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Beloved Audiobook
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(3.00) - 135,049 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Staring unflinchingly into the abyss of slavery, this spellbinding audio transforms history into a story as powerful as Exodus and as intimate as a lullaby. Sethe, its protagonist, was born a slave and escaped to Ohio, but eighteen years later she is still not free. She 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. Filled with bitter poetry and suspense as taut as a rope, Beloved is a towering achievement.
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"Having not experienced Beloved for a long time, I decided to listen to the audio version this time. How wonderful that Toni Morrison herself read her own story. When an author reads their own work you just know that every pronunciation, inflection, and emphasis is exactly what was intended. Having Sethe, Denver, Paul D and Baby Suggs brought alive by Ms. Morrison is such a treat. I've been on the road for much of the past 6 months on tour with my own new book (Gather at the Table) which focuses on the legacy of slavery as a traumatic, unhealed wound. Being accompanied by Ms. Morrison's voice as a traveling companion in the car and in flight was simply perfect."
— Thomas (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“A brutally powerful, mesmerizing story.”
— People -
“There is something great in Beloved: a play of human voices, consciously exalted, perversely stressed, yet holding true."
— New Yorker -
“A masterpiece. . . . Magnificent. . . . Astounding. . . . Overpowering.”
— Newsweek -
“Written with a force rarely seen in contemporary fiction. . . . One feels deep admiration.”
— USA Today -
“Dazzling. . . . Magical. . . . An extraordinary work.
— New York Times -
“A masterwork…Wonderful…I can’t imagine American literature without it.”
— Los Angeles Times -
“A triumph.”
— New York Times Book Review -
“A work of genuine force. . . . Beautifully written.”
— Washington Post -
“Toni Morrison’s finest work. . . . [It] sets her apart [and] displays her prodigious talent.”
— Chicago Sun-Times -
“Brilliant. . . . Resonates from past to present.
— San Francisco Chronicle -
“Toni Morrison is not just an important contemporary novelist but a major figure in our national literature.
— New York Review of Books -
“A magnificent heroine . . . a glorious book.
— Baltimore Sun -
“Superb. . . . A profound and shattering story that carries the weight of history. . . . Exquisitely told.
— Cosmopolitan -
“Magical . . . rich, provocative, extremely satisfying.
— Milwaukee Journal -
“Beautifully written. . . . Powerful. . . . Toni Morrison has become one of America’s finest novelists.
— Cleveland Plain Dealer -
“Stunning. . . A lasting achievement.
— Christian Science Monitor -
“Compelling . . . . Morrison shakes that brilliant kaleidoscope of hers again, and the story of pain, endurance, poetry and power she is born to tell comes right out.
— Village Voice -
“A book worth many rereadings.
— Glamour -
“In her most probing novel, Toni Morrison has demonstrated once again the stunning powers that place her in the first ranks of our living novelists.
— St. Louis Post-Dispatch -
“Heart-wrenching . . . mesmerizing.
— The Atlanta Journal-Constitution -
“Shattering emotional power and impact.
— New York Daily News -
“A rich, mythical novel . . . a triumph.
— St. Petersburg Times -
“Powerful . . . voluptuous.
— New York -
“Written with a force rarely seen in contemporary fiction…One feels deep admiration.”
— USA Today -
“A work of genuine force…Beautifully written.”
— Washington Post -
“A brutally powerful, mesmerizing story.”
— People -
“Toni Morrison’s finest work…[It] sets her apart [and] displays her prodigious talent.”
— Chicago Sun-Times -
“A masterpiece…Magnificent…Astounding…Overpowering.”
— Newsweek -
“There is something great in Beloved: a play of human voices, consciously exalted, perversely stressed, yet holding true. It gets you.”
— New Yorker -
“Superb…A profound and shattering story that carries the weight of history…Exquisitely told.”
— Cosmopolitan -
“Toni Morrison is not just an important contemporary novelist but a major figure in our national literature.”
— New York Review of Books -
“Compelling…Morrison shakes that brilliant kaleidoscope of hers again, and the story of pain, endurance, poetry, and power she is born to tell comes right out.”
— Village Voice -
“In her most probing novel, Toni Morrison has demonstrated once again the stunning powers that place her in the first ranks of our living novelists.”
— St. Louis Post-Dispatch -
“Beautifully written…Powerful…Toni Morrison has become one of America’s finest novelists.”
— Cleveland Plain Dealer -
“Magical…Rich, provocative, extremely satisfying.”
— Milwaukee Journal
Awards
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Winner of the 1988 Robert F. Kennedy Book Award
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A New York Times bestseller
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Winner of the 1988 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
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A USA Today bestseller
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Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award
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One of Time Magazine's Best 100 English-Language Novels from 1923–2005
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A 1987 New York Times Editor’s Choice
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Recipient of a 1988 American Book Award
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Winner of the 1988 Anisfield-Wolf Book Prize for Fiction
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A 1987 National Book Award Finalist
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A 1987 National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist
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A New York Public Library Staff Pick of Favorite Books of the Last 125 Years
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An Elle Magazine Pick of Best Audiobooks
Beloved Listener Reviews
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—
kim topping, 12/27/2021
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" A really good book but I found it hard to connect with which I think was probably the point. The author is very talented and the writing embodies the people and the essence of them amazingly. I didn't always understand what was going on but in them times you don't need to and can just feel the raw pain of the characters. "
— Izzy, 2/20/2014 -
" The best book I've read all year. Simply incredible. Morrison's language flows beautifully, at times a subtle narrative, at others an honest stream of consciousness, but always full of flavor and meaning, always a precise and exact communication of an event, of a mood, of an idea. The way she writes about heavy pasts, about isolation within society, about human brotherhood or lack thereof, and most importantly, about women and men, and all of the flavors and overtones of her own wisdom that she adds, is inspiring and irrefutable. "
— Sasha, 2/13/2014 -
" I suppose it was pretty good for having to read it in school. Exremely well written. "
— Lizzypants, 2/8/2014 -
" Part love story, part ghost story. Moving and creepy. Will make you cry but read it anyway. "
— Sheila, 2/4/2014 -
" Oh, there's a reason Morrison won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 93. She's the real deal. When I started reading it, I was ready to give it the high hat. Shame on me. "
— Sean, 1/28/2014 -
" Beloved is just one of those books you have to read. If you're here looking at it, you know it's a classic. But it more than just the tale of slavery the summery suggests, it's about hardship and love. Loving too much, loving too large, or loving not enough because it was just too painful. There is no true way of trying to describe this book. Just read it. "
— Diana, 1/24/2014 -
" This is a hard review to write. Beloved is literary perfection, but it was hard book to read. Each night when I picked it up I felt reluctant, like I was going back to a nightmarish horror movie, and I'm not a fan of horror. I wanted to get through it with my eyes closed. The book was devastatingly effective, bringing forward the most brutal and shocking elements of 19th century slavery in America, so that I felt viscerally how all humanity was stripped away as I read. Morrison's writing is poetic, creative, and perfect. "
— Erika, 1/22/2014 -
" This book had multiple personality disorder or something. It kept wanting to be paranormal/historical fiction and it was weirddd. I'm still digesting it... :/ "
— Elena, 1/13/2014 -
" It is evident why my AP lang class studies this gorgeous book for language. My deduction of one star is nothing against the book; I just personally prefer books that are quicker and plot-y. "
— Benson, 12/19/2013 -
" I've read better ghost stories; this would have been more effective had there been no ghost. As a story about the difficult life of a black woman, The Color Purple was much better. "
— Wes, 12/11/2013 -
" This was a difficult book to rate. I loved the story, but I'm not a fan of the writing style. Definitely worth reading, but difficult to follow. "
— debbie, 11/28/2013 -
" Maybe I was expecting too much. "
— Laura, 6/23/2013 -
" Such an amazing use of language, cultural experiences, and history! "
— Shannon, 5/6/2013 -
" Hated it! Disgusting... Can't even say more "
— Madea, 3/28/2013 -
" I know, I'm supposed to love Toni Morrison and I do most of the time but....I'm not into the supernatural and ghosts and spooks. Real life is scary enough "
— Pamela, 3/16/2013 -
" An extremely well thought-out novel dealing with racial identity & belonging. Morrison writes non-linear, and though at times difficult to follow, it is greatly rewarding. "
— Khaled, 1/13/2013 -
" One of the finest works of modern american fiction ever written. "
— Joe, 1/4/2013 -
" I thought this was an amazing novel - really moving and the writing is superb. First one of Toni Morrison's I've read - I wonder which one I should read next? "
— Clare, 11/10/2012 -
" Heart-breaking and delicious at the same time. It's an extremely powerful book. "
— YalÃ, 9/28/2012 -
" was not one of my favourite of morrison i must admit, have read better books by her. "
— Lana, 6/15/2011 -
" A masterpiece. I think of Sethe’s terrible deed as demanding a kind of teleological suspension of the ethical, à la Kierkegaard: we can neither condone it nor condemn it; it eludes moral judgment. "
— Taylor, 5/25/2011 -
" love the film also, Brilliant "OPRAH WINFREY" in cast. "
— Fenny, 5/19/2011 -
" A beautiful, lyrical book that draws you in completely. It's a story that talks about slavery, motherhood, love, death, loneliness, forgiveness and retribution. It's a really difficult subject but it's one that's told with real compassion and humanity and a sense of time and place. Love it! "
— Kate, 5/11/2011 -
" was lost the first time I read it. amazed the second. "
— Heather, 5/9/2011 -
" I hated this book! Only finished it because I had to for a college class. "
— Amanda, 5/9/2011 -
" I think this book is really sad and will bring tears to your eyes.<br/> "
— Nirmin, 5/8/2011 -
" Everything you never wanted to know but couldn't help learning because Toni Morrison is such a damn good writer. "
— Darya, 5/8/2011 -
" classic that will stand for 100 years. Beautifully written, the story unfolds a little at a time until you know the truth - and the truth is unspeakable. "
— Jan, 5/7/2011 -
" Not a book you can forget...not necessarily one to enjoy. "
— Jenny, 5/6/2011 -
" I had to read this book in Senior English and could not stand it. Years later I went back to read it again when I was trying to read as many "classics" as possible. I found that I still disliked this book and found Morrison to be completely over-rated as an author. "
— Liandyr, 5/5/2011
About Toni Morrison
Toni Morrison (1931–2019) was an American novelist, poet, essayist, editor, teacher, and professor. In 2012, President Barack Obama presented her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She also received the Nobel Prize for Literature, the National Book Critics Circle Award, a Pulitzer Prize for literature, an American Book Award, the Norman Mailer Prize, the PEN/Saul Bellow Award, the Condorcet Medal, the Thomas Jefferson Medal, and the Anisfield Wolf Book Award, among others. She wrote twelve novels, including Beloved, which won the 1988 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and was made into a major motion picture starring Oprah Winfrey and Danny Glover.