 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Beloved
- By Toni Morrison
- Genre: Literary Fiction
Common Sense Media says
Haunting Pulitzer Prize winner about slavery's impact.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this Pulitzer Prize-winning novel is on many high school required reading lists because it's a classic that will leave a lasting imprint on readers. It's true that Beloved is the 26th book on the American Library Association's Top 100 Banned/Challenged Books for 2000-2009 and has been challenged for its violence, sexuality, and more: It features a gritty infanticide, racial language, horrific sexual assaults, and even references to sex with animals. But teens are mature enough to handle the challenges this book presents. At this age they can decide for themselves what they think about disturbing personal and historical events. Beloved is a beautiful, powerful book that will help all readers learn about the horrors of slavery -- and leave them thinking about what it means to be a strong, heroic, or moral person.
What's the story?
Sethe is an ex-slave who chooses to kill her children rather than allow her family to be captured back into slavery. She succeeds in killing only her second youngest, who later returns to haunt the house in which the family lives -- first in ethereal form and then as a woman calling herself Beloved. The novel takes place primarily in the years after the Civil War, though it often flashes back to the time of slavery. The story moves seamlessly back and forth through time, capturing Sethe's girlhood, her time on the plantation, and the lives of the various secondary characters. When Paul D. arrives and begins helping them see a way past their pain, Beloved's presence becomes all the more vivid.
Is it any good?
It's true that BELOVED is a difficult and often gruesome book, but there's a reason it was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1988 -- and continues to be on high school and college reading lists decades later: It's a masterful work by one of the best storytellers alive today. In Beloved, Morrison not only will help readers connect to a painful part of American history, but she'll also encourage them to struggle with some difficult subjects, including the possible heroism of a woman who murders her own child.
This is a book whose intention is to disturb: Teen readers might have to grapple a bit with the complex storytelling, as well as with the intense subject matter, but that's sometimes the best way to confront difficult subjects. Parents may want consider reading this classic along with their kids and using our discussion ideas to tackle the difficult topics it raises.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about why this book is on the ALA's banned/challenged books list. What do some people find so threatening? Do you agree with them? The book is meant to be disturbing -- but is that ever a reason to ban a book?
This book provides excellent opportunities to talk about slavery, as well as racism and injustice, even as they exist today. In the context of the book, were the ex-slaves truly "free"?
This book is often on high school and college reading lists -- why does slavery continue to be an essential topic to study?
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AGE
one of the best books i've ever read
i thought it was beautiful. intense, yes, but it's an integral part of the story. we say, kids shouldn't be exposed to such strong violence, etc, but in my opinion, that's the very reason WHY sethe did what she did. so her children would't have to experience what she did. and they would have experienced it in real true life, not by reading it off a page in the comfort of a safe, secure living room. i was sixteen when i read this book a year ago, and what i remember of it was a poignant story of family relationships and coming of age.
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AGE
Dark, but Deep
This is one of the most incredible books I have ever read. It was voted the best peice of literature written in the 20th century by New York Time writers. Toni Morrison is not conservative in her depiction of this based-on-true-circumstances story (obviously, there were no haunting incidents). Teens, when mature enough need to be able to examine works such as these. The difference between this book and other violent and sexual media, is that Morrison uses the negotiable content as a means of painting her vivid historical picture, not as an end in itself.
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AGE
only adults who know what they are getting into
This book gave me nightmares. the language is offensive and the theme is wrenching. If the bestiality and the infanticide are not enough how about forced oral sex in prison. What does it take to be to offensive?
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AGE
Pure Trash
This book contains incest, rape, pedophilia, graphic sex, extreme violence, sexual abuse, physical/emotional abuse, infanticide, and an extensive amount of profanity including lots of the F word. The scenes, ideas and thoughts are definitely for ADULTS. I presume the CSM reviewer called it "haunting" because it contains a ghost (who has lots of sex with her mother's boyfriend). There are so many good books available for kids, why read this trash?
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April 9, 2008
AGE
No one should read this book.
A family friendly site shouldn't even consider a book of this nature. It contains beastiality, graphic nudity (could be considered pornography) and many sexual deviances. Prolific profanity throughout.
Do not pollute your mind with this garbage when there is so much good content out there for you to consume.
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| Author: | Toni Morrison |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Literary Fiction |
| Publisher: | Vintage Books |
| Publication date: | August 1, 1987 |
| Number of pages: | 324 |
| Hardcover price: | $29.95 |
| Paperback price: | $15.00 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 15 - 17 |
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