I don't know what to say. I feel like this book has altered something about me. I don't even know what it has altered. I haven't read a lot of classics, mainly because a lot of them have been difficult to understand. I feel like this is the first classic i have read properly. I used to read them from front page to back, with the introduction first and then the story. I have now noticed that that wasn't the right way for me.

I read Beloved with the story first and then the introduction. That in my opinion really elevated my experience with this book. The other introductions that I read felt like a word vomit and I didn't really understand the context. With Beloved I was able to examine it on my own and digest the story as a story. Reading the introduction after felt like diving deeper into the story and seeing how someone else thought of it.

The story itself didn't do anything to me, but the topics it brought up. Reading that introduction was like putting words to thoughts I had. One particular paragraph that explained this really well, was when Stamp was talking about africans trying to prove to white people that they are calm and not the animals they think we are. The whole time I was reading the book I kept thinking how they called us animals because they did stuff to push us to the edge. To see it written out in the book was confirmation I didn't know I needed. For that to be understood, not just for me, but that everyone out there knew that we are not animals. Gave me a sense of peace.

This book was so painful to read. The painful part for me was how they were treated as slaves. The things that they have endured was truly heartbreaking. Knowing that worse things have happened is even worse. However you can't have Beloved without talking about slavery. Slavery is the reason this story exists, and as difficult as it was reading this I'm glad I did it.

The end of that introduction really hit me. "In these readings, a sense, is followed, almost immediately, by the sense that it was always there, that we, the readers, knew it was always there, and have always known it was as it was, though we have now for the first time recognized, become fully cognizant of, our knowledge."

That really summarized what I felt reading Beloved. I also have a feeling that this book reached me when I needed it. To reach me when I am able to appreciate it.