Beloved by Toni Morrison (1987)

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Beloved by Toni Morrison



                Beloved. That’s what the pinkish headstone said. Beloved was what Sethe put on the headstone of her little girl. The little ghost that haunted 124 causing ruckus in its need to be loved. The woman came 18 years after Sethe’s daughter was put in the ground. Sethe, Denver and Paul D. found her laying outside the house when they came home from the carnival. She was looking for Sethe. Sethe was the one she loved the most. Denver was the one who loved her most. Paul D. was the one who feared her most. She said her name was Beloved.
                I am not going to lie. Beloved may be the one novel I was most apprehensive about reading as part of my theme this year. I guess I was scared from the movie version of the film. I wasn’t sure what to expect. I started this with a somewhat open mind and found the writing to be really amazing. The characters had deep and painful stories to tell. The unfolding and unearthing of the past was done so well and just really interesting.
                The narration flowed back and forth through time. It took place in the 1870’s in Cincinnati but many of the characters reflected on events that happened decades before but had a very substantial hold on the people that lived now. These reflections are what made the story great. These reflections are what developed the characters and really brought them to life.

                I was rooting for this novel until I was about 75% through. Then it started to lose me. It got awkward and I can’t necessarily put my finger on it but I stopped enjoying it. It didn’t necessarily get too dark but the message changed and developed into something unsettling and unnecessary. I lost my dedication to it. I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars. 

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