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A review by mariahistryingtoread
Home by Toni Morrison
2.0
I finished this a couple months ago, but I needed time to process exactly how I felt about this book. And then I got lazy and king of forgot about it. Either way I certainly had time to think on it.
Frank is a veteran from the Korean War. He's haunted by his memories of the war, and is unable to move on despite how much he tries to ignore it. When he gets word that his sister is in trouble he has to set aside his trauma to return to a place he never thought he'd see again; home.
In typical Toni Morrison fashion it was primarily concerned with evocation rather than more direct prose. It's her style so I can't really complain. But, my enjoyment of this book was hindered by it in this case. I read this thinking it would be more akin to Beloved - an exploration of characters with events interwoven throughout. Instead, this was mostly just Frank's thought process as he undertakes a journey. The plot which is what made me pick up the book in the first place was secondary. It made the outcome feel anticlimactic. I get that that's kind of Morrison's MO, but it felt tired with this one.
I thought there would be more about Cee's problems at home to parallel Frank's inability to force himself back. Or about the medical experimentation she was forced to go through. Overall, to me it lacked her perspective or at least a general perspective on her situation. It didn't have to follow Cee necessarily, but a discussion with Frank or another female character to expand on her circumstances would have made this a lot more engrossing. It sort of felt like Cee existed as a catalyst for Frank's growth and nothing more. After Cee's POV was introduced I thought it would be more balanced.
I also was kind of bored with Frank's experiences. At this point PTSD is pretty well documented and I'm aware generally with how it affects people. There wasn't anything special about Frank or what he went through to make this stand out. It was written in the standard Toni Morrison way, Frank had the usual 'people aren't all that they seem' Toni Morrison backstory and it was rife with interesting but ultimately unnecessary symbolism. It just felt predictable and stale.
If you haven't read any other of Morrison's books or you are in love with her approach then go for it. It's not a bad book, but it's not for me and I don't think it's particularly good objectively either. Especially compared to her other works.
Frank is a veteran from the Korean War. He's haunted by his memories of the war, and is unable to move on despite how much he tries to ignore it. When he gets word that his sister is in trouble he has to set aside his trauma to return to a place he never thought he'd see again; home.
In typical Toni Morrison fashion it was primarily concerned with evocation rather than more direct prose. It's her style so I can't really complain. But, my enjoyment of this book was hindered by it in this case. I read this thinking it would be more akin to Beloved - an exploration of characters with events interwoven throughout. Instead, this was mostly just Frank's thought process as he undertakes a journey. The plot which is what made me pick up the book in the first place was secondary. It made the outcome feel anticlimactic. I get that that's kind of Morrison's MO, but it felt tired with this one.
I thought there would be more about Cee's problems at home to parallel Frank's inability to force himself back. Or about the medical experimentation she was forced to go through. Overall, to me it lacked her perspective or at least a general perspective on her situation. It didn't have to follow Cee necessarily, but a discussion with Frank or another female character to expand on her circumstances would have made this a lot more engrossing. It sort of felt like Cee existed as a catalyst for Frank's growth and nothing more. After Cee's POV was introduced I thought it would be more balanced.
I also was kind of bored with Frank's experiences. At this point PTSD is pretty well documented and I'm aware generally with how it affects people. There wasn't anything special about Frank or what he went through to make this stand out. It was written in the standard Toni Morrison way, Frank had the usual 'people aren't all that they seem' Toni Morrison backstory and it was rife with interesting but ultimately unnecessary symbolism. It just felt predictable and stale.
If you haven't read any other of Morrison's books or you are in love with her approach then go for it. It's not a bad book, but it's not for me and I don't think it's particularly good objectively either. Especially compared to her other works.