January Review of "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison

THE ECB met January 31st to review Toni Morrison's first novel, The Bluest Eye. The book was anticipated with trepidation for some, exhilaration for others, and proved to be a worthy discussion for all.

I sent this to the club before we met... it's from Oprah.com... don't be afraid!

"Why Everyone Should Read The Bluest Eye"

While The Bluest Eye is about an African American family struggling with issues of identity and race, Toni Morrison explains why her book, in fact, has a message for everyone.

"I think a lot has changed since the '60s in terms of self-image. But there's still a lot of pain young girls feel because the bar is always being raised. The stakes are always higher."

When Oprah asked whether the word "beautiful" should be eliminated, this was Toni's response:

"That's what I thought. Of the virtues, it is not one. The virtues are not the accidents of birth. The virtues are things you work for. To be forthright. To be educated. To be in control. To be diplomatic. To be healthy. To be graceful. These are the things you can work for. You can get them. They are available to you."

"We don't have the vocabulary to tell children what to value. We do say, "Oh, you're so beautiful. Oh, you're so pretty. Oh—that's not really what we really ought to be saying. What do you tell a child when you want to say, "You are good, and I like that. You are honest and I like that. [Y]ou are courageous. I really like that. I really like the way you behave. I like the way you do yourself. Now. The way you are.' That's the vocabulary we need."

Here's how the ECB rated it:
1-5 Point Scale
(1 being the worst book you ever read, 5 being a glorious oasis of literature)
Val - 2.5
Amy P - 4.25
Amy W - 4
Alycia - 3
Sean - 3
Kevin - 3
Barbara - 3
Stephenie - 4.25
Will - 4
Total of 3.4 Points

Some day I hope Sean will post his formula for book ratings. It's highly scientific and just as entertaining. A great model for critics and bibliophiles alike!