78 pages 2 hours read

Toni Morrison

Beloved

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1987

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Before You Read

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Super Short Summary

Beloved by Toni Morrison follows Sethe, a formerly enslaved woman in 1873 Ohio, who lives with her daughter Denver and the ghost of another daughter she killed to save her from slavery. Sethe’s home is disrupted when Paul D, a man from her past, arrives and drives out the ghost, which later returns embodied as a young woman named Beloved. Sethe and Paul D face their traumatic pasts while trying to build a future together. Themes include trauma, memory, and motherhood. The book addresses violence, sexual assault, and infanticide.

Reviews & Readership

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Review Roundup

Toni Morrison's Beloved is lauded for its powerful exploration of slavery, memory, and trauma, delivered through poetic and haunting prose. Critics praise its depth and emotional impact, though some find the nonlinear narrative challenging. Overall, it is celebrated as a profound literary achievement, despite occasional criticisms of its complexity.

Who should read this

Who Should Read Beloved?

A reader who would enjoy Beloved by Toni Morrison is someone who appreciates historical fiction that delves into themes of slavery, identity, and memory. Fans of The Color Purple by Alice Walker and The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead will find similar emotional depth and rich, poetic prose in Morrison's work.

RecommendedReading Age

18+years

Book Details

Genre

Magical Realism

American Literature

African American Literature

Themes

Emotions/Behavior: Memory

Relationships: Daughters & Sons

Topics

Race / Racism

Education

History: World

Period

Existentialism