Beloved

I really did not like this book. The only part I found somewhat interesting was the climax of the book, where Morrison's writing collapses into poetry and grammar/punctuation degrades. This literary style, raw and unadulterated by convention betrays the very institution of slavery. It's incredibly stark and powerful. The fragmented language represents a true descent into the depths of trauma—where individuality is stripped and enduring historical memory surfaces.

I also liked the moments where slavery's history is subtlety alluded to, especially in a euphemistic sense—the true horror lies not in explicitly stated events but in the insidious memories that bleed through the narrative.

At the same time, these fragments make it very hard to understand what is even happening at all. I don't think I really understood any part of this book.

I really disliked reading this tbh. I don't think I learned anything from it and I did not like any of the characters. I wish I'd spent the time reading Frederick Douglass or Uncle Tom's Cabin or something else. Maybe some people find this book enlightening but not me.