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The Bluest Eye

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The Bluest Eye

Written by: Toni Morrison
Narrated by: Toni Morrison
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About this listen

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 11-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.

©1970 Toni Morrison (P)2011 Random House Coming of Age Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction

What the critics say

1993, Nobel Prize in Literature, Winner

“A profoundly successful work of fiction. . . . Taut and understated, harsh in its detachment, sympathetic in its truth...it is an experience.” (The Detroit Free Press)

“So precise, so faithful to speech and so charged with pain and wonder that the novel becomes poetry.” (The New York Times)

Featured Article: Toni Morrison Quotes on Life, Love, Freedom, and Oppression

Few creators have had the depth of knowledge, raw emotion, and resonating passion as the legendary late Toni Morrison. Not only was she the first African American woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature, but she wrote and inspired countless readers and listeners over her extensive careers.

Featured Article Toni Morrison Quotes on Life, Love, Freedom, and Oppression
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This was a very emotionally difficult book to get through, challenging to accept, and powerful in imagery. Toni Morrison reads it well, but slowly. I think the slowness is good for comprehension, but if you listen when very tired it may make you more tired. Other than that, very well done. I recommend listening to the author's note at the end as well.

Well done

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I had no idea how early in life the message of worthlessness is imprinted in black children. Toni Morrison's writing is really prose and beautiful to hear in her own voice

revolutionary book for me

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The performance is excellent, the story compelling and the analysis is easily digestible. It is definitely worth listening to. For those who can't stomach things like sexual violence, stay away. but if you're able to pull threw from the few scenes, I recommend whole heatedly.

It was good

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Her voice is intoxicating. The story is deep and thought provoking. I definitely recommend this book. I absolutely loved it.

Wow

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How daunting a task it must have been to describe with such eloquence a very dark subject matter. The reader was led down a picturesque path of every scenario and an insight of every character. She succeeded in not casting judgment however the sadness still prevails for all the "Picolas" out there.

Thought provoking...well done narrative

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This novel is heartbreakingly beautiful. Should be in every high school curriculum in this country.

Beautiful.

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I had to listen the audiobook at 1.25x speed.
Not sure whether the reader was monotonous or there was something wrong, but at 1x speed would had been impossible to finish it.
I could not gather what was the plot of the book until the very end when it was explained by the author in the "note from the author". It was really hatd to understand what the author wanted to tell.

I did not like the book

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