Our Shared Shelf discussion

Share reviews here, and indicate spoilers at the top of your posts as needed :)

This has been my first time reading Beloved, and I agree with Emma, the story was a bit difficult in the beginning, but once I understood better Toni Morisson's writing style it was OK. The choice of using magic realism I think really suit the story, as much of it deals with trauma and feelings.

I found the novel tough, because of the strong feeling of pain - of different types of pain actually - that dominates the story. What I do know about slavery in the USA comes essentially from history books at school and a few novels/movies - so a very limited knowledge (my fault). For me Beloved represented an insight about what can be the psychological impact of slavery on an individual and, to a certain extent, on a community. I believe that for people who never experience these situations as victims or witnesses it may be difficult to immediately understand Sethe's dramatic decision. But through the story we get to see the reason behind it.. and the consequences. Like Emma, I also liked the role of Denver at the end of the story, (view spoiler)[ as well as some of the final words of Paul D to Sethe, "You your best thing, Sethe. You are." To me they finally define Sethe as an independent human being, whose best "things" lie within herself and not outside of her (e.g. her maternal bonds with her children). (hide spoiler)]

Hey guys! We actually started doing video discussions of the books as a way to draw in more readers and expand the conversation. There are definitely spoilers though so read the book first! Here's our episode on Beloved! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81LLM...

The book was hard to read but I’m so glad that I made the effort! Morrison is a great writer and the book is remarkable. The story of Sethe and Paul D, what they have been through, really touched me.

This book is truly a masterpiece. Has anyone else written about the emotional ramifications of slavery the way Morrison has?
Yes, there is a ghost. But what haunts this family and other African-Americans at this time is Shame. Morrison is absolutely brilliant at detailing the ripple affects. How do you live with that shame, and when it keeps coming back to you, attacking you, wanting to be a part of you, does the future matter? Do you eventually “die,” and is it loving yourself and the love of others that eventually drives the shame—mostly— away?
With this book, she gives all readers an insight into the heartaches and mind-fucks that are borne out of this historical horror. The depth of the text is astronomical.

Emma wrote: "Rachel M. wrote: "Hey guys! We actually started doing video discussions of the books as a way to draw in more readers and expand the conversation. There are definitely spoilers though so read the b..."

Thanks Emma! We wanted a way to add/expand the discussion so we've been doing them. This was our second episode. The first one we talked about Solito, Solita. Been going well so far!

Very moving....

OMG the story takes place in my state country, I'm so amazed by the realism of every scenes, so many black people have been discriminated for so long, their life was so hard and I can say sometimes it's still the case.

I feel so empowered to live in within the inside of a black family, every details are so realistic, I'm just dying for her writing, Sula and Love and any others are just amazing !

That's a hell of a writer one of the first black women to be Nobelized in 1993 ... She will be missing our heart!
Her sudden death was really a national drama !

It took me a while to get into the style of writing. But once I did I thought it was such a hauntingly beautiful story. I learnt so much about slavery from this book that I didn’t know. I had to look up what a bit was to understand what she was talking about. But the story. Oh the story was so so good and different and heartbreaking. I felt so bad for Denver through it all. Her wanting to protect beloved but also her mom in the end. Just such a good book. Can’t wait for the next months read. This was a good pick :-)

I'm curious how people see the book relating to feminism?

Peter wrote: "I'm curious how people see the book relating to feminism?"

To me Beloved is an example of black feminism in the literature. We know that initially feminism failed to include and fight for the rights of black women (and on a whole of women whose ethnicity was not Caucasian). In this novel Toni Morrison puts light on the conditions of Afro-American women at that time, on how slavery could have such a big impact, even in motherhood. And it's a story told mostly from the point of view of the female characters, their experience and pain being finally spoken aloud.

I agree with what people have been saying about the book: it's a vivid portrait of the horror of slavery; the writing is beautiful; and it's also sometimes hard to understand.

But, ultimately, for me, I see it as a story about love. I see it as a group of people who time and time again fear loving someone or something because everything they've loved, they've eventually lost: "So you protected yourself and loved small.... A woman, a child, a brother--a big love like that would split you wide open...." Another character put it: "If anybody was to ask me I'd say, 'Don't love nothing.'"

And yet ....

Time and time again they love in spite of themselves and their circumstances. Their love may be messy and sometimes come with indescribable pain, but they love anyway because they can't help themselves. We're hard-wired for connection, even if at times we don't believe it ourselves: "... she felt a knocking in her chest and discovered something else new: her own heartbeat. Had it been there all along?" Sometimes it seemed like the depravity of their circumstances actually pushed characters to love because it was one of the few things they could do: "... she had nothing left to make a living with but her heart." "...my love was tough...."

My favorite sentence of the book: "Sweet, crazy conversations full of half-sentences, daydreams and misunderstandings more thrilling than understanding could ever be." Sounds like love to me.

What I take from this is: regardless of our circumstances, regardless of whether we even realize it or not, we are all capable of loving and being someone's be-loved.

Peter wrote: "I agree with what people have been saying about the book: it's a vivid portrait of the horror of slavery; the writing is beautiful; and it's also sometimes hard to understand.

But, ultimately, fo..."

So just to clarify, the fact that a major theme is on love means that it is or isn't feminist?

I think that most of the above posters were responding to why they think Beloved relates to feminism. Not necessarily discussing the themes or motifs that are found within the text.

I've just finished reading Beloved and have been desperate to discuss it! At times I found it very difficult to read because the descriptions of violence and torture were so vivid.

I also read it as a love story though - that the characters manage to find love despite everything. I see it as a feminist book because it shines a light on the underrepresented female experiences of slavery. I don't think that the theme of love encourages or discourages a feminist reading. Love is a universal theme.

Pam wrote: So just to clarify, the fact that a major theme is on love means that it is or isn't feminist?

Hi, Pam.

To clarify, my last post was my review of Beloved, not a response to my question about how it relates to feminism. Perhaps I should have started another thread for the question?

I agree with everything Emma, Alda, and Caroline have said in response and look forward to hearing from others on either topic. And thank you for the link, Emma!

Thanks for the clarification Peter!

Beloved goes beyond the slavery and shows how domestic violence and abuse in general can harm a person emotionally.

Yeah, that's true, for me it presents a unique potrayal of dealing with that all trauma, with Sethe's guilt and need to prove her love for murdered daughter, Beloved, when this act ostracized her, made her other daughter mute and sons run away.
I agree, it lends voice for those who back then didn't have right for it, also it seems a bit feministic in this way- it gives insight why infanticide, such horrible act, took place, it's sorta explains and empowers motherhood, a force of feelings and instincts of it, which were denied for slaves. It seems feministic in its end - in Paul D' encouragement to be your own centre of happiness.
Off the top of my head, something I remember the most is this realization how we take possibility to love someone for granted, not questioning ability to love big.
And interesting quote which I needed to ponder over is this:
White people believed that whatever the manners, under every dark skin was a jungle. Swift unnavigable waters, swinging screaming baboons, sleeping snakes, red gums ready for their sweet white blood. In a way . . . they were right. . . . But it wasn’t the jungle blacks brought with them to this place. . . . It was the jungle whitefolks planted in them. And it grew. It spread . . . until it invaded the whites who had made it. . . . Made them bloody, silly, worse than even they wanted to be, so scared were they of the jungle they had made. The screaming baboon lived under their own white skin; the red gums were their own.

I'm a little late but here is my review (5*):

This was not an easy read. After finishing each chapter, I read a summary on Sparknotes and I'd recommend this to anyone struggling with the book.

Nevertheless, I absolutely loved this novel. Through Morrison's beautiful prose and poetry, the story stirs up so many emotions inside the reader. Fear, ecstasy, horror, regret, contentment - you name it. This is a shining example of magical realism - my favorite genre. Beloved symbolizes the way people deal with the past. In the end, there are still many questions left unanswered, but the story teaches you that you can never really know the truth, since it depends on the point of view of the person.

I'm so glad I picked up this book. One of the best books I've read this year.