When I read the first five pages of Beloved, I was so confused that I went back and read it again. At first I disliked Toni Morrison's style of writing in the novel. All of the unannounced flashbacks and changes in point of view were intimidating for me as a reader and I hated having to reread pages and chapters just so I could get a better sense of what was happening.
Although it took me the first 100 pages or so, I have become intrigued by Morrison's style of writing. It makes the story harder to read, but more interesting. I like knowing how each character thinks, something you definitely do not get in most books. The flashbacks also make the story more compelling, each character has had an experience in the past that makes them who they are in the present, and being able to hear all of them as a reader is unique.
I struggled with this book at first as well. Morrison doesn't write like any other writer I've ever seen. She has such a unique style, and I think it adds so much power to her story.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree Maya. I was also confused at the beginning of the book. All the flashbacks would happen so randomly, but I also think the randomness helps the story be more realistic because flashbacks come randomly in real life too.
ReplyDeleteYes! I had no clue what was going on until we talked about it in class. I kept though I was missing something. Once I understood what was going on it started to flow really well.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more. Although it's challenging for me to understand, every page is important when you're reading. Not many books are like Beloved and I think Toni Morrison has unique writing style like you said. Thanks for sharing!
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