A PBS Great American Read Top 100 Pick
“A deeply soulful novel that comprehends love and cruelty, and separates the big people from the small of heart, without ever losing sympathy for those unfortunates who don’t know how to live properly.” —Zadie Smith
One of the most important and enduring books of the twentieth century, Their Eyes Were Watching God brings to life a Southern love story with … Watching God brings to life a Southern love story with the wit and pathos found only in the writing of Zora Neale Hurston. Out of print for almost thirty years—due largely to initial audiences’ rejection of its strong black female protagonist—Hurston’s classic has since its 1978 reissue become perhaps the most widely read and highly acclaimed novel in the canon of African-American literature.
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What a wonderful book! I loved Janie’s decision to turn her back on what others expected of her…she saw what she wanted and she seized it.
The characters in this novel are so alive–they practically jump off the pages of the book. The plot is simple but engrossing, and the setting is marvelous.
This classic of Florida and Afro-American literature was the perfect re-read during Black History Month. Zora Neale Hurston’s life story of being put down by members of the literary establishment, and cleaning houses in her later years, is now well known, thanks to Alice Walker and historians who’ve helped us reclaim our great women writers. But …
Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston, was first published in 1937. The story takes the reader on an intimate journey with Janie as she searches to find her voice and place in a man’s world. The writing is amazing. There were so many beautiful descriptions of nature, love, and life throughout the book.
What a journey! The main character goes through quite the array of life experiences and encounters some eye-opening realizations about life and what it means to find the balance between love and necessity. She finds her inner strength and through it all contends with gossip from “the porch”, always aware of others trying to make decisions for her …
This was a great novel. The language was well thought out and flowed nicely. Janie was a great protagonist, and very independent and strong.
The story of an African American women who struggles with the limitations society places on her in regards to love, work, and education. I enjoyed this quick read, though some may find the dialogue difficult to understand at first.
I’ve always loved Their Eyes Were Watching God. Zora is one of the best writers of the 20th century and for good reason. In this classic, Hurston tells the story of a young woman, Janie, who seeks to be her own person, despite the judgments of other people. I love stories where we get to watch a person create themselves, throwing off social …
Beautifully written. One of the best openings to a story I’ve ever read. “Ships at a distance have every man’s wish on board. For some they come in with the tide. For others they sail forever on the same horizon, never out of sight, never landing until the Watcher turns his eyes away in resignation, his dreams mocked to death by Time. That is …
It was once said of Mary Ann Evans (the English novelist who, under the pen name George Eliot, wrote the classics Middlemarch, Mill on the Floss and Silas Marner) that “when you read her work, you knew you’re in the hands of genius.”
The same can be said of Zora Neale Hurston, author of “Their Eyes Were Watching God.”
From the very first, you …
A classic that needs to be read every few years. Zora Neale Hurston is a Florida treasure.
Read 3.12.2021
I am so glad that I finally read this book, as it has been a book on my radar for some time. Thankfully, I listened to the audiobook performed by Ruby Dee. Her voice brought the characters and the dialog to life. A fine performance!
I enjoyed the evolution of Janie Crawford from a teenager to an older woman, through three marriages (to Mr. …
I rate Their Eyes Were Watching God 5-stars, excellent. I do recommend this book and it would be best for audiences who are starting or are already in high school. I think this book is best for high school students because they have lived and experienced a bit more of live then younger grades and can possibly relate to Janie’s experiences/ relate …
Zora Neal Hurston is truly herself! There is no pretense, she tells it like it is! She came before Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, and others. Hurston’s soul is in each of her books, and a piece of her heart. She is the original story teller and what stories she weaves! She died broke and alone.
While we are preparing to mark the hundredth anniversary of the burning of Black Wall Street or the Greenwood District of Tulsa, OK, in May 1921, we shouldn’t forget this book by Zora Neale Hurston which documents the founding of another township in Florida that was entirely owned and operated by recently freed African Americans, called …
It’s been a long time since I’ve read this book (I actually want to read it again!), but I remember loving it. I read it for my AP Literature class in high school as a classic. It was so inspirational. I fell in love with the story and the characters. I think about this book pretty frequently still.
What I loved the most was the voice it was told in. It was true poetry in the idiom of the time and place. You wanted to just drink up the words.
Excellent!
I loved this book. Great plot with different antagonists and protagonists. The characters were easy to know and likeable. The main characters friendship and budding love affair was inevitable but everything in between just added layers to who they were together and individually. This is a must read love story that will leave you laughing and …
This book remains my favorite.