Tender. Tearful. Touching.

I wonder what it must have been like to read this wonderful book when it first entered the world in 1970. Even now, The Bluest Eye reads like a raw, yet rich reflection of Black American life in the mid 20^th century. As a white man living in 21^st century America, Toni Morrison hit me square between the eyes with biting wit, fresh perspectives, and deep compassion. This book is an absolute revelation, as it addresses racialized ideas of beauty with deft nuance while also speaking to class consciousness, religion, and socioeconomics.

The back cover copy of my edition sets the stage: Pecola Breedlove is a poor, young Black girl who wants blonde hair and blue eyes more than anything. Raised in a troubled home by emotionally stunted parents, she eventually moves in with Claudia and Freida, the book’s other two protagonists. Through their eyes – and a variety of others – we follow the trials and tribulations of a struggling Black community in the Midwest. What emerges is a fascinating and haunting portrayal of the inner workings of family, friends, and the wider community.

In lesser hands, the story would be a series of ham-fisted metaphors, thin allusions, and obvious cliches, all whacking the reader across the head. Instead, Morrison helps us to move beyond safe descriptions and comfortable histories to see not just what lies beneath but what has been around us the whole time. She crafts compelling characters with deep inner lives that are alternately flawed and fulfilling. It’s a testament to her profound ability to let the plot breathe, the story flow, and the people be themselves.

And to think – The Bluest Eye was her debut novel! Toni Morrison arrived on the scene nearly fully formed as a writer. Her capacity for language, description, scene-setting, and character development remains nearly unmatched in the North American literary canon. This will definitely be my go-to book for anyone looking to explore the collected works of this amazing writer.