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zotty's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Violence, and Death of parent
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
raenbow's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
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? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Rape
aliciawithoutkeys's review against another edition
challenging
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, and Racism
engelbrecht's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Racial slurs, and Racism
waybeyondblue's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Racial slurs, Slavery, and Sexual harassment
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
murakamimami's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Man vs. nature is the main theme. Toni Morrison is such a beautiful, descriptive writer. I’m glad the characters had important discussions about race and I’m glad that Son ran free.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs
Moderate: Child abuse, Murder, and Colonisation
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Domestic abuse
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