Paradise

Rating:
Summary: Extraordinary writing, deep ideas, and majestic style
Review: This is certainly a complex book, reminiscent (for me at least) of Faulker's "The Sound and the Fury". Several characters tell of the budding, ominous, and inevitable conflict between the town of Ruby and the nearby women of the Convent. The town is the epitome of male-dominated order, and the Convent is the home of women seeking refuge from that order. "Paradise" is the story of their creation, how they evolve, and how the town eventually must destroy the Convent for its own perceived survival.

This is an amazing book, extremely well-written, if extremely confusing in parts. The narrative is constantly switching hands, and the story is not told in chronlogical order. Combining this with the many characters in the story can lead to a pathological chaos. But the book is worth it, largely because the prose is so magical and poetic. The biblical and mythological themes are not on the surface, but give a rich backdrop to the story. The characters, especially of the town (for me) are memorable.

This is definitely more complex than "Beloved". But the complexity, which forces concentration, does create intrigue and subtlety that rewards.

Rating:
Summary: Is there such a thing?
Review: Toni Morrison seems to be posing that question through the context of her latest, very arguably, most complex novel. This story of a Paradise in Oklahoma soon shines through as nothing but. In order to protect the vestiges of perfection, the town must bring order, even outside their boundaries, to a group of threatening but very non-threating women.

On a deeper level, this story attempts to shine light on the power of mythology and stories in our culture, and how much they change from the real events. People looking for plot and facts, and a predictable story with a beginning, middle, and end, you will soon become confused, for Morrison purposefully contradicts herself throughout the story. Myths change through time, as do the stories of Ruby, Oklahoma.

Do what I did at those times. Let her words and mastery of poetic imagery just to wash over you. If you are not comprehending, that was her intention, and just bathe in the beauty of the language and her Paradise of pictures she paints.

I've read many books in my lifetime by many authors, and I must say its Morrison's books that quite often stay with me for many days afterwards. It's not an easy read, but then, life isn't easy itself.

Rating:
Summary: Oblique but Praiseworthy
Review: This is not the book to pick up if you are only just discovering Morrison as a writer. It's not a book that reads easily, nor one heavy on the nostalgic narrative that can been seen in some of Morrison's other works.

Still, this book in many ways only deepens my respect of Morrison as an author. Here, she reveals that she is more than a storyteller. "Paradise" is a book fraught with paradigms and stereotypes, tangled with deceit, and weblike in its branching character relationships.

More than once, in reading this book, I had to apply myself with diligence to untangling the identities of the many blurred characters. Gone were the long pages of dialogue that Morrison uses to flesh out some of her other works, like "Beloved" and "The Bluest Eye."

So, why then, give this book 4 stars? I think, in many ways, this is a most prophetic book. I find the feminist themes extremely well played, and the underlying themes of time and corruption give this text an almost Faulkner-ish taste. This is a book written for well-taught readers, for thinkers, and for those willing and ready to tackle a more oblique work.

Rating:
Summary: Difficult to finish
Review: I hate to dedicate so much time to finish a book that I really don't enjoy but I did finish this book. I was just sure it was going to get better. After I was done my only thought was Hmmmmmm.

Rating:
Summary: A classic
Review: I will freely admit that I did not really want to read 'Paradise' but I sat down one morning at 11am and didn't move until 8pm, having read the book cover-to-cover in a single day. It was absolutely wonderful, the characters were good (though confusing at first) but above all it is the style and themes which are important here, the characters are simply a method of conveying them to the reader. I would recommend this book to anyone, and it is interesting whilst reading, and after, to consider the relationship of the title to the content of the book: What expectations does the word 'paradise' give you? How does the book affect your idea of paradise? The enforced idyll of Ruby against the freedom of the Convent. 'Paradise' is a very powerful book which effectively questioned some of my values and ideas, and it is perhaps this, overall, which made it great.

Rating:
Summary: From one who muddled through it.
Review: After I finished this book I felt angry at Morrison for being so obtuse. I kept asking myself "why?" What did it prove that she had to make the book so hard to understand and unravel? I felt like she was playing some kind of literary joke on her readers or else trying to make herself look smart and the average reader look dumb.

I feel like there was important meaning in the book, but unless you take a literature class that focuses on this book, most will not likely ever get it -- and to me, that is the waste of a book that so many will read and could be elevated by.

Toni Morrison, you are too good a writer to waste your time making your book so hard to understand for so many people. I found myself asking, what was your point?

Rating:
Summary: Two Sides of Paradise
Review: The interlaced tensions created in "Paradise" by pairs of diametrically opposed characters, institutions, and beliefs makes one wonder if the story's title is revelatory or simple wordplay. I opt for the former. Indeed, there will always be two sides of Paradise - the inside and the outside - whether it is a physical state or a spiritual state. But the exclusivity that some Paradises ruthlessly require for their existence can weaken and crumble the very walls that enclose and nourish it. Is then the sparkle of Ruby dulled by an internal flaw or a mischievous glint of light?

Rating:
Summary: Ugh.........it was like torture.
Review: I couldn't even get past the third chapter. Maybe I'm just not deep enough for this one...who knows, but it's awful. I have read other books my Ms. Morrison and found them enjoyable, but this one was so confusing and I just didn't have the patience to muddle on.

Rating:
Summary: Maybe it's Poop.
Review: Maybe I'm immature, maybe I am not intelligent enough, or lack the patience it takes to understand Paradise,or maybe it's poop.I

Rating:
Summary: A cure for insomnia!
Review: Once I pick up a book, I feel I have to plow through the whole thing, but with this one I only made it halfway through. I stopped pushing myself to finish this novel because there are too many other good books out there waiting to be read! This was a waste of my time and I will never read a book based on Oprah's recommendation again if this is the kind of literature that is on the list! It was extremely slow-moving and the characters were dark and mysterious to a point of confusion for this reader. Friends have mentioned that they thought they would read this book based on the fact that it was a prize winner and I have flat out told them not to bother.