Zora Neale Hurston : Novels and Stories : Jonah's Gourd Vine / Their Eyes Were Watching God / Moses, Man of the Mountain / Seraph on the Suwanee / Selected Stories (Library of America)

by Zora Neale Hurston

Book Overview

This Library of America volume, with its companion, brings together for the first time all of Zora Neale Hurston's best writing in one authoritative set. When she died in poverty and obscurity in... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0940450836
• Release Date: February 1995
• Publisher: Library of America
• Length: 1054 Pages
• Weight: 1.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.1" x 1.3" x 5.2"

Customer Reviews

The Bee and the Blossom

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston is a bittersweet novel that emphasizes the relationship between nature and human life. The protagonist, Janie Mae Crawford, begins the novel by returning to Eatonville, a small town where all her thoughts and emotions were once considered worthless. She is reunited with her closest friend, Phoebe Watson, and relates to her the story of why she suddenly disappeared years ago. Through this unfolding of Janie's intriguing yet depressing life story, the reader is able to witness how society can corrupt the harmony of nature and also the joy of human life. Before Janie moved to Eatonville, an all black town, she lived with her Nanny. At sixteen, Janie was already imagining what marriage was like. She would sit underneath her blossomed pear tree and witness a bee singing calmly while getting nectar out of each flower. She longed to be loved and cared for like the blossom, but she did not know where or how to find her singing bee. Her Nanny grew worried that her young granddaughter would be taken advantage of by men; so therefore, Janie's marriage was arranged. Zora Neale Hurston uses symbolism throughout her novel to allow the reader to discover her message. She uses the bee and the blossom to emphasize the harmony and unity that should exist in not only marriage but in life. Hurston travels through many marriages and downfalls of Janie's life, but accentuates her persistence and strength to find her independence and joy. Written in only seven weeks, this romantic classic has the ability to give the reader insight of how a woman, like Janie, lived in a society where men were considered dominate. The setting of this book takes place in the past where women were viewed as frail - lacking in both opinion and power. Hurston portrays that women deserve independence and respect through Janie, the female hero. In addition, the style of the novel is written as a frame story, creating parallels to the traditions of black culture. The custom of oral tradition is shown in the beginning of this novel when Janie begins to explain to Phoebe her story, "You can tell `em what Ah say if you wants to. Dat's just de same as me `cause mah tongue is in mah friend's mouf." This style of writing not only captures the reader into vivid imagination and strong emotions, but also indirectly enlightens the reader about the culture of a small African American society. Their Eyes Were Watching God is a book that emphasizes love, joy, and adventure. Although it may not interest many men, for it is more of a feminist novel, women would be more inclined to relate and sympathize with Janie's story. This book encourages the reader not to become trapped in society's expectations but to become independent and to pursue his or her own aspirations.

Superlative Author

Zora Neale Hurston is, without a doubt, one of the giants of literature of the last century. Capturing the heart and soul of the deep South--both "colored" and "white"--her works breathe life into the characters she portrays, leaving readers with the "slice of life" they are seeking from an outstanding writer of the period. Now, for the first time, this volume serves the reader the whole pie. Whether Hurston studied the practice of Voodoo in the Caribbean, the folkways of African-Americans in the Old South, or the interrelationships of the races in the society of her time (especially in the trial of Ruby McCollum, which she covered for the Pittsburgh Courier), she tackled her subject with a degree of enthusiasm that is seldom matched.

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HURSTON IS WONDERFUL! STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING RIGHT NOW AND BUY THIS BOOK! YOU WILL NEVER REGRET IT!

Inspired

If Ms Hurston finally gets the readers she deserves, she will take her place among America's finest writers of the 20th Century. She is a joy to read and repays second and third perusals. The oral narrative quality of her writing places her squarely in the company of the best of her Southern contemporaries. She shares their great gifts. By all means, don't deny yourself the pleasure of reading her work.