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12 reviews

Their Eyes Were Watching God (Virago Modern Classics)

by Zora Neale Hurston

Published: 1986-01-01
Paperback : 297 pages

12 members reading this now
67 clubs reading this now
12 members have read this book

Recommended to book clubs by 10 of 12 members

"Belongs in the category ... of enduring American literature." Saturday Review Fair and long-legged, independent and articulate, Janie Crawford sets out to be her own person no mean feat for a black woman in the '30s. Janie's quest for identity takes her through three marriages and into ...

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Introduction

("Belongs in the category ... of enduring American literature." Saturday Review Fair and long-legged, independent and articulate, Janie Crawford sets out to be her own person no mean feat for a black woman in the '30s. Janie's quest for identity takes her through three marriages and into a journey back to her roots.

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Discussion Questions

Suggested by Members

The use of two voices: the "literate" narrator and the use of the vernacular.

The interweaving of black folklore into the story.

by [email protected] (see profile) 02/17/17

Follow the symbolism (horizon, language, Janie's hair, hurricane & pear tree) throughout the book. It will tell the story.

Analyze why Janie married each of the 3 husbands and why she left each one and what kept her with Tea Cake.

by wileygreen (see profile) 12/06/13

What was the author's purpose in writing this book and is it relevant today?

by Scoop (see profile) 07/17/10

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Book Club Recommendations

Recommended to book clubs by 10 of 12 members.

Member Reviews

Overall rating:

"A classic American story everyone should read."by Louise C. (see profile) 02/17/17

Your Eyes Were Watching God is a beautifully written sorry of the journey to self-hood and empowerment as experienced by a black woman living in the early 1900s in Florida.

by Chris B. (see profile) 09/10/15

"Their eyes were watching God"by Linda H. (see profile) 02/26/15

Beautiful and unique wording in this book!

""Their Eyes Were Watching God""by Miki C. (see profile) 02/26/15

Our book club agreed that this book is on our list of all time favorites.

by Janet M. (see profile) 10/20/14

"Their Eyes Were Watching God"by Oleta W. (see profile) 12/09/13

Slow for the first few chapters, almost didn't read it. I was encouraged by other book club members to keep going and I'm glad I did.

"THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD"by Sharon M. (see profile) 12/06/13

Made for a lot of discussion in our club, using discussion questions and summaries and analysis from Sparks notes. Some understood it right away and loved the vernacular from the South; others skimmed... (read more)

"THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD"by Crystal N. (see profile) 03/11/12

This book was very discriptive, but was hard to get into and read because of the dialect.

"Their Eyes were Watching God"by Katie L. (see profile) 10/28/10

Interesting to read a period time piece at the brink of the feminist movement and one written by such a prominent African American author.

"Their Eyes were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston"by Linda C. (see profile) 10/16/10

At first is was a little slow & hard to read, but I was intrigued by enough of the story to keep reading. It got better and more interesting the more I read.

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