The Bluest Eye is Toni Morrison’s first novel, a book heralded for its richness of language and boldness of vision. Set in the author’s girlhood hometown of Lorain, Ohio, it tells the story of black, eleven-year-old Pecola Breedlove. Pecola prays for her eyes to turn blue so that she will be as beautiful and beloved as all the blond, blue-eyed children in America. In the autumn of 1941, the year the marigolds in the Breedloves’ garden do not bloom. Pecola’s life does change- in painful, devastating ways.
What its vivid evocation of the fear and loneliness at the heart of a child’s yearning, and the tragedy of its fulfillment. The Bluest Eye remains one of Tony Morrisons’s most powerful, unforgettable novels- and a significant work of American fiction.
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was a reread for me, having read it in school, and I appreciated it just as much the second time around. Toni Morrison is one of my favorite writers. It was a heavy-hearted read. I would recommend it to those who enjoy learning about American literature, culture, and history, personal stories, and to anyone who appreciates the telling of life circumstances in its most raw form.
The author, Toni Morrison, told about moments in time with such relevant insight. Joys of innocence met with tragic yearning. The style of writing followed such a rich, loose, unrestrained, and descriptive language that read both beautifully and brilliantly. The content itself was difficult to read at times, which brought up highly sensitive, yet important topics and situations. It was a thought-provoking juxtaposition of the telling of a powerful and often painful narrative through prose and unfiltered, informal dialogue.
MY FAVORITE LINES:
“If happiness is anticipation with certainty, we were happy.”
“And you look like the north side of a southbound mule.”
