Rating: 
Summary: Didn't understand it all. but liked it.
Review: OK, I didn't understand all of this novel, but I liked it. Being a 46 year old while male I probably never will undestand it all. How ever, I can report that the character studies of Valerian Street and his wife ("The principal beauty of Maine") are some of the most devistatingly accurate upper class character studies I've ever read, and very funny in a vitriolic way. This is my introduction to Toni Morrison, and I plan to read more.
Rating:
Summary: The "trick" to comprehending a "trickster" novel
Review: One of the things that's often hard in reading other readers' responses to an author that you absolutely adore (and I am an avid Morrison fan) is preparing for the types of reviews that often try to invalidate her or dismiss her because her writing demands so much from us. Yet, I believe her Nobel prize speaks for itself (even for all those who were "forced" into reading her for a class or seminar -or even because Oprah said so), so when others "trash" her, my disgust is not in their inability to appreciate her but in a recurring trend that continues to prove that our mass-media, TV-dominated culture has produced a generation of readers (and I use the term loosely) who no longer appreciate reading a book for the sheer pleasure of how the written language comes together and how an author like Morrison blends both oral culture and myths with written text.And, folks, you really need that appreciation if you're going to get into a novel like Tar Baby. I believe some very basic knowledge needs to be in place. A) Some knowledge of the African American folktale of the tar baby and Brer Rabbit B.) Some knowledge of the biblical story of Adam and Eve and how religious doctrine has traditionally interpreted it. C.) Some understanding of the "trickster" (and this novel is filled with this figure) tradition in both American and African lore--who is tricked, who's doing the tricking and what is the overall "trick": colonialism? male-female relations? race relations? I believe that once we recover much of the traditions that someone like Morrison has been exposed to (from the Bible to the blues to Faulkner to Zora Neale Hurston), her novels can be read with some appreciation and respect. . . and love. I'm not one of those who believe that Morrison as a black woman author is too "marginal" to be appreciated by a "mainstream" reader, but a "true reader" is someone who can transcend their particular identities and trust a writer to take then onto any journey outside themselves and not even mind if there is a "trick" in store for them, or some profound pleasure...or horrific pain. Reading is about trusting the author to reveal to us some new vision we did not know existed...But be prepared: Morrison is not the type of writer who will hold your hand! Here's hoping that Amazon can inspire true love of reading and real thought and vision that comes from extensive readership! Only then, can user reviews be exciting and a pleasure to read!
Rating: 
Summary: Torture
Review: Reading this is much like my other experiences with this author: pain. Just unbelievably poor writing. Her success is astounding; her Nobel an embarrasment.
Rating:
Summary: Morrison delves into intimate relationships
Review: Tar Baby appealed to me the second I picked it up from the rack. When I read the brief summary however, I just knew that this was going to be a "love story" with an expected ending. I was pleasantly suprised. Tar Baby explores relationships--not just man and woman, but black and white, and black and black. It is a novel that creates societal stereotypes, and is persistent in tearing them down by the end of the story. Although there is an intimate relationship between two of the anchor characters, it serves as a definition of society and Morrison's point, and is not the focal point of the story. A surprising ending--very different, and appealing to the novel. A very easy read; however, I enjoyed it when everything was quiet, and I could "put" myself into the novel as I read it.
Rating: 
Summary: Poetry in Novel form
Review: Tar Baby is the story of a young, successful, black model, who lives between the world of successful white people and her own black heritage. She continually struggles with the indebtedness that she feels towards her white benefactor and his wife. Jade's relationship with her benefactor is further complicated by the fact that her aunt and uncle, by whom she was raised, work as domestic help in the home of her benefactor Valerian Street.
The dynamics of the relationships between the members of the household keep you wondering from one moment to the next what will occur.
Margaret and Jade had a good relationship with their Aunt Ondine, but as the relationship between Margaret and Valerian continues, their relationship begins to decline. Sydney, Ondine's husband and his employer, Mr. Street get along very well. Sydney is very grateful for all the advantages that he has been given by Valerian.
Margaret who has befriended Jade, is less than emotionally stable. On several occasions Margaret has had episodes where she cannot remember how to do the most simple of tasks. She is also obsessed with an upcoming Christmas visit from her estranged son.
When a young black man is found hiding in the closet of Margaret Street, the whole mansion is thrown into chaos. The man is ragged and unclean. Margaret enters the dining room screaming about an intruder in her closet. Valerian, who sometimes tends to give little credence to his wife, ignores her. Sydney responds to the situation and goes to Margaret's aid. He brings the intruder to the dining room at gun point, where he is invited to join the dinner gathering by Valerian. This is Valerian's way of getting back at Margaret for her obsession with their estranged son.
The entire situation explodes and things are said by all members of the household and it is disclosed by Ondine that Margaret had physically abused her son when he was a child and that is the reason for her obsession with him, as well as her unstable emotional state.
To make matters even worse, Jade is attracted to this dangerous stranger and they run off together. She sees in him the side of her black heritage that she is out of touch with because of her success.
Throughout the entire book, you are treated to poetic, symbolic and descriptive writing by, Nobel Peace Prize winner, Toni Morrison. She explores the relationship of a black man true to his black heritage and a young woman who is molded by the white culture that has made her who she is.
The story explores relationships between blacks and whites, as well as the relationships between black people who have been given very different opportunities in life. It also examines how successful black people treat those less fortunate of their race.
Rating: 
Summary: Settle
Review: The book wasn't that great, nor was it that bad. Coming from someone who read it for a class, this book was among the better ones, but still - forced reading is never all that good. I think everyone's reading WAY too much into this and you all need to just sit back and ENJOY the book. That's why most people read books, right? For enjoyment? I only gave it 2 stars because I'm more of a Clancy/Crichton person. Please stop attacking each other and RELAX!
Rating: 
Summary: intersting looks at behavior, slow but with a good twist
Review: the setting starts slow but after that it goes into an interesting twist, offering no solutions to any of her questions.
Rating:
Summary: Very thought provoking. An eye-opener for me
Review: There were several scenes in this book that related to me so closely! I think the main scene was where Jadine encountered the woman in the yellow dress and felt "unauthentic". The scene in the tar pit was on a similar note as Jadine struggled to free herself from the thick blackness. For me, this book was an eye-opener. I finished the book and asked myself if I was like Nadine; resisting my background. You know, not necessarily looking down upon those who embraced our culture, but somewhat thinking I'd get along better in this society, by being more "mainstream". I definitely became more aware of the way I perceive myself as well as others. Now I've begun to question why I would ever resist where I came from. I don't know if this was Morrison's intention, but that's what I took from this novel - a life lesson.
Rating:
Summary: Wait A Minute....
Review: This book is getting trashed, and unfairly so. Tar Baby is not her finest work (Bluest Eye, Song of Solomon and Beloved are her classics) yet this book is one of the best written in recent history. Yes. That is how powerful her writing is; this is not her best but it still stands as one of the peaks in modern literature. The poetic images, Biblical, social, and personal symbolism and relations are what makes Morrison the quintessential; and make her average work, still far above others' best. The book is not an easy read. This is not reading the daily paper. Just like anything in life, what is worthwhile takes focus and time. I can whip through the works of Crichton and Grisham in a month and still would not get the knowledge and perspective that Tar Baby or almost any Morrison novel can offer. If you want a light, airy read never take on the challenges of Morrison. If you want literature that has weight and an array of beautiful images and philosophies then Tar Baby! is worth the effort of resisting the quick read and delving into this text.
Rating:
Summary: Pure Racism
Review: This book is one of the most racist I have ever read. It is obvious that Morrison is primarily motivated by all consuming hatred. This book is one for the trash can.
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