Reviews

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

clair_amelia's review against another edition

3.0

This was a very engaging read, and I learned a lot about the African-American experience. Beautiful story telling.

rubyreads_'s review against another edition

challenging inspiring reflective slow-paced

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

3.0

teamlarson's review against another edition

4.0

This is written so beautifully and perfectly descriptive. Maybe it’s because I’m a native Floridian, but I really felt transported to then and there. I loved Janie as a main character. She was undeniably independent and refused to settle. She seemed to perfectly tiptoe that line of naivety and wisdom beyond her years. As the reader, you can tell that Hurston didn’t write this book for anyone but herself— especially for the time period. It is so unapologetically black, never even having a white character with a name. It was like a reverse racial Bechdel test and so refreshing to read. The concept of race is obviously a driving force in the book without feeling like a lecture, but instead something deeper and more powerful. I always enjoy phonetic spelling in dialogue to show accents, and this was no exception. The characters all had southern accents and it was so fun to read, but sometimes a little challenging. The middle moved a little slow for me, but the ending was a whirlwind (literally) and I loved how it closed with her finishing the story to her friend. Having lived in Maitland, I really felt a connection to everything and I’m mad at myself for never visiting the Zora Neale Hurston museum just 10 minutes from my old apartment.

2000s's review against another edition

4.25

Gorgeous writing and setting. Personally I loved the dialogue and the second half of the book specifically

after Joe died and before the hurricane

was just so vivid and alive. 

The sexism was a lot to handle though. I was a little disappointed that this novel frames Janie as being independent and making a life for herself, but really there was almost no exploration of her life or thoughts outside of her relationships with men. Maybe that's easy for me to say tho, as someone living in an era where women have relatively more civil rights. Tea Cake was ok-ish to her, but either way she deserved more. 

teenagedeathsongs's review

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

jenmangler's review against another edition

3.0

I wanted Janie to be a powerful woman on her own after Joe's death. She had money, she began asserting herself, and she flat-out rejected all the suitors who suddenly wanted to help her navigated widowhood (but weren't all that interested in helping any of the poor widows in the community). I loved that about her, and thought she was finally going to stand on her own and make her own way. And then came Tea Cake. Ugh. I cannot get over how hard she fell for him and how he took advantage of that.

jmrprice's review against another edition

4.0

Powerful story of relationships, hardships, and love.

monalisalisa's review against another edition

3.0

This book was insightful into looking at what does love actually mean and poses questions like should you be able to lovr if you are not feeling secure in yourself.

Janie goes through many relationships in this book where she is the submissive, it reflects the times that the book took place as well as the role that Janie jas been placed in her whole life.

Janie had certsin privelidges growing up, which inclide her lighter skin colour, hair texture and her childhood where she grow up surrounded by white people.

I think that this book really had several points on race, gender roles and marriage itself. And the idea that women have to be submissive and judgmental of other women to prove superiority over them.

Even though I thought all these points were interesting, I think the pacing of the novel was a little off for me. The way time was represented also confused me, I did not know when and where we were in terms of time periods and how much time had passed.

All in all a very thougg provoking novel and Hurtson really has a unique style of writing.

zimm_liz's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

ivethevo's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0