The Bluest Eye (Oprah's Book Club)

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Oprah Book Club® Selection, April 2000: Originally published in 1970, The Bluest Eye is Toni Morrison's first novel. In an afterword written more than two decades later, the author expressed her dissatisfaction with the book's language and structure: "It required a sophistication unavailable to me." Perhaps we can chalk up this verdict to modesty, or to the Nobel laureate's impossibly high standards of quality control. In any case, her debut is nothing if not sophisticated, in terms of both narrative ingenuity and rhetorical sweep. It also shows the young author drawing a bead on the subjects that would dominate much of her career: racial hatred, historical memory, and the dazzling or degrading power of language itself.

Set in Lorain, Ohio, in 1941, The Bluest Eye is something of an ensemble piece. The point of view is passed like a baton from one character to the next, with Morrison's own voice functioning as a kind of gold standard throughout. The focus, though, is on an 11-year-old black girl named Pecola Breedlove, whose entire family has been given a cosmetic cross to bear:

You looked at them and wondered why they were so ugly; you looked closely and could not find the source. Then you realized that it came from conviction, their conviction. It was as though some mysterious all-knowing master had given each one a cloak of ugliness to wear, and they had each accepted it without question.... And they took the ugliness in their hands, threw it as a mantle over them, and went about the world with it.

There are far uglier things in the world than, well, ugliness, and poor Pecola is subjected to most of them. She's spat upon, ridiculed, and ultimately raped and impregnated by her own father. No wonder she yearns to be the very opposite of what she is--yearns, in other words, to be a white child, possessed of the blondest hair and the bluest eye.

This vein of self-hatred is exactly what keeps Morrison's novel from devolving into a cut-and-dried scenario of victimization. She may in fact pin too much of the blame on the beauty myth: "Along with the idea of romantic love, she was introduced to another--physical beauty. Probably the most destructive ideas in the history of human thought. Both originated in envy, thrived in insecurity, and ended in disillusion." Yet the destructive power of these ideas is essentially colorblind, which gives The Bluest Eye the sort of universal reach that Morrison's imitators can only dream of. And that, combined with the novel's modulated pathos and musical, fine-grained language, makes for not merely a sophisticated debut but a permanent one. --James Marcus

Book Description

The Bluest Eye, published in 1970, is the first novel written by Toni Morrison, winner of the 1993 Nobel Prize in Literature.

It is the story of eleven-year-old Pecola Breedlove--a black girl in an America whose love for its blond, blue-eyed children can devastate all others--who prays for her eyes to turn blue: so that she will be beautiful, so that people will look at her, so that her world will be different. This is the story of the nightmare at the heart of her yearning and the tragedy of its fulfillment.

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The Bluest Eye is the story of eleven-year-old Pecola Breedlove - a black girl in an America whose love for its blond, blue-eyed children can devastate all others - who prays for her eyes to turn blue: so that she will be beautiful, so that people will look at her, so that her world will be different.

Customer Reviews:

True Blue.......2007-10-08

I found this novel very difficult to comprehend at first. What helped me was to read the author's "Afterword," and then go back and read the novel again. Parts of the book were so dead-on that it was frightening, but other parts I could not connect with. After Morrison revealed in her "Afterword" why she wrote as she did, the story became clearer and more compelling.
It is a little bit like a puzzle; Mama's ranting on about the three quarts of milk, the description of Geraldine, the affection Mrs. Breedlove sheds on the pink and yellow girl, and her soliloquy of how she and Cholly got together and why they stayed together. You sometimes forget that book is about Pecola, but then, when all the little pieces fit together, you are left with a complete picture. Or maybe it is like Cholly's life, "coherent only in the head of a musician." (p. 159) The Bluest Eye is like a musical composition; each instrument playing their own unique part, but combined, they create a symphony. Definitely worth a repeat read. Recommended for a mature audience.

Sad, Disturbing and Unforgettable.......2007-09-11

I read this book in honor of September's Banned Books discussion that my book club is having. This book has been banned in several places because of its contents, for various reasons. I had thought I read this book way back when in high school ~~ but whatever I read then didn't compare to this book. This book is totally unforgettable and tragic.

This is not just one story. This is a collection of stories of different people in different times of their lives and their stories lead up to the tragedy of poor little Pecola Breedlove, an ugly girl (I suspect that is a metaphor that Morrison is trying to say about the ugliness of poverty and racial tensions) who is not loved. The stories are of her father as a youngster; of her mother who was a totally different person who married for love only to be brow-beaten by poverty; of people around Pecola, and about two sisters who tried to befriend her but got swept away by circumstances created by the adults in their lives. This is a novel that depicts humanity at its worst. This is of a time before civil rights were fought for ~~ perhaps dreamed of but it hasn't been swept to the point where people are actually standing up and taking note of it. This is a story about poverty and how it dehumanizes the characters. This is a story about neglect. Pecola is set in the center of the storm that she has not created herself but is too young to resist and too ignorant to ignore.

This is an eye-opener of a novel because even during my "poorest" days as a student, I never had to worry about finding enough to eat. Pecola is not a sheltered nor were any of the characters coddled (except for Mrs. Breedlove's charge in that fancy house that she's the cook at). Yes, there are crude moments in the book but for some reason, it just emphasized the poverty of the people's lives. Yes, there is rape. That is the tragedy. But it was not explicit like a lot of the soft-porn novels floating around out there. It is a very sad and tragic book ~~ a disturbing look into reality portrayed in a time that I don't know of.

Would I recommend this book to anyone? Yes. Would I "love" this book? No. There is nothing lovable about this book ~~ there's no happy endings. It really should not be portrayed as a novel because most fiction ends with a happy ending ~~ not this one. And this book would definitely provoke thoughtful conversations among friends.

9-11-07

This book broke my heart.......2007-09-09

I read this book for an English class (back in '95) called, "Class & Money in American Literature." Few books have stuck with me like this book has. Caution: if you are depressed, don't read this book. This book shows how people take things out on each other and how destructive this dumping on each other is. I just wanted to comfort Pecola the whole time I was reading the book and reassure her that she was fine the way she was. Her false conclusion that she wasn't worth much broke my heart. Pecola is scapegoated and victimized by every significant person in her life. In fact, this book reads as a case study of scapegoating/victimization taken to the limit.

This book also reminds us that the media's tendency to push images of idealized (and unattainable) beauty on the public can negatively affect people's self-image, particularly if the way many people look isn't represented positively, if at all. The Bluest Eye is an eye opener about how children internalize messages from the prevailing culture, a phenomenon painfully illustrated by Pecola's desire for blue eyes and how she thinks that eye color will make her happy.

Forgive me for self-indulging in TMI...I gave this book to my brother for Xmas about three years ago. It was a rather pointed gift, as the themes of dumping, projection, and targeting are rampant in the book. Though we're thankfully on better terms (his new wife has managed to "stepfordize" him in a most benefitial way--my sister, who has also experienced plenty of our brother's dark side, is amazed at the transformation), I continue to send him books (in the guise of birthday and Christmas presents) and email articles about inter-sibling conflict, personal growth, bullying, and gingerism. I guess this superimposed "bibliotherapy" may be working, as he's treating me better, and we even on very rare occasion tell each other that we love each other.

An Inspiring and moving story.......2007-08-29

The Bluest Eye is truly an inspiring and a moving story. Through a child eyes, Ms. Morrison takes us on a journey to the most innocent and perverse thoughts every human being has, including violence and despair. This book will make you think and feel. I applaud the author for writing about our misinformed society. This book is a must read for every person that has an interest in our social conditions.

I would give it a million stars if I could.......2007-06-12

Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye, I can safely say, is my favorite novel of all time. It's depressing, complex, and downright tragic as an innocent little girl is destroyed by a vicious society set on convincing her that she is both ugly and worthless. Through a brutal rape by her own father, Pecola's life is ruined as her childhood is permanently destroyed and the one pathetic hope that keeps her alive is her strong desire for blue eyes.

Morrison refuses to depict this story in chronological order, as the narrator explains that it is not the "why" that we are able to answer but rather the "how." With that in mind, Morrison quickly summarizes the story and then dives in to the analysis of how this little girl's tragedy was made possible. We, as readers, are then opened up to a broader explanation of not merely this girl's tragedy on an isolated, individual level. Rather, she is the physical manifestation of the psychological problems faced by African-Americans living in a hostile society that told them they were inferior. Pecola's problems are slightly mirrored from those considered at the high ranks of black society (Geraldine), all the way to black society's most tragic victims (the Breedloves). Morrison refuses to allow the reader to simply pity Pecola's mindset. Instead, she forces us, no matter the background or race, to feel guilty. We, a society that has not yet completely embraced people from all portions of our community, are completely responsible for her downfall. Because, Morrison argues, in a world that continually controls us into believing that all minorities are inferior, we have left her to suffer.

But Toni Morrison doesn't stop there, a point that would already label The Bluest Eye as an amazing novel. Morrison expands the picture from psychological racism into a rarely considered topic of psychological sexism. All of the main female characters in this story are in some shape or form sexually assaulted by the dominant male figures. Morrison brilliantly expands the picture to fearlessly explore sexism and how it has damaged the psyche of our nation's society.

I won't lie, I was initially disgusted by several of the scenes in this novel, the main one being a brutal rape described in great detail. But I realized that this book was meant to horrify me and open my eyes to what Morrison was exposing. The book is incredibly complex, so it deserves your utmost attention. I can not overrate this book; you must read it.

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Hottest blue eyes in Texas
most enjoyable
Great book!
First Book Success!
I Want That

The Bluest Eyes In Texas
Linda Crist
Manufacturer: Yellow Rose Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1932300481

Book Description

Kennedy Nocona is an out, liberal, driven attorney, living in Austin, the heart of the Texas hill country. Once a player in the legal community, a personal tragedy for which she blames herself causes her to re-evaluate her life. Seeking redemption for her tormented past, she loses herself in her work, strict discipline of mind and body, and the teachings of Native American roots she once shunned. Dallasite Carson Garret is a young paralegal overcoming the loss of her parents, and coming to terms with her own sexual orientation. After settling her parents' estate and examining her failed past relationships, she is desperately ready to move forward. Bored with her state of affairs, she longs for excitement and romance to make her feel alive again. A chance encounter finds them inexplicably drawn to one another, and after a weekend together, they quickly find themselves in a long distance romance that leaves them both wanting more. Circumstances at Carson's job escalate into a series of mysteries and blackmail that leaves her with more excitement than she ever bargained for. Confused, afraid, and alone, she turns to Kennedy, the one person she knows can help her. As they work together to solve a puzzle, they confront growing feelings that neither woman can deny. Can they overcome the outside forces that threaten to crush them both?

Customer Reviews:

Hottest blue eyes in Texas.......2007-05-18

Fast attraction and love with physical love slow to grow. Great characters,intregue with conflict and plenty of romance.

most enjoyable.......2007-04-02

The Bluest Eyes In Texas was a book I could not put down. I kept wanting to know what was going to happen next. Kennedy and Carson are two very individual and dynamic characters that somehow work well together.
A underlying evil lurks in this book until it explodes to the forefront of the story. Which is great because you get the chance to get to know the characters before all of the excitement happens. I read this story before on the internet. And when I saw it in book form I had to have it. If you are a Uber-fan then you will most likely like this book.

Great book!.......2007-03-17

This book is full of romance,passion and suspense. I liked Carson and Kennedy's relationship,loved the way Kennedy wooed her and I also liked "Moondancer's Delight"a little epilogue/short story featuring these characters. I liked the Xena/Gabrille(sp?) vibe I got from Carson and Kennedy. I am anxiously awaiting the sequel from Amazon,which I ordered yesterday after finishing The Bluest Eyes in Texas in 2 days! I really could get used to other books from this author,esp. if this is what they will be like.

First Book Success!.......2007-03-14

Linda Crist did an excellent job with her first book. You won't be disappointed in The Bluest Eyes in Texas. There is action, drama, love, lust, friendship, witty humor, and blackmail. Who could ask for more out of a first time author? The characters were very well developed and real. Kennedy and Carson are made for each other and are very endearing. I liked them both. The story could actually happen and I am sure does. I thought the book flowed nicely and look forward to the sequel. This book will stay on my shelf to read again. A very enjoyable read!

I Want That.......2007-02-18

I applaud Ms. Crist with her first paper published effort. I liked this story. This is how it happens in real life and I respect this point of view. I will be looking for future efforts from this author with fingers crossed that all of Ms. Crist's partner pairs don't remind me of Xena and Gabrielle.

$Texas Brides: The Rancher & The Runaway Bride\The Bluest Eyes In Texas (Texas Brides)$
Average customer rating:

delightful western romance

Texas Brides: The Rancher & The Runaway Bride\The Bluest Eyes In Texas (Texas Brides)
Joan Johnston
Manufacturer: HQN Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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$Hawk's Way Brides: The Unforgiving Bride\The Headstrong Bride\The Disobedient Bride$ Hawk's Way Brides: The Unforgiving Bride\The Headstrong Bride\The Disobedient Bride
Hawk's Way Grooms
Hawk's Way Rogues: Honey and the Hired Hand/ The Cowboy Takes a Wife/ The Temporary Groom
$Hawk's Way: Faron & Garth: The Cowboy And The Princess\The Wrangler And The Rich Girl$ Hawk's Way: Faron & Garth: The Cowboy And The Princess\The Wrangler And The Rich Girl
Outlaw's Bride

ASIN: 0373770421

Book Description

Return to Texas in Joan Johnston's beloved Hawk's Way series.

Tate Whitelaw has had enough of her older brothers' constant interference in her life. So she decides to split from the ranch she's called home for all of her twenty-three years. Tate does what any young, red-blooded American girl would do -- she runs straight into the arms of hardened rancher Adam Phillips.

Adam's is no mood to rescue a damsel in distress, but his heart has other ideas. Tate has no clue that her estranged brother, Jesse is as close as the neighboring spread . . . and Adam has no intention of telling her. He didn't go looking for Tate, but he can't imagine letting her go now. But when she meets Jesse's wife and discovers Jesse is the ranch hand next door, Adam has some explaining ahead of him.

Add to that the three Whitelaw boys, who show up with shotguns in tow to make sure their sister's an honest woman, and there's really nothing left to say except "I do."

Customer Reviews:

delightful western romance .......2005-09-28

Twenty-three years old Tate Whitelaw is tired of the over-protection of her three older brothers, who make it impossible for her to have any fun. Deciding she needs to escape, she leaves Hawk's Way only to land in the arms of another alpha male, Adam Philips, who lost his beloved when she fell in love and married Tate's brother Jesse (see HONEY AND THE HIRED HAND). Tate likes having Adam overly protect her, especially his hugs and kisses, unlike her siblings who just seem in the way.

Adam wonders if he is fickle because he loved Honey forever, but finds himself needing Tate even more. He knows that she is ignorant that Jesse is living nearby and realizes he owes her the truth, but fears she will leave him if only to see Jesse.

When Tate meets Honey she invites her and her spouse to come to dinner at Adam's spread. Instead an irate Jesse arrives demanding she leaves, as he is positive his former rival is using his sister as a means of getting even. Tate believes her host loves her, but Jesse refuses to back down.

This reprint of a delightful western romance will please readers due to the antics of Tate's brothers who return with a shotgun and a priest. The lead couple is a fine romantic duo although Adam has problems believing he could be so shallow as to fall in love so fast after losing the courtship of Honey that even he thinks he is on the rebound. Though it would be better to first read HONEY AND THE HIRED HAND to better understand the motives of Adam and Jesse, sub-genre fans will enjoy the return to Hawk's way.

Harriet Klausner

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The Bluest Eye
Toni Morrison
Manufacturer: Plume
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

ASIN: B000LA4OZQ

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Spark Notes The Bluest Eye
Toni Morrison , SparkNotes Editors , and Tony Morrison
Manufacturer: SparkNotes
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1586635018

Book Description

Get your "A" in gear!

They're today's most popular study guides-with everything you need to succeed in school. Written by Harvard students for students, since its inception SparkNotes™ has developed a loyal community of dedicated users and become a major education brand. Consumer demand has been so strong that the guides have expanded to over 150 titles. SparkNotes'™ motto is Smarter, Better, Faster because:

· They feature the most current ideas and themes, written by experts.
· They're easier to understand, because the same people who use them have also written them.
· The clear writing style and edited content enables students to read through the material quickly, saving valuable time.

And with everything covered--context; plot overview; character lists; themes, motifs, and symbols; summary and analysis, key facts; study questions and essay topics; and reviews and resources--you don't have to go anywhere else!

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Excellent guide
A good help for additional understanding

The Bluest Eye and Sula (Cliffs Notes)
Rosetta James , and Louisa S. Nye
Manufacturer: Cliffs Notes
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0822002515

Book Description

The original CliffsNotes study guides offer expert commentary on major themes, plots, characters, literary devices, and historical background.

CliffsNotes on The Bluest Eye & Sula covers two of Toni Morrison’s unforgettable novels. The Bluest Eye, Morrison’s first novel, focuses on Pecola Breedlove, a lonely, young black girl living in Ohio in the late 1940s. Through Pecola, Morrison exposes the power and cruelty of white, middle-class American definitions of beauty.

Sula, Morrison’s second novel, focuses on a young black girl named Sula, who matures into a strong and determined woman in the face of adversity and the distrust, even hatred, of her by the black community in which she lives. Morrison delves into the strong female relationships and how these bonds nurture and threaten individual identity.

This study guide will take you beneath the surface of Morrison’s complex characters to uncover their universal themes. Helpful background information about the author brings these novels into context for even greater understanding. Other features that help you study include

Complete character lists
A character map that graphically illustrates the relationships among the characters
Character analyses of major players
Glossary of difficult terms Critical essays
Review questions and essay topics

Classic literature or modern modern-day treasure — you'll understand it all with expert information and insight from CliffsNotes study guides.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent guide.......2002-02-28

I read Sula and I needed a little help with the symbolism used in the book and Cliff Notes have always been an excellent guide.

The chapter's in "Sula" were seperated by years, and for each year there is a summary, commentary, and glossary for definitions of words and phrases. Also included is an introduction, character analyses, question, and essays for each book.

I haven't read "The Bluest Eye" yet but I do plan to, and its really great that both of these books are covered in this guide. I highly recommend this guide to anyone who wants a better understanding of one or both of these books.

A good help for additional understanding.......2000-06-23

These cliffs notes helped me very much studying this book for my high school english class. The parts that i didn't undertand reading the novel, the cliffs notes cleared up for me. If you're reading this book for school or for enjoyment, I would get the CliffsNotes for it just to supplement the reading.

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The Bluest Eye

Manufacturer: Random House Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HZMBIW

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The Bluest Eye (Toni Morrison)

Manufacturer: A Washington Square Publication
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: B000BMYLLQ

Toni Morrison's the Bluest Eye (Bloom's Modern Critical Interpretations)

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Toni Morrison's the Bluest Eye (Bloom's Modern Critical Interpretations)

Manufacturer: Chelsea House Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

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The Bluest Eye (Oprah's Book Club)

ASIN: 0791051919

Book Description

A child's descent into madness was explored in Eye.

The title, Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye, part of Chelsea House Publishers' Modern Critical Interpretations series, presents the most important 20th-century criticism on Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye through extracts of critical essays by well-known literary critics. This collection of criticism also features a short biography on Toni Morrison, a chronology of the author's life, and an introductory essay written by Harold Bloom, Sterling Professor of the Humanities, Yale University.

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The Story Behind Toni Morrison's the Bluest Eye (History in Literature)
Mary Colson
Manufacturer: Heinemann
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

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ASIN: 1403482128

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