I was looking forward to reading this novel - inspired to do so upon hearing of the writer's death just last month. I expected an uncomfortable but engaging experience and understood that the book would explore the legacy of slavery. A song from the heart of Afro-America. I came to it with an open mind and a willingness to be wooed by Toni Morrison.
I read it carefully - chapter by chapter when we were on holiday in Croatia and finished it as our plane was touching down at Manchester Airport. But I have to report that I found "Beloved" to be a frustrating read and quite a hard novel to get through.
I rarely expect a novel to advance steadily in time from Point A to Point B in the future. One expects a degree of backtracking, various literary asides and the presentation of different viewpoints but "Beloved" was all over the place and I often found it hard to keep in mind who was narrating and when. It was frequently confusing.
There are mythical semi-fairytale elements to the novel and I did not take well to the strange lost girl known as Beloved who provided the novel's title. What is she? Is she human or imaginary or is she a ghost? I am a big fan of reality when it comes to writing and this novel often veered away from honest believability into a different realm where I was reluctant to go.
There were powerful and tenderly written episodes and at times Toni Morrison's much-acclaimed craftsmanship shone through. "Beloved" is filled with a range of human emotions and strong feelings and has an intimate historical sense of the Afro-American experience. Her use of language is often rich and original, moulding words, using them deftly.
Yes I can really see that Morrison is quite a writer but ultimately I didn't really like her characters - Sethe or Denver or Baby Suggs or Paul D.. I just did not warm to them and felt no real investment in their interrelated stories.
It's not how I wished to react to "Beloved". I wanted to say that it is one of the best novels I have read in a long time but sadly for me that was just not the case.
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| Toni Morrison 1931-2019 |
I'm wondering how much one has to see something likeable in the characters in order to like a novel, no matter how brilliantly written. It's a problem I'm having right now with some Alan Sillitoe short stories.
ReplyDeleteLong ago I read just about everything that Alan Sillitoe ever published and enjoyed it because his fiction sang of ordinary lives. Much more accessible than "Beloved" but you have to care about central characters. They should at least interest you.
DeleteAn honest review!
ReplyDeleteThanks Jenn. Honest with a measure of apology.
DeleteI've been intending to read Toni Morrison for a long time. I will still look for one of her books knowing what your opinion is.
ReplyDeleteMaybe one of her earlier books would be better... like "The Bluest Eye" or "Sula".
DeleteIt's been a long time since I read it, but I remember it's not an easy read. I liked the supernatural elements, though. In the same way that I like Gabriel Garcia Marquez or Isabel Allende, I enjoyed the mysterious ghostly presence of Beloved. Even if you didn't like it, at least now you can say you've read it, right?
ReplyDeleteYes. I can say I read it but I don't think that will impress any of my pub companions.
DeleteI read your blog post/review earlier today. On a whim and my way back from town I picked up the "Beloved" just to see what you are talking about. You may now qualify as one of that most irritating of new species, namely an "Influencer". Congratulations.
ReplyDeleteYou say you don't particularly like the "mythical semi-fairy tale elements" of the narrative. I suppose that is what piqued my interest because, when it comes to story telling, there is little more than "mythical semi-fairy tale elements" to keep me spellbound.
I'll let you know how the book and I got on - compare notes with you as it were.
Glad to hear you are back in one piece.
U
We are all different when it comes to reading preferences. Good luck with "Beloved" Ursula! After all it did win The Pulitzer Prize so what do I know?
DeleteI've been waiting to find a second-hand copy of Beloved. I recently read her novel Song of Solomon, which I found hard to get into but very good as it developed. It has mystical elements; not sure if that's the kind of thing you meant or not. Thanks for the review; it's always good to hear another person's thoughts on a book.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't rush to read another Toni Morrison novel but perhaps that is just me.
DeleteI appreciate an honest review. It is hard for me to give myself to a book I don't enjoy. There are too many wonderful other books out there.
ReplyDeleteExactly Bonnie. I felt like I was ploughing through it.
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