Reviews with content warning for Rape - The Bluest Eye

I have mixed feelings about this. You can tell it's an early Toni Morrison work and I think her later works are a much better representation of the voice she developed. I do think this work was poignant and portrayed the message it wanted to, but I agree with the forward of the book that the style might not have been the best fit for the message. I see why this is a classic, but I also see why it sits on banned book lists, because this book did not shy away from hard or despicable topics; it even described pedophilia with an almost reverence through the character's eyes and I found those parts really hard to read.

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starregulus's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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theromanticace's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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author2223's review against another edition

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emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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ewilsonn's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This is one of the most beautifully written books I’ve ever read, and Toni Morrison has made a new fan out of me. The only criticism I have is that I enjoyed the first half of the book a lot more than the second half. That being said, I can understand why books that make us feel uncomfortable are important.

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