Reviews

Recitatif by Toni Morrison

sharu901's review

inspiring mysterious medium-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? Yes

4.0

audreychiao's review

5.0

5 stars. This book is brilliant. I listened to the audiobook in one sitting.

greenbeanbaby's review

5.0

Probably one of my top 5 favorite books of all time… a must read for everyone and worth much self reflection… how often do we rely on race to determine how we will act or react to someone before we are comfortable around them? Especially as a Latina (minority) , this is usually done out of survival… and yet, there is always someone, some class, some group “lower” and considered a nobody, making us a somebody… utterly profound book that really speaks volumes on race, humanity, and friendship, and the struggles.

susieq_falalala's review

challenging emotional relaxing fast-paced

lulutalia's review against another edition

reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

4.5

readwithdesiree's review against another edition

4.5

I just needed a short read after taking nearly a month to finish my last book. And wow, what a choice!

The racial ambiguity of Toni Morrison’s characters in Recitatif really brings the reader’s prejudices to the forefront, centering introspection and self reflection while also highlighting the difficulty in reexamining uncomfortable shared experiences.

As many before me have suggested, in order to get the full experience of this short story, I highly recommend reading Recitatif before reading Zadie Smith’s in-depth introduction.

kjboldon's review against another edition

challenging mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Morrison's only short story is so layered that it takes Zadie Smith the same number of pages to unpack it. Read the Introduction as an Afterward if you don't want the story spoiled.

ameslikesreading's review against another edition

emotional reflective fast-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

3.75

lemon_drop's review against another edition

mysterious reflective 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? No

4.0

kiki_13's review

challenging reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0