Beloved

[Momo]

Toni Morrison - Beloved - 2003Synopsis:
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. Beloved is a dense, complex novel, mixing past and present, destined to become a twentieth-century American classic.This is one of my favourite books ever. The author uses a lot of symbolism unknown to us, yet, explains the world of the slaves so lively, you can really feel their pains. It covers love, friendship, live in a community, describes how different people cope with the same problem and gives you a lot to think about.
It has also been made into a fantastic movie - and I don't say that very often about books made into film.

(thread first started 28.04.06)

[Momo]

The rescued thread:

gg106 12th August 2006, 11:27 PM
Yes i agree, Toni Morrison up to her usual best. Love has the kind of strong female characters that we are used to seeing in her novels, characters who we both like and dislike at the same time as they are presented to us with all their flaws. I am just in the process of re reading this. As usual with Toni Morrison I am so keen to find out what happens in terms of narrative that I never fully appreciate the fantastic way she uses language on my first read of the text.

[FirelightSpirit]

Another of my favourites. I read this in college and enjoyed it so much because of the detail, the meetiness of the plot and all the meaning in it.

Sethe was a wonderful character, driven by such strength of will. The way she accepted her actions was so real. Denver was also perfectly drawn. I'll never forget Morrison's description of her as a gazelle, no ordinary animal that could be shackled and led. She was born into freedom and it was only Sethe's will that made it so. She must have loved her very much.

What a beautiful story.