Current Reading: The Bluest Eye

 

I read Toni Morrison's Beloved more than thirty years ago when it came out in hardcover. I think I did not really understand the book at the time. For a number of years I keep saying I am going to put some effort into reading and understanding Morrison's novels. So, last night I started The Bluest Eye.

The Bluest Eye is a difficult book even though it is a book written, mostly, from the perspective of a young girl. The sentence structure and vocabulary are not difficult. It is also not much more than 200 pages long. However, two things make the book a challenging read. First, Morrison writes about challenging subjects: poverty, incest, cruelty, a girl not understanding the world around her. Second, the book seems to have more than one narrator.

I will push through and keep reading, closely and carefully. And I hope to read more of Morrison's novels soon after I finish The Bluest Eye.