This book is, first and foremost, beautifully written. I think I had a greater appreciation of the book and dialect after living in the South for two years - the realism of the dialect was spot on. The other thing that surprised me was that Janie and Tea Cake could've been living in Memphis, TN in 2012 - the phrasing and pronunciation of words is still very much the same even almost 100 years later.
Plot/themes: The book follows the story of Janie's life (told through three important romantic relationships as she tells them to her "bosom friend" Pheoby. Janie's first two relationships do not satisfy her soul or appreciate her for who she is. When Janie meets Tea Cake after her second husband's death, he is 12 years her junior and it causes a scandal across the town when they run off together to be married. Although their relationship is short lived, it provides Janie with a sense of freedom and satisfaction that she did not have before. The thing I loved most about this book was Janie's resilience and strength of character. This must have been a very progressive book in the 1930s and even today shows the strength of Black women in a way very few books do.
Readability: A
Pacing: A
Satisfying ending: B
Overall Rating: B+
MY GRADING SCHEME IS CATCHING ON!!!!!!!!!!
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