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4.2 AVERAGE
4.2 AVERAGE
This is my second time reading this book and I still don’t understand what’s going on. Too many names/nicknames, backstories, etc. made it very difficult to follow. I’m so lost and it frustrates me and makes me sad. After finishing, I googled a detailed synopsis—while reading it, I understood much more. I was more lost in the story than I even realized.
I know Morrison is amazing and I really want to enjoy her writings but somehow this book is just over my head. Am I dumb???
———
I'm determined to understand this story, so I gave it a third try. I finally understood MUCH more than on my first two attempts, but only because of my reading of the synopsis online after the second attempt. Understanding (more, but not entirely) the story certainly gives me a sense of accomplishment, but leaves me wondering if I even enjoyed this book. It was a challenge. I'm not sure I could enjoy it since I had to work so hard. So I'm unsettled.
Thoughts:
—Do I commend Morrison for making such a difficult to understand book? Or should an author write more understandably? Or, I'm still wondering, am I simply dumb?
—HIGHLY do NOT recommend listening to this on audiobook; it made it much, much more difficult to follow along because names and storylines are difficult to catch
—Morrison used too many pronouns, causing me to wonder who was talking/being talked about through much of the book
I know Morrison is amazing and I really want to enjoy her writings but somehow this book is just over my head. Am I dumb???
———
I'm determined to understand this story, so I gave it a third try. I finally understood MUCH more than on my first two attempts, but only because of my reading of the synopsis online after the second attempt. Understanding (more, but not entirely) the story certainly gives me a sense of accomplishment, but leaves me wondering if I even enjoyed this book. It was a challenge. I'm not sure I could enjoy it since I had to work so hard. So I'm unsettled.
Thoughts:
—Do I commend Morrison for making such a difficult to understand book? Or should an author write more understandably? Or, I'm still wondering, am I simply dumb?
—HIGHLY do NOT recommend listening to this on audiobook; it made it much, much more difficult to follow along because names and storylines are difficult to catch
—Morrison used too many pronouns, causing me to wonder who was talking/being talked about through much of the book
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Death of parent, Murder
Minor: Slavery, Suicide, Abortion
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I didn’t enjoy this as much as I did Sula or Jazz so this will be rated lower for me. I just didnt understand the reasons why certain things happened? Like one of the characters hooked up with his cousin and for why? Why didnt the parents stop Haggars obsession with Milkman? But all this aside there were many things I got from this book, the legacy of slavery, religion, and family. There were interesting dialogue surrounding Black women and Romance. Did some research and seems she wrote this for Black men and understanding how Black men are struggling in white America. I understand what she is trying to do and her drawing on Yoruba folktale of people who can fly but I did not enjoy it.
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I can't even begin to describe how fantastic this book is; I've tried multiple times. Just read it and see for yourself.
One of the best things I've ever read.
One of the best things I've ever read.
Tears streamed down his face and he cradled the barrel of the shotgun in his arms as though it were the woman he had been begging for, searching for, all his life. "Gimme hate, Lord," he whimpered. "I'll take hate any day . But don't give me love. I can't take no more love, Lord. I can't carry it. It's too heavy.
"You stupid, man. Real stupid. Ain't no law for no colored man except the one sends him to the chair," said Guitar.
"They say Till had a knife," Freddie said.
"They always say that. He could of had a was of Hubble gum, they'd swear it was a hand grenade."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Incest, Violence
Moderate: Misogyny, Abortion
I had to digest this book a couple of weeks after I finished it to formulate my thoughts. The life story, and the ancestral history, of Macon Dead III enthralled me to the point of reading while I had other responsibilities. The first half of the book paints the world of Michigan during the early to mid 1900s. For readers who love to dive into character portraits and explore the nuances of their psychology, there is a lot to feast on here. Add in Toni Morrison's metaphors and vivid text, there is so much narrative depth every sentence propels the story forwards or adds to the reader's understanding of the character. This slow-burn setup pays off in the second half of the book, as Milkman is a wholly different person by the end of the book than he is by the end of the first section. A reread will only uncover more connections and foreshadowing not previously picked on.
It's worth mentioning that the cast of characters surrounding Milkman are just as fascinating if not more so than the protagonist himself. The reader sees his relationship with both of parents change as he uncovers their complicated past, told through their own perspective where they themselves as sympathetic hurt victims of their spouse's transgressions. His relationship with his aunt Pilate, who sets off the backdrop of the quest for Milkman's identity, as well as leads the way in what it means to learn of your familial identity. And Guitar, whose conversations about lynchings of Black people in America and racial injustices through out the years hints at the cracks that begin to deepen.
The second part of the novel sees a lot more movement across the country as Milkman begins his journey of discovering the stories of family's past. The tempo of the book starts picking up, and from there it is one fast ride towards the final pages of the book where Milkman completes the transformation he unknowingly needed from the very beginning of the novel. Everything from betrayal, self-actualization, greed, justice, familial and generational trauma, all these themes build and come together to a single climatic moment at the very end.
An absolute must read.
It's worth mentioning that the cast of characters surrounding Milkman are just as fascinating if not more so than the protagonist himself. The reader sees his relationship with both of parents change as he uncovers their complicated past, told through their own perspective where they themselves as sympathetic hurt victims of their spouse's transgressions. His relationship with his aunt Pilate, who sets off the backdrop of the quest for Milkman's identity, as well as leads the way in what it means to learn of your familial identity. And Guitar, whose conversations about lynchings of Black people in America and racial injustices through out the years hints at the cracks that begin to deepen.
The second part of the novel sees a lot more movement across the country as Milkman begins his journey of discovering the stories of family's past. The tempo of the book starts picking up, and from there it is one fast ride towards the final pages of the book where Milkman completes the transformation he unknowingly needed from the very beginning of the novel. Everything from betrayal, self-actualization, greed, justice, familial and generational trauma, all these themes build and come together to a single climatic moment at the very end.
An absolute must read.
Read and enjoyed on a friend’s recommendation. Definitely a strong novel, and interesting in comparison to Beloved