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culpeppper's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Too many shifting perspectives for me, but I love stories that amp up tension that results in many dramatic confrontations. There's truly delicious tension between all the characters, and though I didn't love all the aspects of the story, I really appreciate the greater narrative at work here.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, and Classism
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Stalking, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Colonisation
Minor: Fatphobia, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Slavery, Death of parent, and War
erebus53's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Every now and then I get to the end of a book and go... "welp... that happened"...?
Driven deeply by dialogue and character interplay, I think that to get the most out of this book it probably shouldn't be a solo project. Toni Morrison expects you to do the leg work, and pits characters with their own background and motivations on opposing sides of conflict, where there is no winner. It would probably be a good book club read.
Set in Martinique, we hear the story of a young black model who is raised by her aunt and uncle when she is orphaned. The relatives are the home-help of a rich white man who bankrolls the girl's education, and he comes to settle in the Caribbean after his retirement, with his trophy wife and home-help in tow. This once candy magnate, is now estranged from his son, and preparations are made for a Christmas dinner which may yet see his son visit them.
Meanwhile, a young black man jumps ship and finds himself waterlogged and half starved outside their house. He starts hanging about and pilfering pantry items until he is discovered hiding in a wardrobe. Invited to stay in the house and given a makeover, he shakes the whole household's ideas of the appropriate roles, and is a catalyst to some major upheaval, unleashing suppressed rage and uncovering long held secrets.
There is a pile of sexual tension between the model and the vagabond. She has been raised in a white man's house, and he comes from an impoverished black town and has Opinions. They have a lot to discuss. Boy do they. The relationship starts in a place of violated trust (he was a burglar caught hiding in her house?!) and you know that things will never be unconflicted with two people with such personal strength and belligerence.
Under a (metaphorical) rock we find the (also, thankfully, metaphorical) cockroaches of mental illness, child abuse, fear, and bigotry. We discuss the prodigal son and his Anthropology, and white saviour support of Indigenous tribes-people, and are confronted with the conspicuous consumption of fashion as epitomised by a luxurious fur coat made of baby seal pelts.
I am perhaps, not entirely fair with this book. I am too accustomed to books that have a specific theology to sell; a point to make. Be they scientific tomes that explore an idea and come up with conclusions, or YA Fiction that picks a moral side, or has goodies and baddies, they all tend to have a conclusion, whereas this story is left up in the air. It deliberately asks more questions than it answers. While I admire it for that, I also didn't enjoy it as much as I could have, because most of the issues are not new to me, and in summary, it's all quite disheartening.
Driven deeply by dialogue and character interplay, I think that to get the most out of this book it probably shouldn't be a solo project. Toni Morrison expects you to do the leg work, and pits characters with their own background and motivations on opposing sides of conflict, where there is no winner. It would probably be a good book club read.
Set in Martinique, we hear the story of a young black model who is raised by her aunt and uncle when she is orphaned. The relatives are the home-help of a rich white man who bankrolls the girl's education, and he comes to settle in the Caribbean after his retirement, with his trophy wife and home-help in tow. This once candy magnate, is now estranged from his son, and preparations are made for a Christmas dinner which may yet see his son visit them.
Meanwhile, a young black man jumps ship and finds himself waterlogged and half starved outside their house. He starts hanging about and pilfering pantry items until he is discovered hiding in a wardrobe. Invited to stay in the house and given a makeover, he shakes the whole household's ideas of the appropriate roles, and is a catalyst to some major upheaval, unleashing suppressed rage and uncovering long held secrets.
There is a pile of sexual tension between the model and the vagabond. She has been raised in a white man's house, and he comes from an impoverished black town and has Opinions. They have a lot to discuss. Boy do they. The relationship starts in a place of violated trust (he was a burglar caught hiding in her house?!) and you know that things will never be unconflicted with two people with such personal strength and belligerence.
Under a (metaphorical) rock we find the (also, thankfully, metaphorical) cockroaches of mental illness, child abuse, fear, and bigotry. We discuss the prodigal son and his Anthropology, and white saviour support of Indigenous tribes-people, and are confronted with the conspicuous consumption of fashion as epitomised by a luxurious fur coat made of baby seal pelts.
I am perhaps, not entirely fair with this book. I am too accustomed to books that have a specific theology to sell; a point to make. Be they scientific tomes that explore an idea and come up with conclusions, or YA Fiction that picks a moral side, or has goodies and baddies, they all tend to have a conclusion, whereas this story is left up in the air. It deliberately asks more questions than it answers. While I admire it for that, I also didn't enjoy it as much as I could have, because most of the issues are not new to me, and in summary, it's all quite disheartening.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Blood, Stalking, Abortion, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Slavery and War
michaelion's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This is what those trendy bisexuals wish they mean when they say "he was written by a woman." Son is the only man this could ever apply to!!!
Something clicked for me as I was reading Song of Solomon, that I think really unlocked whatever was holding me back from fully understanding Ms. Morrison's books. Or maybe I just didn't like her first two, but something definitely clicked midway through the third. The same thing sparked again very early into this fourth book, and again I knew I'd love it! Ms. Morrison don't miss!!!
Spoilers for the end,I like that they didn't end up together, but only because I'm a sucker for people returning to their roots, especially so if the roots have something to do with nature.
Something clicked for me as I was reading Song of Solomon, that I think really unlocked whatever was holding me back from fully understanding Ms. Morrison's books. Or maybe I just didn't like her first two, but something definitely clicked midway through the third. The same thing sparked again very early into this fourth book, and again I knew I'd love it! Ms. Morrison don't miss!!!
Spoilers for the end,
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Grief, Death of parent, and Classism
Moderate: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Gaslighting, and Colonisation
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Rape, Transphobia, Stalking, and War
namizaela's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
"No man should live without absorbing the sins of his kind, the foul air of his innocence, even if it did wilt rows of angel trumpets and cause them to fall from their vines."
Reading Toni Morrison's writing is like indulging in a rich meal. She was a master of balancing plot, character, and symbolism. The beginning of this book was very slow and confusing, but from the middle to the end I was entranced by the tense situation she wrote for her characters, while also being in awe of the depth in her writing. In this book, Morrison portrays race and gender relations beautifully and with nuance, although she was not afraid to let her characters do low-down things. I loved this book, and if I had the time to analyze it all I would love it more.
Reading Toni Morrison's writing is like indulging in a rich meal. She was a master of balancing plot, character, and symbolism. The beginning of this book was very slow and confusing, but from the middle to the end I was entranced by the tense situation she wrote for her characters, while also being in awe of the depth in her writing. In this book, Morrison portrays race and gender relations beautifully and with nuance, although she was not afraid to let her characters do low-down things. I loved this book, and if I had the time to analyze it all I would love it more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, and Toxic relationship