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froon's review against another edition
4.5
you know when a book is so well-written that it makes you want to write again? that’s how i feel reading jazz. morrison is so skilled at capturing emotion in such economical lines. they are quick bursts of brilliance, frequent and breathtaking.
the story itself was also engaging. i LOVED! violet’s character so much, especially her relationship with alice manfred. i could’ve read a whole book about just the two of them⏤which makes me think i need to reread sula soon.
the standout moments were the point of view shifts—violet, joe, and felice were amazing. however, the reason i’m giving this four stars instead of five is because there were moments that dragged a bit for me (sorry golden gray…). i didn’t find myself engaged through all the chapters, especially when we deviated from the main characters of the story.
one last shoutout goes to the exploration of parenthood. it was the strongest theme for me (even stronger than love) and was so resonate and complex without being heavy handed.
overall, i went in knowing i would love this. and, surprise, i loved it. thank you, toni morrison, for reminding me why i was an english major.
the story itself was also engaging. i LOVED! violet’s character so much, especially her relationship with alice manfred. i could’ve read a whole book about just the two of them⏤which makes me think i need to reread sula soon.
the standout moments were the point of view shifts—violet, joe, and felice were amazing. however, the reason i’m giving this four stars instead of five is because there were moments that dragged a bit for me (sorry golden gray…). i didn’t find myself engaged through all the chapters, especially when we deviated from the main characters of the story.
one last shoutout goes to the exploration of parenthood. it was the strongest theme for me (even stronger than love) and was so resonate and complex without being heavy handed.
overall, i went in knowing i would love this. and, surprise, i loved it. thank you, toni morrison, for reminding me why i was an english major.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Miscarriage
berthe's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
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? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Gun violence, Miscarriage, and Violence
Moderate: Infidelity
Minor: Miscarriage
rzh's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
amazing stuff!!! and hearing it read by the author and interspersed with jazz music interludes was a real treat !!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Gun violence
Minor: Miscarriage
michaelion's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
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
3.0
well. they can't all be hits.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gun violence, Infidelity, and Murder
Moderate: Stalking, Slavery, Violence, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, and Racism
Minor: Miscarriage, Abandonment, and War
stfrancisjude's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
3.5
beautiful descriptions of the city, and parties in the city. touching explorations of character and relationships, and the complexity of it all. some denser, less interesting sections but overall i got quite a lot out of it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Slavery, Adult/minor relationship, Racism, Racial slurs, Gun violence, and Murder
Minor: Miscarriage
mysimas's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
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
4.5
Couldn’t finish the book on my first try; I just wasn’t in the mood for something as depressing.
It’s a beauty, though, and I’m glad to have come back. I’m not quite sure what to make of her yet — it unsettles me that she almost makes me forgive characters the unforgiveable. But maybe that’s the point, maybe people do bad things because they’re pushed to them by their circumstances and it takes a lot of work and willpower on their part not to give in — and sometimes they slip, and other times they don’t, and you can feel for them or disapprove of their shortcomings but once you try on their shoes, even if just for a moment, you can’t really go back.
It’s a beauty, though, and I’m glad to have come back. I’m not quite sure what to make of her yet — it unsettles me that she almost makes me forgive characters the unforgiveable. But maybe that’s the point, maybe people do bad things because they’re pushed to them by their circumstances and it takes a lot of work and willpower on their part not to give in — and sometimes they slip, and other times they don’t, and you can feel for them or disapprove of their shortcomings but once you try on their shoes, even if just for a moment, you can’t really go back.
I was so sure it would happen. That the past was an abused record with no choice but to repeat itself at the crack and no power on earth could lift the arm that held the needle. I was so sure, and they danced and walked all over me. Busy, they were, busy being original, complicated, changeable—human, I guess you’d say, while I was the predictable one, confused in my solitude into arrogance, thinking my space, my view was the only one that was or that mattered.
I still don’t know who, or what, the narrator is. I think Morrison tells us right at the end, but I’m still not sure.
The only thing I do know for certain is that there’s a lot of good going on among the grim. It’s no coincidence the story, chronologically, starts in the autumn and ends in the spring. It’s terrible in many parts but also, strangely, cleansing, like cleaning a wound of pus. And screwed up as the relationships in this book are, there are also heartfelt scenes that would’ve shone in a good romance book.
Recommended.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Infidelity, Racism, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Violence, Murder, Animal death, and Death of parent
Minor: Gun violence, Miscarriage, Slavery, and Suicide
I’m not sure how old Dorcas was when she started her relationship with Joe — I think she was 18. Technically, their relationship wasn’t one of a minor and an adult then; but it sure read like one. It was her first relationship and Joe was 50 for crying out loud.infantcrayon's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Murder, and Racism
Minor: Miscarriage
deedireads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
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
4.5
“Daylight slants like a razor cutting the buildings in half. In the top half I see looking faces and it’s not easy to tell which are people, which the work of stonemasons. Below is shadow where any blasé thing takes place: clarinets and lovemaking, fists and the voices of sorrowful women. A city like this one makes me dream tall and feel in on things.”
It’s hard to give my thoughts on a Toni Morrison novel and feel like I have anything to say that hasn’t been said a hundred times before. I still find it difficult to believe that she was a real person who was literally, truly just this talented. Where does that come from? How does that happen?
Jazz wasn’t my favorite of her novels so far, but I did still enjoy it. Written not just to mimic jazz music but to embody it, Jazz is a novel mainly about three characters: Violet, her husband Joe, and the young girl named Dorcas whom Joe has an affair with. The story begins on the day of Dorcas’s funeral — Joe shot and killed her rather than lose her to disinterest. Violet shows up at the funeral to cut the dead girl’s face. From there, we sweep backward and forward in time to learn about not only these characters, but those who raised them and those around them. And of course, the prose is exquisite.
It did take me quite a few weeks to read this one, because I had a really really busy few weeks at work, and it requires a bit more mental energy than I had to give. It’s not linear or straightforward; the narrative darts and sweeps and circles. Also, I’ve gotten used to listening along with Toni’s novels — she narrates her own audiobooks. But I was devastated to learn that the only audiobook version of this book is abridged. WHO ABRIDGES TONI MORRISON? WHY? (Especially the one meant to embody jazz music??) So obviously I opted to read without audio so I could experience the whole novel — but I really missed her voice in my ear. But at the end of the day, I ended the book in awe once again.
Onward in my Morrison journey — next up is Paradise!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Miscarriage
lilacteaandbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Violence, and Miscarriage
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