A review by magicalsocks
Tar Baby by Toni Morrison
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: Physical abuse, Child abuse, and Death
Moderate: Racism, Sexual content, Racial slurs, Infidelity, and Slavery