Literary · Coming of age
The Bluest Eye
In 1940s Ohio, Pecola Breedlove, a young Black girl, longs for blue eyes, believing that beauty would change her life. Toni Morrison shows the cruelty and neglect around her through several narrators.
Facts last checked 2026-10-17
- First published
- 1970
- Pace
- Slow
- Length
- Short
- Pages
- 205
- Format
- Standalone
Read this if you want a powerful, poetic novel about racism, beauty standards and childhood harm.
Skip this if you want to avoid graphic depictions of child abuse and sexual violence.
The feel
Content warnings
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Quick answers about The Bluest Eye
- What is The Bluest Eye about?
- In 1940s Ohio, Pecola Breedlove, a young Black girl, longs for blue eyes, believing that beauty would change her life. Toni Morrison shows the cruelty and neglect around her through several narrators.
- Who should read The Bluest Eye?
- Read it if you want a powerful, poetic novel about racism, beauty standards and childhood harm. Skip it if you want to avoid graphic depictions of child abuse and sexual violence.
- How long and how fast is The Bluest Eye?
- It is a slow-paced, short read of about 205 pages, first published in 1970.
- Does The Bluest Eye have content warnings?
- Content we flag: Racism, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Incest, Bullying.
- Can I borrow The Bluest Eye for free?
- Often, yes. Check Libby (OverDrive) to see whether your library lends The Bluest Eye; the borrow button above searches it for you.
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Where to get it
| Store | Price | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Borrow free | ||
| Libby / OverDrive | Free with a library card | Borrow free with Libby from Libby / OverDrive |
| Print, new | ||
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| Ebook | ||
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| Audiobook | ||
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| Audible | Check price | Buy audiobook from Audible |
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