Rating: 
Summary: You can't judge a book by it's surface context
Review: What can I say? The start of this book was very bizarre. Being a teenager I felt insecure reading some of the dirty parts. I discovered as I went on though, that Toni Morrison has an uncanny ability to describe things exactly as they are with brilliant metaphors and a plethora of fascinating word choices. It is evident that many of the sexual scenes and instances of vulgar language do little to advance the plot, but lying closly underneath is a magnificent observance of the human relationship and how it differs from family to family. Enjoy this book, and never read it for face value!
Rating: 
Summary: Beautifully written story of finding your passion...
Review: It's about a black family who lived in the North but came from the South, about finding your "people" and finding yourself, about ghosts (real ghosts and just those things that haunt you), believing in yourself and having nothing to believe in... misunderstandings, suicide, righteousness, denial, deadness, incest, murder, passion, secrets, theft, grief, greed, sex, pain...I "wrote" reviews in my mind last night, while I was tossing and turning... Of course, they sounded brilliant to me at 3:30 in the morning... The story is warm, familiar, like the blood that courses inside you... mesmerizing, like eyes of a serpent, poised and ready to strike... haunting, like the ghosts that inhabit its pages... revealing, like seeing your own reflection in the blade of the knife at your throat. Like the stone rolled away to expose the blackness within, the story and its telling pick up momentum and come crashing toward conclusion.
Rating:
Summary: Great First Impression
Review: I have to agree with some of the other reviews, this book IS weird. I thoroughly enjoyed it though. It was a slow beginning, but the last 100 pages got intense and I couldn't put the book down. It was deep and got your brain juices flowing. For someone that has been out of college for 5 years it was refreshing to read a book that actually required me to think. This was my first Toni Morrison novel, and I guarantee you it is not my last. I have Beloved waiting for me on my bookshelf.
Rating: 
Summary: I didn't get it.
Review: This book IS crazy. I had hoped to use Oprah's book club to get into reading. I read "Song of Solomon" and tried another one of her suggestions, but they were just too wierd. I have always read for the enjoyment of it. I don't want to have to analyze a book to try to figure out the underlying meaning. I figure if an author has anything worth saying, they should just spit it out, don't hide it in symbolism and expect people to interpret it the way you intend. I thought I understood this one until I got to the end, but it was beyond me.
Rating: 
Summary: what's the point?
Review: Toni Morrison's book, which was a mandatory read for my college English class, is a total piece of nothing. She tries to make points, to much avail, and feels the need to throw in unecesaary language every few words. Her name association game is ridiculous. I couldn't count how many times she contradicted herself in her writing. I wouldn't recommend this book to my worst enemy. I would give it zero stars, but unfortunately, that is not a choice. If you read this book, at the end, not only will you have wasted a lot of time, but you'll be asking yourself, "What's the point?"
Rating: 
Summary: History vs. Future
Review: This book is crazy. Although there is not that much action the plot (which is about the last 40 pages) is explosive. I won't give away any details but if you have never read this book it is a must read. This book helps anyone understand how one generations actions effects the generations to come. It is inspiring with only one drawback it doesn't leave you with an erie feeling like some books do that are also well writen.
Rating:
Summary: In search of Spandex
Review: Ok, at first I hated this book. I fell asleep about 3 times while trying to finish. I was lucky we had all of Spring Break or else I would never have gotten through it. But after realizing the full circle the characters go through and understanding the lineage, relationships and dynamics of the characters, I appreciated it. Now, the sex is apparent, but nothing as bad as Judy Blume's novels like "Forever" and "Wifey". I urge those students who loved the dirty sex talk in this book to check out those great titles. Just don't expect a plot like Morrison gives you. Overall, this book got better, but I would have liked it better if Morrison had added a character wearing lycra. Spandex always adds to the fullness of the novel.
Rating:
Summary: Like Hammer says, "You can't touch this!"
Review: It's very hard to enjoy a novel when your English teacher is holding a switch blade to your throat. However, Song of Solomon was such an absorbing and tantalizing novel that her constant threats did not diminsh the effect the novel had on my life. My fellow classmates agreed that they would rather be reading Song of Solomon than playing frisbee or even walking their dogs. Now that is commitment!!! Morrison ability to make teens giggle as they read naughty passages is quite amazing and I would like to meet her one day and spend a quiet night chatting by a roaring fire. Hopefully the sequel will consist of Milkman's son Paperboy and his friednship with Bass Guitar. With such creativity and passion in her novel, I ask myself the same question many others have pondered at one time or another, "Is Toni related to Jim Morrison, lead singer of the doors?"
Rating:
Summary: Very deep book
Review: I really didn't enjoy this book until the last 100 pages. The greatness of this book comes from it's symbolism and underlying meaning. If you simply look at the plot of the book it seems incomplete and not so great, but to get the true essence of the novel you need to see the subplot of Milkman's self journey. If you can see this meaning, only then do you truly understand this book.
Rating:
Summary: Robust Flavor
Review: Toni Morrisson's book is like letting a fruit of robust flavor roll across your tongue. You can grab hold of its earthy essence with both hands! Don't let this delicate morsel of literature escape your grasp. It is truly Morrison's poetic masterpiece. In some parts, the story becomes too flat, but the carbonation is sure to kick in. Milkman's search for his identity through his roots is rich with meaning we can all devour. The first impression of Pilate is that she has marshmallow fluff between the ears, but later on, it is obvious that she is the meat and potatoes of this riveting tale. Pilate is to this story, as cream filling is to a Twinkie. Each course is more satisfying than the last, with the icing on the cake as Milkman takes a final liberating leap. Yum, yum, give us some....more!
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