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A review by willowbiblio
Paradise by Toni Morrison
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
"A backward noplace ruled by men whose power to control was out of control and who had the nerve to say who could live and who could not and where; who had seen in lively, free, unarmed females the mutiny of mares and so got rid of them."
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About 5 pages into this I was reminded of why Toni Morrison is one of my favorite authors of all time. Her use of themes is so clearly intentional and wonderfully worked throughout. The way disparate narratives and lives are weaved together seamlessly into a cohesive main plot was stunning. The reverberations of all actions and relationships was well executed.
I loved how women chose to stay at the Convent after experiencing nourishment- written as eating- but really was the first time they had actually been taken care of free to be. It was almost an inevitability that they would stay.
As I read, I was continually reminded of Ibn Khaldun's philosophy of asabiyyah- the theory of the rise and fall of civilizations in 3 generations. How each generation viewed the other generations in Ruby echoed this theory almost to a T, and the society ultimately began its decline- shown through the crumbling of both relationships and the Oven, just as in the theory.
Connie's hatred of the women in the house was completely unexpected, as was her tie to the Morgans. The women dancing in the rain was a kind of baptism and cleansing, and I found it beautiful. I really loved the shifting timeline and Toni's approach to low/no context writing. Toni handled extremely sensitive topics like domestic violence and rape so respectfully.
I thought it was interesting how each woman's story began as "she", and as they got closer to arrival to the Convent their names and selves became more fully formed for the reader, almost like it was causative. Overall just an incredible book that gave so much.
----------
About 5 pages into this I was reminded of why Toni Morrison is one of my favorite authors of all time. Her use of themes is so clearly intentional and wonderfully worked throughout. The way disparate narratives and lives are weaved together seamlessly into a cohesive main plot was stunning. The reverberations of all actions and relationships was well executed.
As I read, I was continually reminded of Ibn Khaldun's philosophy of asabiyyah- the theory of the rise and fall of civilizations in 3 generations. How each generation viewed the other generations in Ruby echoed this theory almost to a T, and the society ultimately began its decline- shown through the crumbling of both relationships and the Oven, just as in the theory.
Connie's hatred of the women in the house was completely unexpected, as was her tie to the Morgans. The women dancing in the rain was a kind of baptism and cleansing, and I found it beautiful. I really loved the shifting timeline and Toni's approach to low/no context writing. Toni handled extremely sensitive topics like domestic violence and rape so respectfully.
I thought it was interesting how each woman's story began as "she", and as they got closer to arrival to the Convent their names and selves became more fully formed for the reader, almost like it was causative. Overall just an incredible book that gave so much.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Rape
Minor: Misogyny