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cepbreed's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I'm very happy to have finally read a book by Toni Morrison and decided for myself that she deserves all the praise she gets and more. Even though I've heard she wrote novels much better than Tar Baby I loved this book. Taking a folktale and adapting it in an indirect way was such a brilliant premise. Morrison has an amazing mind for connecting details to each other and created intrigue from the get go. Her characters are all dynamic and real. I found Margaret particularly compelling. This woman was a trophy was Valerian, his Maine born red haired pageant queen. At first it seems like she won, getting to marry a rich man with a home on a tropical island, but beneath the shallows of their marriage she was deeply unhappy. A woman pushed into a box, never allowed to be a girl. I'm not trying to justify any of her actions but the way she abused Michael as a baby was so foreign to me. Morrison describes the abuse in a way that finally made Margaret human. She needed someone to see her and Valerian never did that for her. Another moment of Margaret's that made me halt in my tracks was the discussion she has with Ondine long after the dinner party. Margaret complains about their cold relationship and blames Ondine for not stopping her abuse of Michael. She says Ondine was older and therefore responsible for her actions. Ondine responds "I wasn't thirty-five. I was twenty-three. A girl. Just like you." SHE ATE HER UPPPPP!! As much as Margaret has felt pained she only acknowledges herself as a victim.
Definitely going to read more Toni Morrison on my own time.
Definitely going to read more Toni Morrison on my own time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, and Classism
Moderate: Child abuse, Mental illness, and Sexual content
Minor: Death, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol
pulp's review against another edition
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Misogyny
Minor: Death of parent
magicalsocks's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
(8/8/21)
i am so happy i tackled this again after i picked it up in high school, read one chapter, and did not understand a thing. there’s still so much symbolism and metaphor that i know i missed - the moment i finished the last page i immediately flipped back to the beginning to start it again. i feel like the way toni morrison writes is conducive to rereads in a way that i have not found any other author to do as well as she does - she packs meaning and intent into every small detail, and i especially love the way she does character introductions, starting at a side detail usually in nature before sliding over imperceptively, usually in the middle of a sentence, to start talking about the character. i can picture a camera focusing on the birds flying around the trees on the estate and then slowly sliding over and refocusing on valerian sitting in the greenhouse. i do enjoy a good snappy introduction personally, but something about her style is so enjoyable to read. i feel like there’s so much trust and challenge put on the readers to put together the pieces of the novel, and it’s thrilling work.
i am so happy i tackled this again after i picked it up in high school, read one chapter, and did not understand a thing. there’s still so much symbolism and metaphor that i know i missed - the moment i finished the last page i immediately flipped back to the beginning to start it again. i feel like the way toni morrison writes is conducive to rereads in a way that i have not found any other author to do as well as she does - she packs meaning and intent into every small detail, and i especially love the way she does character introductions, starting at a side detail usually in nature before sliding over imperceptively, usually in the middle of a sentence, to start talking about the character. i can picture a camera focusing on the birds flying around the trees on the estate and then slowly sliding over and refocusing on valerian sitting in the greenhouse. i do enjoy a good snappy introduction personally, but something about her style is so enjoyable to read. i feel like there’s so much trust and challenge put on the readers to put together the pieces of the novel, and it’s thrilling work.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Infidelity, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, and Slavery
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