Order from a Major Online Bookstore
Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine
Save Your Time And Money
| AnyBook4Less.com | Order from a Major Online Bookstore |
|
| Home | Store List | FAQ | Contact Us | | ||
| Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine Save Your Time And Money |
||
 |
Title: Beloved by Toni Morrison ISBN: 0-452-26446-4 Publisher: Plume Pub. Date: June, 1994 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.85 (530 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Definitely Worth Reading! (^_^)
Comment: Beloved, an unimaginable tale of slavery and it's aftermath, is truly a heartwrenching and astounding novel. Sethe, a former slave, escapes from her life of slavery to Ohio only to be haunted by her past all over again. Through all the hardships Sethe has faced, her only weakness is her children. Sethe is haunted by the decision she made years earlier, the decision she believed at the time was best for her child. Sethe's past comes back in the form of a ghost (Beloved) and is determined to never let Sethe forget about her past mistakes. When I first started reading this book, I had a hard time understanding the story line because of the way Toni Morrison brings about her characters and plot. She uses "rememory" and many complicated metaphors to bring up important subjects that are vital to the story. For instance, she constantly and unexpectedly shifts from present to past tenses which often confuses the reader. Also, she introduces new characters into the novel unexpectedly and does not explain them until later on. Extended metaphors are used to force the reader to actually think and try to figure out the true meaning of the book. For example, throughout the book, Sethe keeps mentioning that she has a "tree" growing on her back. Readers are left dumbfounded and curious about what she is talking about. It is not until later in the novel that we find out that the "tree" on Sethe's back is actually the scars and markings from when she was whipped by the schoolmaster and his boys back at Sweet Home, where she used to be enslaved. The permanent scars, which formed the shape of a "chokecherry tree" on Sethe's back, not only refers to the physical scars but also refers to the mental scars that will serve as a reminder of slavery that will never be erased from Sethe's mind. Even though Morrison's use of "rememory" and metaphors can be confusing to some readers, these little touches are also what make's Morrison's style so unique and enjoyable to read. Therefore, when reading Beloved, one feels like they're actually in the book. You get so wrapped up in the novel that it's hard to put it down. Beloved is definitely worth reading.
Rating: 5
Summary: Discover Toni Morrison with Beloved
Comment: One of America's greatest modern writers hits a homerun with this novel. Those who have heard of Toni Morrison but perhaps been a bit intimidated by her literary reputation can be advised that this book is as good a read as any and just as accessible on various levels. On the most basic level, this book is a ghost story.
It begins with Sethe, an ex-slave who has found her way to Ohio. Behind her she left Sweet Home, as close a utopia as one can get for a slave-master relationship. Sweet Home contains a past that begins positively, (Sethe is able to choose her husband and is left alone by the other men on the plantation). Yet as the novel continues the reader learns the darker side of Sweet Home which developed after the master passed away and the mistress became too ill to take care of the plantation. Ahead of her in Ohio Sethe has several children who eventually leave and a one Baby Suggs, her husband's mother, who evolves from a type of minister to a dying woman who has denounced the white world completely. Left in the house is Denver, her young daughter and Sethe. It is implied that her boys have left home because they couldn't stand it anymore. "It" is the spirit that has inhabited their home for several years. It takes many shapes and forms, and has become a sort of companion for the lonely Denver. Its presence is short lived once Paul D, a survivor from the Sweet Home days, arrives. He cannot stay in the home as long as she is there and physically removes her spiritual presence. But the ghosts presence revisits the home, this time in the form of a young woman. She has the mental and physical capacity of a toddler, and becomes a permanent fixture in the home of Sethe, Beloved and Paul D. Who this mystery woman is and what she represents is the great mystery of the book, one that is solved by the readers early, and by the other characters later. Unlocking her mystery will take a community effort, one that hasn't been seen around Sethe's house for over a decade.
This novel is a great exploration of the past, present and future and how those three interact with each other within the hearts and minds of the characters. Sethe must understand her past in order to have a future and this struggle is played out in dramatic turns which credit Morrison's creative genius. At times this book seems almost epic in size. Morrison flies back in time with every turn of the page. As a result, the reader understands characters' entire histories, and one feels as if they have known them for quite some time.
Morrison's non-linear writing can at times be intimidating for the reader. Yet for those who stick with the book they will be heavily rewarded. Her language use and non-traditional sentence structure left this reader in awe. Descriptions are unique, honest, and accurate. She describes the trials of an ex-slave with seemingly effortless grace.
I highly recommend this book to both veterans of Morrison's work as well as new comers. She has mastered the art of story-telling and has something to offer for every type of reader. She will long be remembered as a shaping force for contemporary fiction.
Rating: 4
Summary: A Mothers Love
Comment: Setha was a runaway slave from a place called "Sweet Home". She was suppose to meet up with her husband Halle that she never found. She excaped to Ohio to stay with her mother-in-law Baby Suggs, and her other three children. Setha loved her children unconditionally and did everything possible to keep them out of harms way. But when "School Teacher", the slave owner came to claim Setha's children she did the unthinkable.
The novel was powerful and it showed how much love a mother can have for her children. I don't agree with the things she did but she wanted better for her children other than slavery.She wanted them to be in a better place. She did what she did out of love no anger.
 |
Title: Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison ISBN: 0452260116 Publisher: Plume Pub. Date: September, 1987 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
 |
Title: Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison ISBN: 0679732764 Publisher: Vintage Pub. Date: 14 March, 1995 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
 |
Title: Sula by Toni Morrison ISBN: 0452283868 Publisher: Penguin USA (Paper) Pub. Date: 05 April, 2002 List Price(USD): $13.00 |
 |
Title: Jazz (Plume Contemporary Fiction) by Toni Morrison ISBN: 0452269652 Publisher: Plume Pub. Date: April, 1993 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
 |
Title: Paradise by Toni Morrison ISBN: 0452280397 Publisher: Plume Pub. Date: April, 1999 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
Thank you for visiting www.AnyBook4Less.com and enjoy your savings!
Copyright� 2001-2021 Send your comments
