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Insightful,
Dark,
Beautiful

1 review

Beloved
by Toni Morrison

Published: 2004-06-08
Paperback : 321 pages
22 members reading this now
72 clubs reading this now
6 members have read this book
Recommended to book clubs by 1 of 1 members
New York Times Bestseller

Staring unflinchingly into the abyss of slavery, this spellbinding novel transforms history into a story as powerful as Exodus and as intimate as a lullaby.


Sethe, its protagonist, was born a slave and escaped to Ohio, but eighteen years later she is still not ...
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Introduction

New York Times Bestseller

Staring unflinchingly into the abyss of slavery, this spellbinding novel transforms history into a story as powerful as Exodus and as intimate as a lullaby.


Sethe, its protagonist, was born a slave and escaped to Ohio, but eighteen years later she is still not free. She has too many memories of Sweet Home, the beautiful farm where so many hideous things happened. And Sethe’s new home is haunted by the ghost of her baby, who died nameless and whose tombstone is engraved with a single word: Beloved. Filled with bitter poetry and suspense as taut as a rope, Beloved is a towering achievement.

"You can't go wrong by reading or re-reading the collected works of Toni Morrison. BelovedSong of Solomon, The Bluest EyeSula, everything else — they're transcendent, all of them. You’ll be glad you read them."--Barack Obama

Editorial Review

No editorial review at this time.

Excerpt

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Discussion Questions

Suggested by Members

The way perspective shifts and changes between characters and over time
What age does Beloved behave at different points in the book and why? Does this necessarily change depending on who she is with?
Real world tie ins: how (if at all) did this book affect your view of historical slavery in the US? (Good things to look into: The 1619 Project by the New York Times)
by hrbumga (see profile) 10/02/19

Notes From the Author to the Bookclub

No notes at this time.

Book Club Recommendations

Ways to Break It Up
by hrbumga (see profile) 10/02/19
If you're a club that likes to read books in parts rather than discussing the book in its entirety each meeting, here's my recommendation: Beloved doesn't have named chapters. There are three parts of the book, though part 1 is the majority of the book. Part 1: 195 pages Part 2: 78 pages Part 3: 39 pages For that reason, I would split the book club into three or four meetings, but not at the areas the book necessarily breaks. 1. Read through "chapters" 1-7. There's a large plot point at the end 5, so you could stop there, but I find adding the second two helps your mind process it. I also think easing into the book slowly like this is a good way to help your mind adjust to the funky timeline in the beginning. 2. Read 8-18. This finishes out part 1 and is where the structure starts to become a little more clear. 3. Read all of part 2 and all of part 3. This is what my club did, since part 3 is relatively shorter than the other two. However, you could also do just part 2, and then save part 3 for a fourth meeting.

Member Reviews

Overall rating:
 
 
by Donna C. (see profile) 09/05/23

 
by Belinda L. (see profile) 03/17/23

I did not care for this book. It is difficult to follow the characters and hard to understand the underlying story.

 
by Blaire T. (see profile) 09/18/21

 
by Emma A. (see profile) 11/03/20

 
by Loren W. (see profile) 09/04/20

 
by John K. (see profile) 12/17/19

 
  "Gorgeous & Poetic, an Breathtaking Club Pick"by HR B. (see profile) 10/02/19

Morrison's Beloved is a truly phenomenal book for any group who wants to give themselves a challenge and an opportunity to grow as readers. As someone who grew up in the US, I was taught a s... (read more)

 
by darlanne m. (see profile) 09/27/19

 
by Deirdre P. (see profile) 09/18/19

 
by Gayle B. (see profile) 09/14/19

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