Our Shared Shelf discussion

Charlotte wrote: "Hi all. This is my first time reading Beloved. I'm only on page 45. Stopped where the space is between paragraphs.
I find myself struggling with it. I'm lost and not entirely sure what's gone on or..."


Hi Charlotte,

I’m in the middle of Beloved, it is a bit confusing for me too but I’ll come back this weekend to explain as best I can using spoiler html codes.

For now, please would you edit your post using html for spoilers - just so other members don’t accidentally read this thread before finishing the book :).

I learnt the following from Meelie (moderator) recently. To add spoiler so the text is semi-hidden instructions:

1. write your review on a computer/laptop or on phone but via internet search engine, goodreads website desktop version log in - not using the Goodreads Mobile app , there’s a little pop up box on the top right side of the comment box, that shows you how.

2. Otherwise, you need to type the following on the desktop website. I’ll have to add an extra character ¥ which you’ll need to remove for the html code to work.

< ¥spoiler ¥ ... >

write your whole review in between these brackets!


<.¥ /spoiler >

Noted: Remember to remove the . ¥ and spaces, as those aren’t meant to be in there.

I'm right there with you Charlotte!

Morrison is such a graphic writer and throws the reader right into things; leaving us with the task of deciphering the implied environment and history.

I think a lot of this right now, especially as you are only 45 pages in, is set dressing. She is showing you the stakes of what her characters have gone through and what they are living with now before she raises the tension.

Charlotte, It is taking me a while to figure it out too and quite confusing. I think your summary is correct. I found searching for a free revision guide online such as Cliff Notes for Beloved, helped me figure out the characters and what is happening overall in each chapter/section.

Yes as Pam mentioned it seems the beginning is foreshadowing motifs and setting the stage for later events. For me it makes a bit more sense as the book continues.

Kate wrote: "Charlotte, It is taking me a while to figure it out too and quite confusing. I think your summary is correct. I found searching for a free revision guide online such as Cliff Notes for Beloved, hel..."

To add more details some spoilers about the beginning chapter:

(view spoiler)[ Year 1873 Sethe is a former slave recounting her past to her fourth and youngest daughter, Denver.
Baby Suggs is Sethe’s mother in law and Denver’s grandmother.
Halle Suggs was Sethe’s husband
Sweet Home is the Kentucky slave Farm where Sethe and her husband was enslaved.
Paul D is a former slave also previously enslaved at Sweet Home.

Sethe divulges to Paul D the catastrophic events that lead her to escape Sweet Home and the traumatic assault that happened to her and the “they took my milk” and discussion of her “stolen milk” mammary rape is also a motif in the book later on.

I found the following quote about Paul D poignant and symbolic of his role in entering Sethe’s life: “Not even trying, he had become the kind of man who could walk into a house and make the women cry. Because of him, in his presence they could.”
(hide spoiler)]

Charlotte wrote: "Hi all. This is my first time reading Beloved. I'm only on page 45. Stopped where the space is between paragraphs.
I find myself struggling with it. I'm lost and not entirely sure what's gone on or..."

Thank you for saying that, Charlotte! I was going to bring this up in terms of just the first sentence of the book: "124 was spiteful."

I am intrigued by any author's choice in whether to explain to the reader what something is when they introduce it, or leave it unexplained to try and plant a seed of mystery. She could have written "124 Bluestone Road was spiteful," or "The house was spiteful," or a lot of other things.

What I took from the lack of explanation in that first sentence was that Morrison was putting me on notice. I heard her say, "You're going to have to work for understanding here; don't expect me to give it to you. And even after you work for it, you may never have it all."

Definitely not the message I'm used to!

My two cents,

-- Peter

I had trouble reading Beloved when it was an Oprah selection. I couldn't get more encouragement from anyone else however I ultimately could not finish it. I may attempt it again, and am awaiting comments from others.

I decided to get the book on CD rather than wait for a book to come back to the library. I am so glad I did! As I listen to the book I have been thinking..... I would have been very confused if I was reading it. Listening to Toni Morrison read the story adds so much depth. Her slow, deliberate speech, mixed in with a southern style of speaking has created a vivid picture in my mind. I highly recommend you get the audiobook. It has allowed me to become mesmerised by her words rather than struggle with them.

Hello Charlotte, thank you for posting this I was so lost too. I re-read the first chapter and wrote down a little summary at te the end of it just with all the things I learned from the characters. I hace been doing the same thing on the following chapters and has really helped me because when I doubt something I can go back to my own notes and clear things up :). Maybe you could try that? And btw, how are you doing with the book?