Product Description

The chronicle of the tragic lives of a poor black family in 1940s America. Every night Pecola, unlovely and unloved, prays for blue eyes like those of her white schoolfellows. She becomes the focus of the mingled love and hatred engendered by her family's frailty and the world's cruelty.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #9538 in Books
• Published on: 1999-03-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 176 pages

Customer Reviews

Fragmentary but beautiful
More a collection of mini-stories than a fully developed narrative, The Bluest Eye looks at the different factors involved in a young girl's becoming pregnant by her father, from her stay with friends to the histories of her parents and their relationship. It is sensitively told without judgement, and you get a feel for the tragedies of all the characters concerned.

One of her earlier works, this isn't the best book if you want to discover Toni Morrison, but it is beautifully written as always, and a fascinating insight into her early development. Most useful here is a postscript by Morrison where she identifies her intentions and some of the weaknesses in the book.

Wonderfully written
This book holds the truth about girls stereotyping, that beauty only comes from blonde hair and blue eyes. The story flows very gracefully and beautifully. When you read it, you understand Pecola's feeling; her dream, her fear, her hopes. Your heart goes with her. You will also love Frieda and Claudia and astonished by how children's minds work. Pecola's dream of having bluest eyes is beautiful, sad and sorrowful.
I read this book for a few times and am still thrilled by the richness of words and the real meaning of it.
By the end of the book, I keep questioning why this thing happens? Sometimes life can be so unfair and there is nothing we can do about it.

Morrison paints a realistic picture of 1940s Black Americana
The reader is offered a glimpse into the lives of 3 little Black children growing up in middle America. Humor, hopes, dreams and reality are wrapped together as the reader comes to know and see how these children view their world. I really enjoyed this book and will read it again in future. It's one of those books that a group of friends should read and discuss as it would really enhance the reading experience.