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Women's Fiction

Song of Solomon

Song of Solomon

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Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Read atleast once, maybe not twice
Review: I finished this book in less than two weeks which is a great compliment to the author. I found the beginning very captivating and swift moving. The charachters were introduced in an intriguing fashion and in the beginning I really wanted to learn more about their lives. In the middle of the book I stopped caring about ALL of their thoughts and activities and found myself begging for the ending. I cared enough to stay on board, but I wanted desperately to get through the home movies of each charachters present thoughts. The ending chapters, atleast 1/3 of the book brought my interest back. I read these pages in one sitting. In many of the reviews I read that many were surprised at the ending. I was not taken by surprise in the end and after hanging in there through the slow moving middle chapters, I was glad it ended the way it did. The charachters that remain have enough intrigue for a second story, the charachters that lost thier lives might have been gone 100 pages earlier without monumental consequences to the remaining charachters. I would read this book once and might recommend it to the avid reader, but I definately would not read this twice.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Slow at first plot? then picked up
Review: There was no plot at the beggining of this book and I found it quite boring. However as the book proceeded it got more and more interesting as questions were answered. However(again) I hated the character of Pilote she was too phony

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Dense and slow going
Review: I read this book for the book club discussion group. It is dense and slow reading. I felt like I had 1000 pages read by the end. The end is so wierd, but then all of Morrison's novels are out of the ordinary, odd, and dark. I did get a smile from the author's insight into what happens to a black woman's ( or anyone's, I'm sure ) zest for working class jobs once she earns a Liberal Arts degree. ha ha

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Chapter 9
Review: While not (for me) as cohesive or rhapsodic a masterpiece as the brilliant "Beloved," Toni Morrison still writes better than ten of the best authors out there put together. And Chapter 9 alone is simply stunning. If you aren't familiar with Morrison, this is perhaps not the best introduction. For those who know her work, it's essential reading.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: 'Song' Lyricism
Review: If you are a fan of Toni Morrison, this is your definitive book. Otherwise, you may be turned off by its broken time and biblical allusions. Either way, do not worry, for everyone can learn to appreciate Morrison's masterpiece of lyrical prose. This novel entails Milkman's journey from fractured family pride to a greedy hunt for hidden gold. Its opening may seem mysterious and inscrutable, but if the reader continues his pursuit he will find a great payoff. Morrison's works require close reading and a fair memory. I recommend reading as much as possible of her books in one sitting and while clear- and open-minded. One of the joys of taking in her poetic words lies in the shaping of the works' characters. In 'Song of Solomon,' we watch Milkman from his very infancy, learn the origins of his nickname, and are forced to wonder what has happened to him in the end. Morrison chronicles his troubled family's history, once again even delving into how the family mistakenly acquired their last name: 'Dead.' My only words of encouragement: stay focused and pay attention and appreciate what Toni Morrison does for American literature with each of her creations and the boundless effects of their words.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: I hate to give it just four stars but...
Review: Song of Solomon fascinated me from the first page, but unfortunately my interest dropped off as it progressed. Loved the characterizations, and I am a fan of this author. In some ways, she can do no wrong because her worst book is not even most writers' best.

My favorites of hers are The Bluest Eye and Beloved. The suspense and depth of both of these books were sustained right to the finish. They were, frankly, epic novels, and each of Morrison's books is very, very different from the others...talk about a great writer!

However,Song of Solomon, I felt, deteriorated because it became too DIDACTIC. I like my fictional politics acted out; this book began to feel preachy. As a Jewish woman, I can understand why African American readers could be thrilled by this. We (African Americans, Jews, women) need outspoken champions of our struggles, and as a woman and a Jewish person I am always cheered at courageously radical protest that encompasses my personal/political concerns. However, GREAT (read: lasting) fiction generally does not do this. It subverts through action and seduction. If it's too blatant, it becomes more of a political tract than a novel, and often doesn't pass the test of time. (It's as if Morrison stopped writing the novel's story for a section of it in order to insert specific political ideas she wanted to make sure she got across.)

However, if you had to choose between Danielle Steele or any Tony Morrison book, I would exhort you to choose the latter. You will learn about life, love, racism, and, finally, good writing.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: MY FAVORITE
Review: By far Morrison's most compelling novel, "Song of Solomon" has been a favorite read of mine since I first encountered it in the '80s. Excuse my bias, she is my favorite author! A must read for anyone who has a need for family ties and bonds.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: ~~A LITERARY MASTERPIECE~~
Review: ReadingToni Morrison's Song of Solomon as a young, African-American female in this decade gave me a deeper connection with my African heritage. Telling the story of a young black man, belonging to the wealthiest black family in town, Song of Solomon exhibited a level of literature that only a genius would be able to put on paper. Ms. Morrison used her words in such a way that the reader could vividly picture the scene and character in script in their mind. An in tricate web of fear, love, hate, and epiphany describes this work of literature as a whole. In my own opinion, Song of Solomon is "a literary masterpiece" and i suggest that it every African-American who likes to pick up a good book that'll keep them thinking and talking about for years to come to read it... and add it to their library.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: good grief, i don't know where to stand
Review: everybody seems to either love this book madly or hate it passionately (which i think reflects well on the quality of the book). i had to read Song of Solomon, like many others, for AP English, and wasn't too impressed (except with the ending, which left me with my mouth hanging open- that was the one thing i expected not to happen) at first. After a second read i realised how well the symbols were drawn through the story, and, although some characters were pathetic, others were magnificent. However, i can understand how someone could dislike it...Milkman never really "grows up" and that Seven Days thing just left me cold. this isn't a book about love, nor is it, necessarily, a coming-of-age novel. at best it is an conglomeration of everything that is human, with the black community and folklore as a backdrop.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Toni Morrison is simply unparalled in modern literature
Review: If you only read books because Oprah tells you to, Song of Solomon is not for you. It takes a true reader to appreciate the complexities of this novel. If you are willing to think, then this novel will be a joy for you. I read everything that I can get my hands on but this is simply the best novel that I have ever read.


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