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adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
if there's one thing Toni Morrison knows how to do, it's hook you with the first paragraph of her book. the opening of Tar Baby feels like a mystery/thriller, and reminded me so much of the opening to Paradise with the way it drops the reader right into the tension of the story. there is truly so much going on in this book—as there are in all Morrison books—that some major plot points somehow become B plots (e.g. the relationship between Ondine and Margaret—which I would have loved to explore more). but it's a struggle to really grasp the central issue of the novel: nature vs. civilization? gender equity? colorism? the ways that oppressed people can and do oppress others? colonialism? the insufferability of valerian street??? the answer is yes to all of the above. I know that I'll love revisiting all of Morisson's novels for years to come and I am excited to see what I get out of this story the next time I read it.