Beloved: A Novel

By Toni Morrison

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Average Rating: (See all 3 reviews) Format: Paperback, 288 pages, New edition Edition Published In: United Kingdom, 21 August 1997 Quantity Available: 2 24 hour shipping It is the mid-1800s. At Sweet Home in Kentucky, an era is ending as slavery comes under attack from the abolitionists. The worlds of Halle and Paul D. are to be destroyed in a cataclysm of torment and agony. The world of Sethe, however, is to turn from one of love to one of violence and death - the death of Sethe's baby daughter Beloved, whose name is the single word on the tombstone, who died at her mother's hands, and who will return to claim retribution. Publisher: Vintage ISBN: 0099760118 EAN: 9780099760115 Dimensions: 19.0 x 13.0 centimeters

While I found this book difficult to put down, I can't exactly say that I enjoyed it. The characters and their relationships with each other are complex. The physical, emotional and spiritual consequences of slavery are revealed throughout the novel. The themes are deep and often troubled. The whole novel is written with a surreal, mystical tone that prevents it from being an easy, relaxing read. The themes are challenging and thought provoking and there isn't much in this novel that is simply enjoyable. Well written but not something that I would be in a hurry to read again.

Beloved is a staggering and powerful novel that explores the plight of freed slaves in the deep south and the dark shadows it cast over their lives. Told in a slightly surreal magical realist style the story interveaves past and present into a spellbinding and absolutely devastating novel that once read can never be forgotten. This is one of those works that reminds you of the power of the written word.

I know this book has international acclaim, as has its author, yet I found it almost impossble to read. The intertwined narrative and unsympathetic characters left me feeling cold and confused and I could not see where the love in the title comes from. I have read other works by Morrison and not found them so disappointing, so I wonder if there was something here I really didn't "get".