Beloved

By: Toni Morrison

Narrated by: Toni Morrison

Length: 12 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

PULITZER PRIZE WINNER • NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A spellbinding novel that transforms history into a story as powerful as Exodus and as intimate as a lullaby. With a new afterword by the author.

This "brutally powerful, mesmerizing story” (People) is an unflinchingly look into the abyss of slavery, from the acclaimed Nobel Prize winner.

Sethe was born a slave and escaped to Ohio, but eighteen years later she is still not free. Sethe has too many memories of Sweet Home, the beautiful farm where so many hideous things happened. And Sethe’s new home is haunted by the ghost of her baby, who died nameless and whose tombstone is engraved with a single word: Beloved.

“A masterwork.... Wonderful.... I can’t imagine American literature without it.” —John Leonard, Los Angeles Times

©1987 Toni Morrison (P)1998 Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

“A masterwork. . . . Wonderful. . . . I can’t imagine American literature without it.” —John Leonard, Los Angeles Times

“A triumph.” —Margaret Atwood, The New York Times Book Review

“Toni Morrison’s finest work. . . . [It] sets her apart [and] displays her prodigious talent.” —Chicago Sun-Times

Beautifully written novel on the slave experience

The story that is told in Beloved is somewhat dark but beautiful. It is a long story and at times hard to understand but if you get to the end you’ll be glad you saw it out.

super

loved it I'm not going to far into it. it's a good readd thank you

A necessary and enjoyable although heavy read

This novel offers a spooky account of post-civil war slavery and deals with themes about family, mother daughter relationship, sacrifice and both our individual and collective relationship with the past. It presents the so called free life of the slave in a new light which encourages the reader to consider the meaning of freedom itself and all of its various forms. Is such a freedom even possible at all levels after the atrocity that is slavery. This is a fictional account of a real life horror story, written at length and in great detail, steeped in symbolism and offering vivid metaphors in an often poetic and in some cases painfully descriptive language. The writer is able to describe some of the character’s experiences in such depth that has the power to trigger dormant memories of the painful past that still exists in us all, the story which is centred about the two worlds, the past and the present and the dead and the living is so cleverly written, both spooky and eerie at times enough to challenge any modern day horror story, only this novel offers many more layers to the story and much more depth. The story suggests the lasting damage that remains after slavery, an altered mental state, fear, panic, hurt, self-loathing and doubt and suggests that we need to reconcile the past in an effort to come to terms with it. It is very brave for Toni Morison to describe the unknown realm of the dead, their experiences, unresolved hurts and disappointment and to cleverly weave this into the easily imaginable land of the living.

Poor performance

The book is amazing! However, the author’s pace, inflection, and constant labored breaths as she reads makes it a hard listen.

Sometimes confused

It’s a very deep emotional story but I found parts confusing. Wasn’t sure what she was talking about or the connection to the story. I had to listen to parts sometimes several times to understand. Very metaphorical.

Great book

I am truly enamored. I love her velvety voice and the cadence in which she reads. I float into this world effortlessly as she places emotions and heftiness in just the right places. She has a gift in crafting a story, while weaving in and out of sequence yet seamlessly fall into place by the end. Great book. Brilliant author

Profound

Humbling. Forces one to challenge how they place judgment on the goodness or badness of a person.

Soul nurturing

Ms. Toni’s voice is everything. Her rate, tone and cadence enhanced the experience. I loved the guide she provided while listening to this timeless tale. Thank you Audible.

Tragically beautiful

It started out slow, but when it takes off it takes off with a vengeance. Poetry and tragedy collide.

Riveting

It’s a performance of poetry, almost every line is a poem and to hear Morrison recite it must be like having heard Homer once. Both epic and intimate, a phenomenal experience.