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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
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
this was such an annoying read (because it’s written in such a complicated manner) but by the end i loved it. this is the kind of book you want to discuss in class. the kind of writing you hate but gives you so much to digest. i loved it.
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
It feels wrong to give this anything less than a 4.25 because it is beautiful and intricate, but I can’t say I really enjoyed it? But the atmosphere Morrison’s poetry creates truly does stand alone.
A masterpiece in world-building!
From the first page, Toni Morrison slowly builds up the book until it comes full circle and ends where it all begins. Little by little, we start understanding the people behind the actions and see what drives them. There are some transgressions into the territory of magical realism, especially more towards the end. This takes it a little away from the very groundedness of the book, but this is a slight offense that is easily forgotten when pouring over the beautifully written text.
I'd been afraid to pick Toni Morrison up before this. I've always heard so much about how great she is, that I felt like I would only be disappointed. There was also this fear that I might feel excluded from her narrative which often centers on racial tensions or find that I'd find it all too dense. But her writing manages to transcend specifics even while mentioning events that specifically happened in America.
The way the characters and the environment they reside in is approached makes it universally relatable. She really excels at this specifically. The way the novel is structured also adds to this. Often times I've seen this kind of innovative structuring is just stylistic choice and doesn't add to the narrative. It even detracts from it sometimes. (David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas comes to mind. I never could understand his motives for breaking up the narratives the way he had and found it very distracting). But Morrison here, ties it all together so well that the book feels like a lesson on how to write while being a great novel at the same time. The narrative jumps are not jarring at all and seamlessly blend together and emerge as a single strong voice of the book.
The book and the characters have a very lived-in feel to them too. These are people you've come across, people you know and perhaps are. She goes into almost a deep dive on the people's motivation and this happens very subtly. The only place this becomes obvious is when the town's schoolteacher's notes on the town's people are shared directly. Everywhere else the subtext is ingrained in the text and adds to the texture of the novel.
Overall it feels very exciting to have "discovered" Morrison and I am looking forward to more from her!
From the first page, Toni Morrison slowly builds up the book until it comes full circle and ends where it all begins. Little by little, we start understanding the people behind the actions and see what drives them. There are some transgressions into the territory of magical realism, especially more towards the end. This takes it a little away from the very groundedness of the book, but this is a slight offense that is easily forgotten when pouring over the beautifully written text.
I'd been afraid to pick Toni Morrison up before this. I've always heard so much about how great she is, that I felt like I would only be disappointed. There was also this fear that I might feel excluded from her narrative which often centers on racial tensions or find that I'd find it all too dense. But her writing manages to transcend specifics even while mentioning events that specifically happened in America.
The way the characters and the environment they reside in is approached makes it universally relatable. She really excels at this specifically. The way the novel is structured also adds to this. Often times I've seen this kind of innovative structuring is just stylistic choice and doesn't add to the narrative. It even detracts from it sometimes. (David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas comes to mind. I never could understand his motives for breaking up the narratives the way he had and found it very distracting). But Morrison here, ties it all together so well that the book feels like a lesson on how to write while being a great novel at the same time. The narrative jumps are not jarring at all and seamlessly blend together and emerge as a single strong voice of the book.
The book and the characters have a very lived-in feel to them too. These are people you've come across, people you know and perhaps are. She goes into almost a deep dive on the people's motivation and this happens very subtly. The only place this becomes obvious is when the town's schoolteacher's notes on the town's people are shared directly. Everywhere else the subtext is ingrained in the text and adds to the texture of the novel.
Overall it feels very exciting to have "discovered" Morrison and I am looking forward to more from her!
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I liked this book second best in the series. It was very well written. Toni Morrison has a great sense of story telling. Beloved is still my favorite in the series however
Somewhat weird, somewhat creepy, a mansion located near a town called Ruby, that is occupied by a group of women who are different but to some men living in Ruby appear to be a threat to them. I found it so strange I wanted to just dnf it but kept putting it down and picking it up again. Without a doubt the author writes a very creative and enthralling work of literature. Strange as it is I ended up for the most part thinking it a well written story.
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
medium-paced
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes