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mcrocus4's review against another edition
5.0
An excellent ghost story. A crash course in prose, poetry, and slave narratives. Teach this book. Read this book. Re-read this book.
katiebrodt's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.0
sgonk's review against another edition
5.0
An incredible Faulknerian novel with a fantastically told story, but one that feels more real than most "realistic" fiction.
chariot_choogle's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Slavery, and Torture
jdognimod's review against another edition
5.0
Rounding up a 4.5 ⭐ rating.
This one's a classic for good reason. Toni Morrison's prose is beautiful. I wish I stepped into the book that this was not exactly horror but drama with horror elements about the terrors of racism and slavery, and the aftermath. Nevertheless, it's a weighty reading experience that got me thinking.
This one's a classic for good reason. Toni Morrison's prose is beautiful. I wish I stepped into the book that this was not exactly horror but drama with horror elements about the terrors of racism and slavery, and the aftermath. Nevertheless, it's a weighty reading experience that got me thinking.
marci_purcell's review against another edition
5.0
This book is heart-wrencthing. The supernatural aspect is just an added element. The events that are "real" are the ones that make the impact of this book so forceful. Tony Morrison is an amazing writer!
trainisloud's review against another edition
5.0
Beautiful, tragically sad, the narrative and the story is disarming and disorienting.
mreiki's review against another edition
5.0
"It was the right thing to do. But she had no right to do it." (Toni Morrison)
It's been almost 7 years since I first read this book, which, in my opinion, is one of the most powerful contemporary American novels, and I still discover new things about it with every re-read.
The almost fluid way in which perspectives shift between the characters and the way in which past and present interweave make this book a demanding read, but also increase its impact as the reader gets to know these characters and their histories and begins to understand their actions in impossible situations.
I'm always deeply moved by this book and there are always passages that make me stop and just sit and think for a while.
It's been almost 7 years since I first read this book, which, in my opinion, is one of the most powerful contemporary American novels, and I still discover new things about it with every re-read.
Spoiler
Morrison here takes the story of Margaret Garner, who killed her daughter rather than have her taken back into slavery, and uses it to weave a story that is part slave narrative, part ghost story, and part historical novel and that explores the heartbreak of slavery and what it takes to build a self and a life in its aftermath.The almost fluid way in which perspectives shift between the characters and the way in which past and present interweave make this book a demanding read, but also increase its impact as the reader gets to know these characters and their histories and begins to understand their actions in impossible situations.
I'm always deeply moved by this book and there are always passages that make me stop and just sit and think for a while.