The Bluest Eye Audiobook By Toni Morrison cover art

The Bluest Eye

 Preview
LIMITED TIME OFFER

3 months free
Try for $0.00
Offer ends July 31, 2025 at 11:59PM PT.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 3 months. Cancel anytime.

The Bluest Eye

By: Toni Morrison
Narrated by: Toni Morrison, Ruby Dee
Try for $0.00

$0.00/mo. after 3 months. Offer ends July 31, 2025 at 11:59PM PT. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $8.10

Buy for $8.10

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
Switch payment method
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use, License, and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • From the acclaimed Nobel Prize winner—a powerful examination of our obsession with beauty and conformity that asks questions about race, class, and gender with characteristic subtly and grace.

In Morrison’s acclaimed first novel, Pecola Breedlove—an 11-year-old Black girl in an America whose love for its blond, blue-eyed children can devastate all others—prays for her eyes to turn blue: so that she will be beautiful, so that people will look at her, so that her world will be different. This is the story of the nightmare at the heart of her yearning, and the tragedy of its fulfillment.

Here, Morrison’s writing is “so precise, so faithful to speech and so charged with pain and wonder that the novel becomes poetry” (The New York Times).

Check out more selections from Oprah's Book Club.©1970 Toni Morrison (P)1994 Random House, Inc. Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc. African American Coming of Age Contemporary Fiction Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Heartfelt Tearjerking Thought-Provoking

Editorial reviews

Why we think it's Essential: The only thing better than hearing Ruby Dee give voice to this heartbreaking first novel by Toni Morrison, is to hear the author herself exchange lines of dialogue with the veteran actress and narrate key passages. Although the journey I took with Pecola (the main character) through this novel was difficult, it was also important—something I'll never forget. – Corey Thrasher

Critic reviews

"A PARADE BEST BOOK OF ALL TIME

A TODAY SHOW #ReadWithJenna BOOK CLUB PICK!

“So precise, so faithful to speech and so charged with pain and wonder that the novel becomes poetry.” —The New York Times

“A profoundly successful work of fiction. . . . Taut and understated, harsh in its detachment, sympathetic in its truth . . . it is an experience.” —The Detroit Free Press

“This story commands attention, for it contains one black girl’s universe.” —Newsweek
Beautiful Writing • Powerful Storytelling • Captivating Narration • Philosophical Depth • Soothing Voices
Highly rated for:
All stars
Most relevant  
I've always loved this book, it's been a while since I've read the book. Ruby Dee never disappoints, I enjoy her tone of voice.

The Bluest Eye

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
overall this is obviously an amazing book. gut-wrenching, painful, controversial to this day. Toni Morrison writes beautifully. it isn't complicated to understand the beauty of the writing but at times its simplicity can pass u by if u aren't paying attention. the audio version can be confusing toward the end when there's dialogue between Claudia & Freida that is immediately followed by dialogue between Pecola & her friend. it's important conversation within pivotal moments of the story. hopefully listeners won't be confused. I had to replay it a couple of times to find the end of one & beginning of the other so the story would make complete sense.

confusing dialogue toward end

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The voices of Ruby Dee's and Toni Morrison made it is easier to sink to age old story of insecurities and incest. given voice to the voiceless

classic

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
🔴REVIEW🔴
THE BLUEST EYE
TONI MORRISON

This book was great, it was an excellent story and really shed some light on the "colorism" issue. I thought it was beautifully written, however it is a bit sad. This is a very moving book and it will surely put a memory stain on your brain and open your eyes up to a world of situations and pain that you didn't even know people experienced. I decided to read this book because so many people in high school loved it. Great read but you must be open-minded to really appreciate the way this book is written.
4 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Phontaine Thompson

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Loved it. Learn to appreciate the beauty God gave us, don't shy away from abuse, tell someone.

The Bluest Eye

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Enjoyed hearing this novel made an audible masterpiece though the authors (& Ruby Dee’s) outstanding narration. Who’s voice is notes soothing than Toni’s? Than Ruby Dee’s? They are greatly missed.

Beautiful Heartbreaking, Masterfully done.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Highly recommend this book for someone looking to be challenged by the material and themes and who is open to the humanity of the story

What did you like best about this story?

Morrisons ideas on beauty and virtue

Have you listened to any of Toni Morrison and Ruby Dee ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

My first Morrison and Ruby Dee book but will not be my last

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No but as I was drawn into the story it became impossible to not finish

Thought provoking and haunting novella

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Like Duke Ellington used to stay “Beyond Category “ Superlative and Transformative work with just words.

The Duke

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Excellent. Story flowed. can t wait for the next book. I love her work!!!! she's my favorite.

Great,!!!!!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
perfectly read and performed. an insightful story of a time and place only Morrison could describe with perfection.

excellent performance and story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews