Frank H. (perryfran) reviewed on 9/29/2008 + 1223 more book reviews

I thought this was a wonderful novel. It was full of joy, humor, sorrow, and all the emotions in between. I really enjoyed Hurston's writing and her use of African-American dialect. This reminded me a lot of Mark Twain's writing. She alternated the conversational dialect with eloquent prose to describe the events in the novel - a really great piece of literature! When this novel was first published in 1937, it received a lot of critism especially from Richard Wright (another African-American writer) who "excoriated Their Eyes as a novel that did for literature what the minstrel shows did for the theater, that is, make white folks laugh... The novel exploited those quaint aspects of Negro life that satisfied the tastes of a white audience..." However, this novel has come to be proclaimed as one of the finest black novels of all time. It is studied today in many college literature courses.

I also saw the TV adaptation of this novel starring Halle Berry when it came out a few years ago. I don't remember much of the details but do remember enjoying it.

Back to all reviews by this member
Back to all reviews of this book
Back to Book Reviews
Back to Book Details