Their Eyes Were Watching God: A Novel Paperback – March 19, 2013

There's a reason this is on virtually every "classic" list you can find.

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Ella McCrystle

February 6, 2018

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I've set a goal to reread the classics I read when I was way too young to appreciate them. I first read THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD because my older friend, Becky, told me it was "great" when I was about ten. I remember thinking it was a nice story, and that's about it. Coming back to forty years later, I can agree that it's great, but there's so much more here.

The most special part of Zora Neale Hurston's writing is that she takes subjects that society wants to segment into "good" or "bad" and makes them human -- thereby making them complicated. Subjects like infidelity, domestic abuse, killing for self-protection, killing as an act of mercy, colorism, white savior complex, poverty, female pride, female submission, moral relativism... You name a tough topic, and Hurston handles it in this book with a deft touch rarely found in today's world.

NOW I understand why it's a classic & don't just have to take everyone else's word for it. Definitely worth a read or ten.

21 people found this helpful

Shows you the importance of the performance

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January 30, 2017

Format: Audible AudiobookVerified Purchase

I tried and failed several times to read this book, a paperback copy that I picked up at a thrift store several years ago. Finally, my senior in high school son was given it as an assignment. I explained that I'd tried to read it as recently as November (two months ago) and failed BUT I wanted to hear what he thought about the book. Then I read the group assignment he and his friends wrote, which was about the use of water as a certain type of symbolism (I won't be more specific so as not to provide spoilers). At that time, I learned the plot of the book, including several important plot spoilers. Even so, I was determined to "get through it" and bought the audio book, performed by Ruby Dee. It was absolutely mesmerizing. It was only about six hours long, which was slower reading that I normally do (I followed along with the Kindle version, because we owned that too) but was always trying to get back to the book when distracted by life. I found the performance to be riveting. I could actually understand what was happening in the story. I found the writing amazing (this makes me want to "read" something else of hers, preferably performed by Ruby Dee). I loved the use of personification. I loved the descriptions. I loved many things about it. In the end, I realized that sometimes you need to look at (or listen to) things in a different way. By listening to this rather than trying to read it, I was able to fully appreciate a brilliant book. Would I recommend the book itself to a friend? No. But I'd highly recommend the audio version. Also excellent in the audio performance category: Katherine Kellgren and Victor Garber.

63 people found this helpful

A Classic to discuss forever!! Book clubs & Writing Classes

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Prof. RShawntezJackson

May 28, 2015

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

This is truly a classic and teachable from so many direction you will not be able to stand it. You can run a class for nearly a month discussing the levels, layers, textures, and nuances to the characters and their intentions. There are modes of language, characterization, dialect, motivation, conflict, and desire that can go on forever in a classroom or book club discussion. I fell in love with the woman with so much pain from men, but always willing to feel love. You will be entangled in the world of these people so quickly you will not believe it. I suggest you download the audible version so you can take in the dynamics of Ruby Dee reading Hurston's beautiful language.

16 people found this helpful

James B.Top Contributor: Batman

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I'm glad this was saved from obscurity.

October 24, 2015

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

It's easy to see why 'Their eyes were watching God is considered a literary classic. Hurston's nearly-forgotten story does an excellent job of blending African-American and feminist themes, and truly captures the emotional journey towards self-realization.

The story concerns Janie, a black woman raised by her former slave grandmother. Wanting her to be happy and not used, her grandmother arranges a marriage for Janie at a young age. But Janie rejects the marriage that brings her no happiness, and runs off to an all-black town in Florida. The characters she meets are very well drawn, and the emotion truly shines through.

Now one thing you have to know is that the story uses a lot of dialect writing rather than standard spelling. If this annoys you, you're probably not going to enjoy the book. And I have to say, the final events of the book rely on some truly terrible decision making. At the end though, this didn't ruin the book for me, and I can recommend it to readers of any age.

7 people found this helpful

A Woman Ahead of Her Time

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December 23, 2017

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Hurston gives a window view into a place that shows a growing or blossoming of a woman's life. It journeys on a three-fold path from Janie's life with her grandma through 3 marriages that unfold new discoveries of Janie as she awakens to the power of her ability to lead herself. Hurston was ahead of her time in the sense that she was already living as one who did not need to fight the battle but had arrived and 'was.'

5 people found this helpful

for school summer reading.

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Most recent customer reviews

Michael O Neil

Arrived quickley.

Published 6 days ago

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I was right there!

I felt like I was there and could hear the voices and the emotions and experiences!

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A very good book made great by the reader

Deborah

I bought both the Kindle version and the audible version. The heavy use of dialect makes the printed one a little bit hard to follow and has been somewhat controversial for what...Read more

Great book, a classic I recommend to everyone

Linda Jo Martin

This book is such a great classic. It is written mostly in Ebonics dialect, which some readers may find challenging, but once you get past the first few pages it seems very...Read more

This must be very nearly a perfect novel, a short classic like Old Man and the Sea, Great Gatsby, Catcher in the Rye, Huckleberry Finn, with its own unique style and identity....Read more

Tom Quinn

A perfect novel