9/16/2014: I just re-read this, and while, aesthetically, four stars feels a shade high, I'll keep it here, based on my impressions from a read 20+ years ago in a great Modern American Literature class at UCSB and this second read.

I love Janie, I am as crazy about her as Tea Cake is. Because I am so into characters, the book really succeeds for me on this level. But my admiration for the book is more historical than strictly aesthetic. I am sure I could read around and get a better sense of just how foundational (or not) this book is for black feminism, but I am happy to just note my impression that it must be one of the first pieces of literature to treat black women in this way, as smart and (potentially) autonomous, and especially sexually autonomous. Janie seems utterly unsurprised by her own sovereignty, which is as it should be an only surprises the reader because of the deep opposition of the society around her -- which, it's worth noting, is a mostly black rather than white one.

Bottom line, I really enjoyed this, but don't think it'll merit a third claim on my too-scarce reading time.