had to stop halfway through because you made me urgently need to borrow this book from the library. I'll be back when I finish!

Ohh I really need to read this!!

So wonderful to hear the late great Ruby Dee reading here. I haven’t read this since my twenties, and this is telling me I need to revisit it very soon.

This book has been on my list for years. It just moved to #1. Thank you!

This video essay is so inspirational

I probably didn't fully appreciate this book in high school, but a lot of the language and Tea Cake's death stayed with me. I should revisit this, thanks for the reminder.

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

Walking away means nothing when the child is still left to suffer. It may mean refusal to partake in a society that allows this to happen, but it also means that you have no desire to find a way to have a better alternative. WHY does the child have to suffer? What does its suffering mean or give to allow everyone else a utopia? And what happens when the child eventually dies from malnourishment? Likely they choose a new child and it starts all over again. That looming thought of ‘what if MY child is next’ can and WILL fester problems within this so called ‘utopia’, IF we are to assume the people of this land are HUMAN. If they are not human and do not have the ability to comprehend that their system is an inherently flawed one, then that’s a different story. But if this is a human society, a human child being tortured, there is always going to be that thought in one’s mind of ‘what if my child is next’ as that’s how we are. I know there’s possibly faults in my understanding of this, but that’s how I feel about the story. I think it’s wrong to just walk away and not try to fight for a better way. You are not free of your faults for ignoring the problem. The same could be said for the idea that, if you were to see someone injured on the street, would YOU make the call to 911 or wait for someone else to do it? And simply..walk away.

It is tough to form an opinion on the matter. I love classic books. Reading the books, not only in the language of the characters but also in the writers, allows the reader to get pulled further into the plot and learn about the mentality of people during that time period. To me, these changes would be no different than rewriting Shakespeare's works to the modern depiction. It wouldn't work well, for the context would be lost. On the other hand, Huckleberry Finn uses a word that, if read even by an adult, could lead to trouble. At home, I have no problem reading stories for what they were. If I'm reading these stories to a child I may edit as I go, or explain what the word means if they ask.

My (current) favourite love story is basically ever relationship in Tamsyn Muir's 'The Locked Tomb' series, but especially the bond between Camilla and Palamedes. They just transcend everything, literally, at the end of their story together. Palamedes even says "We had something very nearly perfect … the perfect friendship, the perfect love," and I 100% believe him

We read this in AP Lit. The book brought me so many revelations about relationships and revisiting it helped bring me out of a toxic situation a couple years later. Will forever be one of my favorite novels and I should definitely read it again !

❤

I remember reading this in high school. I remember that the story stayed with me throughout summer that year.

Great video, thanks! And I was completely charmed by the reading parts

I read it earlier this year and it is actually a timeless book. Additionally, as a native black floridian the story means that much more to me.

I just discovered her a few years ago and she is absolutely amazing!

I've heard about this novel before but I never read it. After this video, I am definitely adding to my TBR list because it feels so impactful and beautifully written that I need to read it before I forget

We read this book in one of my advanced English classes in high school and I annotated the heck out of it, and I kept it on my bookshelf up until now (I’m 26.) I will quite literally talk about this book to anyone who will listen. It is so good and so beautiful, I’m a really glad someone else is speaking on it lol.

Eternal Mousey fan <3

First video from you I got a notification for, excited to watch it!

This has been sitting on my shelf for the last few months. I'm going to pick it up now. Thanks

This is one of the best book channels and yet a fully fledged video essay. But also i this is what a university class on literature is what it should be like. (Yes i haven't been into said class cause i am but a humble biochemist and dietitian amd not a USA citizen but i meant every word.). Love from Greece and thank you for the education you are freely provide to us.

I'm not a fan of love stories, but this book sounds amazing! And I think your video helped clarify why I usually don't like love stories, it's the self sacrifice and loss of self of the protagonist, instead of growth and blossoming into a stronger and more vibrant version of themself.

Zora Neale Hurston is amazing. Her writing is evocative and beautiful. Completely unrelated - I swear on all I hold holy - Lizzie did not do it.

This channel feels oddly AI generated

wow. totally unexpected to see this book get its due. this is how i feel about this book. when i first read it back in the early oughts i was stunned for days afterwards.

👏👏👏

Alright, not watching the video yet. Gonna go read the book and I'll be back

I did really enjoy His Eyes Were Watching God.

I did really enjoy His Eyes Were Watching God.

Commenting to comment to speak to the algorithmic god. But also, great video. You have convinced me to start reading Zora Neale Hurston's work 👍👍

okay i commented in the middle of the video and now here's a second one now that i've finished watching because i'm just that excited. the religious language that hurston employs with janey is one of my favorite parts. her hair being described as "glory" is a revelation. her hair isn't something defective or shameful with her, it's an emanation of her own inner divinity. it's her halo. and the use of the phrase "resurrection and life" during the funeral-- in the death of her husband and the death of the wife she was to him, janey is resurrected like christ. their eyes were watching god is the first time i'd say i've seen a christ metaphor used for a woman character and it might be the first time i've seen a christ metaphor in general used in literary fiction in such an effective way!

just saw that you posted this video and gasped out loud. i need to tell you how vitally important and underappreciated zora neale hurston is in american anthropology! she brought eyes onto african american culture as not a defective version of white culture or a degraded version of african culture, but its own living, evolving phenomenon! i'm so happy you chose to talk about her!

Only a minute in and yes!!!!!! I love this book!!! We read it in high school and I was so absolutely in love with this book! I'm so happy to see you talking about it 😊

Watched a minute and I’m sold! I’ll come back after I’ve read it. 💖

I read this in high school, and reread it as as adult and it really touched me in a deeper way and became one of my favorites. Love how you discuss literature I’ve been binging a lot of your videos lately, you really puts into words how great a piece is and are so informative

Also one of my all time favorite books.

Zora sounds amazing! I will definitely read this book soon. And I love how passionate and excited you sound talking about her. ❤

ZORAAAA

Adding alert. This is many of my interests in a venn diagram.

I thought I knew everything about this case, yet I had never heard about the bucket of bloody rags. What a crazy detail to leave out!

Came here after finishing the novel Our Hideous Progeny by C.E. McGill

Regarding the trolley problem: I’ve been studying and teaching philosophy for about 25 years and often use it, in its various forms, to help get students to start thinking about moral dilemmas. Many people, however, make a mistake regarding the problem, which is that they see it as complete rather than as a starting-point for discussion (i.e. they believe that all they need to do is find a solution to the problem itself and they have ‘solved’ morality, leading them to criticise the simplicity and partial abstractness of the problem itself). Put simply: from an educational perspective the trolley problem is like basic conversational French, inasmuch as while it’s unlikely the student is going to find themselves in the exact situation in real life they will have at least been introduced to some of the important elements and ideas, and be somewhat familiar with them.

I have always loved this short story so much. I’ve never heard anyone explain it, however. I’m so happy that you explained this so well. This has always been one of my favorite short stories ever, and I love the short stories genre so much. Thank you!

She blessed US... Objective case of WE.

Who elso found this story cuz of BTS😂😂 tell me im not the only one

Excellent story to prepare for the November election psyche.

The ones who walked away changed nothing. They may have soothed their sense of guilt by not personally benefiting from the child's torment, but they haven't stopped the atrocity, and as you pointed out, they are acting on their privilege to leave. Not everyone can walk away and survive elsewhere. Personally, I'm disgusted by their refusal to engage with the difficult truth of their culture. In other words: VOTE, YOU COWARDS!

What an immaculate GEM of a channel, so glad the algorithm pointed me your way!

I kinda wish it was EXPECTED of me to be on the brink of murder while on my period, maybe then i wouldn't have to do so many uni assignments