The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

Reading this novel became a "dessert-like" activity for me. I wanted it to last and last, so I read it very slowly and deliberately, enjoying every sentence. I knew that Toni Morrison had earned a Nobel Prize in literature for later published works and after reading this book I completely understand how. She assembled words in her sentences that painted a picture and drew out emotion like none I’ve ever read before. This story is about 3 Negro girls (Pecola, Claudia and Frieda; told mostly through the eyes of Claudia) who all believed they were ugly (particularly Pecola) because they didn’t have blue eyes and blond hair. These ideas were well-fed and distributed by the adults in all three of these girl's environments. But this book is, of course, much more than this, but it is the driving force. The story also takes a look at the other individuals in Pecola’s life; Cholly who is Pecola’s father and father of her child and Pauline – Pecola’s mother and how they came to be so disengaged.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PS3563.O8749 B55 1994
2nd Floor Humanities Library
Review submitted by: Linda Greeley, Research Assistant, Anderson Center for Economic Research
Rating: Highly Recommended