Stephen King is considered to be the master of modern American horror, but with all due respect, that’s not true. Haunted hotels, telekinetic prom queens and evil clowns (or just, you know clowns) got nothing on human depravity. Pet Semetary may have freaked me out, but it’s Toni Morrison’s story of the dead child coming back to life that’s going to keep me up at night.
Sethe was born a slave but escaped to the free state of Ohio before the Civil War. Haunted for 18 years by what happened to her at Sweet Home-a beautiful name for a place full of ugly things, she keeps to herself. Her current home is haunted by an evil spirit-she and her neighbors believe it is the vengeful ghost of her daughter. When a man from her past expels the spirit from her home, that’s when things get weird.
This book broke me a little. When I was younger, I’d devour any book I could get my hands on, even if I didn’t quite get what the author was saying. Back then, I didn’t like Toni Morrison’s writing. I found it confusing and I’d have a hard time following the plot. So I never read Beloved. Now, I’m glad I waited, and so grateful that I had the chance to read this American masterpiece for the first time. But I don’t think I’ll read it again any time soon.
Shameless self-promotion: This review is a little shorter than usual because I wrote it during the Dewey’s Readathon, and I may have been hallucinating by that point. For the full list of what I read, and the caffeine I consumed, you can check it out here.
I am pretty loud-mouthed about my distaste for this book, but now I’m starting to wonder if I just read it at the wrong time. It was required reading for me in high school but I don’t think teenage me was ready. I’m not sure 30-something me is ready either, to be honest.
Great review :)
Thanks! The book isn’t for everyone, and I had some issues with it. And the writing is pretty confusing. But I got a lot out of it, and understand why it’s a Classic with a capital C.