Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
|
List Price: Our Price: $7.68 You Save: $8.31 (52%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $2.99 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of Their Eyes Were Watching God
Book Review: Good Book
Summary: 4 Stars
I ordered the movie and just had to get the book. The book's is okay kinda of hard to read the ebonic wording of that era. But overall it's a good book.Book Review: Exceptional Book
Summary: 4 Stars
I received this item within the time promised and the book is exceptional. No pages missing.
Book Review: Important yet Overrated
Summary: 3 Stars
I say 'overrated' with no bitterness; I have read this book twice and agree that it should be part of American literature curriculum, but I cannot help but feel that it has become a classic somewhat by default. I think it provides important insight into a facet of the American experience given limited exposure in modernism, but as an actual work of literature I don't think it is of the same caliber as the work of Hurston's contemporary Langston Hughes (among the greatest of American poets of any time or race) or her rival Richard Wright. It is enjoyable, the dialogue is uniformly revealing and lovely, and it ends on an upbeat note utterly unusual in American modernism, but I feel that much of the prose, and especially the metaphors, are somewhat labored, especially when Hurston makes excursions into transcendentalist ontology. In other words, it does not read like a novel with its reputation should--it is good, but not great. I also question its contemporary importance and influence on the landscape of American literature, considering it was the efforts of Alice Walker that rescued it from relative obscurity. That said, its importance is in opening up a realm of narrative that was hitherto unexplored, and her voice is certainly unique. I disagree with Wright's criticism of her as basically pandering to white audiences, as she does not base her novel so much on attacking whites as elevating blacks--the visceral repudiations of Wright and Hughes are lacking. Hurston's subversiveness is more subtle, and it seems as though she is trying to create a world which is not framed by white culture--neither through exalting it nor lambasting it--rather than attempting to curry favor with the majority audience. I think this book is worth reading for historical value and as a work of literature, but in terms of narrative craft it falls short of contemporaneous works.Book Review: A rich book
Summary: 3 Stars
This was a difficult book for me to read because I found the phonetic spelling of southern dialect used in the character's dialogue clumsy. I appreciated the realism, but it made for awkward reading for me.
The story is told in flashback and recounts the life of Janie Crawford, starting with her mother abandoning her, through her teens being raised by her grandmother, to her adult life and three marriages, both arranged and by design. I enjoyed watching Janie grow and mature through the story and I enjoyed her self-confidence. Despite that, I never really felt much for her or anyone else in her life or the events they faced.
The theme I took away from the book was the idea of finding ourselves and our place in the world and working for - and expressing - our independence. Obviously difficult for anyone in 2011, and I can only imagine how difficult it would have been for an African American woman in Florida in the 1920's, or for an African American writer in the 1930's. What I enjoyed most about Their Eyes Were Watching God was the universal search for love and independence. And the knowledge that love isn't something we simply get. It's something that develops and builds.
It's an interesting title and I'm not really sure what it means exactly and I'm not sure that it matters. Since the story is from the perspective of one character telling a story to a friend in response and reaction to the prying eyes of the gossiping and judgmental neighbors, my thought is that the title is telling us that the richest life isn't lived by watching others, but by watching God. What's the definition of "richest" and what God? I guess those answers are up to you
Book Review: More Style Than Substance
Summary: 3 Stars
Hurston's writing style and peripheral character creation were great, but I felt the story and plot were lacking in development. In my opinion, Janie is an under-developed protagonist; I would've liked to have more of an insight into Janie as a person outside of any relationship to a man. The book does not live with me after reading. The story is easily forgettable to me. The book is more style rather than substance.
(via [...])