Reviews with content warning for Rape - Tar Baby

Reviews tagging 'Rape'

Tar Baby by Toni Morrison

9 reviews

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.

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readingwithgoose's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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suchsweetsorrow89's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This is my second Toni Morrison read and I cannot say I am disappointed! The other reviewers are right, this is something of a "love" story, but in a very traditional Morrison style. She asks us many questions and spans through many topics, not at the least confined to Black masculinity and femininity, love and relationships, nature versus the patriarchal domination of such, civility and order, and a kind of eerie transcendentalism (that somehow seems more realistic than that of Thoreau and Emerson). One of the things most shocking about this book is her depictions of abuse and violence, which definitely slows down the pacing of the book and merits a lot of praise. There are also some great lines in there such as "at some point in life, the world's beauty becomes enough," though it takes a bit to get there. The only critique I have seen regarding this text is one that is a staple in Morrison's texts: just when you think the book should end, she somehow manages to add another 50 pages of thoughts, feelings, and emotions (which often either circles back to the beginning of the book or merely seems to weave in something of her own thoughts). And with the other reviewers, that is also my critique of this book.

All in all, it is a wonderful book (though not my favorite of hers), and a part of me cannot wait to read and read it again!

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wellreadandhalfdead's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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nadia's review against another edition

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challenging emotional slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

A really solid read! I didn't know anything about Tar Baby going in, avoiding the blurb on the TSG page and the back of my book, and found myself quickly immersed, with the characters coming to life. As always when I get back to Morrison I'm like: "okkkkkurrr, now this is writing. Wow."

I didn't fully get the significance of everything, especially some of the more magical realism elements (I think that's what you'd call them), including the ending, but I was able to mostly follow everything and appreciated all of the main themes of the book.

I think my current Toni Morrison ranking is:

1. Song of Solomon
2. Sula
3. Tar Baby
4. The Bluest Eye

My Beloved reread — the only Morrison I'd read before starting this chronological read — is next!

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lilaceous's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

characters - ⭐️

plot - ⭐️

engaging to read - ⭐️

would recommend - ⭐️

would read again - ⭐️

so good.

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raenbow's review against another edition

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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

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michaelion's review against another edition

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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.

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mmatti300's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

In the beginning of Tar Baby, I was shocked by how uninterested I was and was thinking this would be my least favorite Toni Morrison yet. And yet, I kept going because I am in love with Toni Morrison and am on a mission to read every one of her works. (I mention this to note that I am incredibly biased towards loving this story). I thought it was going to be below Jazz in my rankings of the four I've read so far. But somewhere near the halfway point, I became entranced. I began to gel with Jadine, sympathize and root for Sydney and Odine. I almost cried over Valerian? I was confused by Son and wanted to love him, while also wanting to hate him. I felt the class consciousness that Toni knows and imbues in her work so well come through the surface. Basically, this is probably my second favorite Toni Morrison, right behind Sula and shockingly above Beloved(in the moment, by tomorrow I may not be feeling that way). So, for what it's worth, I loved it, I think it's worth sticking around for. I also think that this was one in which Morrison really explored the dynamics between Black and white people in a way that Jazz, Sula, and Beloved (the other three I've read) don't (while also exploring deeper Black relationships and dynamics). This one also didn't have Morrison's iconic birthing scenes or as much body horror as her others so it's a little more of an actual literary fiction in my opinion.

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