it all together. It is not a happy book but rather the most honest one there is. There is no sugarcoating and dwindling of things down. The truth is bare and that is what makes it great. The different points of view really piece it all together, learning of a single person yet learning it from how other see her, how her parents see themselves and how this affects her is extraordinary. It was a tough read especially near the end not because of bad writing or the writers fault but because of the attachment you grow to have with the characters. Comparing and learning that what a fictional character when through its what many already experienced. It is humbling and it taught me to have gratitude. 100% recommend.
  • Difficult subject

    3
    By Lotsaroses
    There’s no doubt that this book is well written. But, I found it difficult to read certain sections because of the POV of the subject matter.
  • It was bad

    1
    By Alalalalsoslsajbs
    I hated it. It reads like a book of poetry smh
  • The Bluest Eye

    5
    By Angelica812
    The stars speak for themselves. Toni Morrison’s incredible, talented gift of story telling never disappoints and always gives us an in depth detailed telescoped vision into the characters in the Bluest Eye. A book my Mother owned and now I was privileged to read. No Toni Morrison book should ever be banned. Every generation should be introduced to her works and it should be in their curriculum in the classroom or home. I am grateful to have finally read “The Bluest Eye.”
  • Literary Masterpiece

    5
    By Olive O.
    Simply put — perfection! A story with extraordinary depth.
  • The Bluest Eyes

    2
    By Digital Diva331
    I picked this book because of its author, because I have loved other Toni Morrison books. But I never really liked it even though I read the whole thing. I kept thinking it’ll get better, I’ll identify with the characters but I just didn’t. The main characters are not lovable either. Maybe it’s a racial thing, my not enjoying the novel because I am white and have never had any similar experiences. Honestly, I cannot recommend this book.
  • An art

    5
    By cjasmin40
    One of the most amazing and most detailed books I have ever read. Toni Morrison’s words brought real life senses, emotions, and images to me. She is truly a gifted artist.
  • Tough but Beautiful

    5
    By schubert.john
    The Bluest Eye is not for the faint of heart. Morrison’s writing is raw, evocative, and heartbreaking. The black America of this time was never so artfully or honestly portrayed. Morrison weaves together a story of pain, love, suffering, tenderness, faith, love, and hatred with such craftmanship. The Bluest Eye is a difficult but magnificent novel.
  • Phenomenal.

    5
    By Afro.Jazz
    A magnificent, heartbreaking piece of literature. Everything is described in crisp detail. It's filled with remarkable twists and turns, making it a true page-turner. I highly recommend this book.