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kxiong5's review
5.0
holy shit. holy shit holy shit holy shit.
everyone needs to read this book, holy shit, it's terrifying and insane but JESUS CHRIST TONI MORRISON sdfjahkajf
everyone needs to read this book, holy shit, it's terrifying and insane but JESUS CHRIST TONI MORRISON sdfjahkajf
lydiature_'s review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
the writing was really good & the dialogue was on point.
unfortunately, i was kind of confused most of the time. i don’t know if this was done intentionally, but either way, i wasn’t fully able to immerse myself in the story. while i felt empathetic to heed and christine, i wasn’t able to connect with them personally because i was confused most of the time. i had no idea what was going on.
and then when some things kind of clicked, the writing style got very abstract and i lost track of what was happening. i had to look at summaries online to piece things together. only then, did things make some sense. only then, did the story become touching.
unfortunately, i was kind of confused most of the time. i don’t know if this was done intentionally, but either way, i wasn’t fully able to immerse myself in the story. while i felt empathetic to heed and christine, i wasn’t able to connect with them personally because i was confused most of the time. i had no idea what was going on.
and then when some things kind of clicked, the writing style got very abstract and i lost track of what was happening. i had to look at summaries online to piece things together. only then, did things make some sense. only then, did the story become touching.
soundslikeashley's review
4.0
I'm writing this right after finishing the book. There is so much in a Morrison tale that you have to sigh with relief and adoration afterward. I took so much away. I had to re-read sections throughout the book often to grasp the full meaning of them. Other sections I realized, I'll take away a meaning and someone else will take away something distinctly different but the narrative is as powerful as it is poignant.
I mourned a lot as I read - for what the characters in the story lost. And I found some semblance of warmth and happiness in Heed and Christine's tragic reconciliation. Their lost language that they found again. The sisterhood they reclaimed in something as small and intimate as their, "Hey, Celestial."
The topics/themes: pedophilia, rape, jealousy, family, Blackness, elitism, manhood, womanhood, motherhood, daughterhood, desire, hatred, apathy, fear, ostracizing, abandonment, abundance, lack, confusion, joy, ownership, longing, and Love... I haven't read a book that so carefully and honestly weaves humanity together as this one.
I'll chalk up the difficulty of reading it here and there to my stepping away from reading the greats for a time. If you're searching to stretch yourself and your understanding of the human experience, Morrison doesn't disappoint. She just doesn't. I could spend a year digging into this book and what it means and picking up the revelations it strategically leaves strewn in its wake.
I marked this book up with exclamation points, question marks, my thoughts, my questions. And there is a lot that feels elusive at first but if you stick with it, keep reading, ponder it, write down your thoughts and follow through, the culmination with make sense and it will satisfy.
That's the genius and honesty of Toni Morrison and I'll always be thankful for her.
I mourned a lot as I read - for what the characters in the story lost. And I found some semblance of warmth and happiness in Heed and Christine's tragic reconciliation. Their lost language that they found again. The sisterhood they reclaimed in something as small and intimate as their, "Hey, Celestial."
The topics/themes: pedophilia, rape, jealousy, family, Blackness, elitism, manhood, womanhood, motherhood, daughterhood, desire, hatred, apathy, fear, ostracizing, abandonment, abundance, lack, confusion, joy, ownership, longing, and Love... I haven't read a book that so carefully and honestly weaves humanity together as this one.
I'll chalk up the difficulty of reading it here and there to my stepping away from reading the greats for a time. If you're searching to stretch yourself and your understanding of the human experience, Morrison doesn't disappoint. She just doesn't. I could spend a year digging into this book and what it means and picking up the revelations it strategically leaves strewn in its wake.
I marked this book up with exclamation points, question marks, my thoughts, my questions. And there is a lot that feels elusive at first but if you stick with it, keep reading, ponder it, write down your thoughts and follow through, the culmination with make sense and it will satisfy.
That's the genius and honesty of Toni Morrison and I'll always be thankful for her.
sailorgold_'s review
3.0
i know objectively that this is a good book, but i don't think i'm a fan of Morrison. perhaps because i have only listened to her audiobooks. maybe i'll try to read a physical one someday.
alundeberg's review
4.0
The first half is long and confusing, but the second half brings everything together. As always, Morrison brings new perspectives about race and gender and reminds us that there are no neat and tidy answers. For anything. Ever.
kmkinas's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
brianareads's review
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
narpus's review
5.0
Oh boi, was I confused about this book until I looked up a character list. The ending hits hard and I'm continually enthralled by Morrison's beautiful poetics
katerinasiap's review
5.0
This is a plain story become unique because of how cleverly it is told. It is a story about friendship and hatred, with unlikable characters that turn out to be unfortunate, broken, robbed.
At the end, I was left pondering how disgracefully, how shamefully we waste our lives away, preferring self-blindness to essential and truthful communication. And this is not an easy issue to touch upon. This book was worth my every second though.
At the end, I was left pondering how disgracefully, how shamefully we waste our lives away, preferring self-blindness to essential and truthful communication. And this is not an easy issue to touch upon. This book was worth my every second though.