I just finished Beloved, the first novel by Morrison that I’ve ever read. It took just a couple of days. And WOW! It was mystical, horrifying, and incredibly sad—and worth every second. The format confused me a little at times, but I believe I picked up on most of its meaning.
Despite them living lives that are obviously very different from my own, I felt I could understand each character and why they felt or acted in the way they did. Sethe (is it pronounced Seth?) was my favorite. Stamp Paid, too.
It’s the kind of book you need to be prepared for, at least if you’re sensitive to topics of racial injustice, sexual assault, and death. There were several times I felt so disgusted and uncomfortable that I had to take a pause. But I don’t think I could have stopped reading completely, even if I tried.
It’s great reading by yourself but I think this is the kind of book that would also benefit from group discussion. That’s probably why many schools include it in their curriculum.
I want to read the rest of her novels. I have a copy of Song of Solomon, so I might pick up from there.
by BrieflyBlue