Toni Morrison Books

This is a classic written in Morrison's wonderful style which brings the reader into the heart of the characters. This particular edition is the paperback version that you will see most teenagers carrying around.

The theoretical framework that Page provides is thorough, insightful, and compelling. He then offers brilliant readings of all six of Morrison's novels. Altogether, this is a wonderful critical approach, and one every teacher and student of Morrison should read.

Moreland's insightful, persuasive book blazes a new trail for anyone interested in teaching or reading 20th century American lit. This book is essential to the developing New canon.

Dr. Bjork's "The Novels of Toni Morrison" is must have resource for anyone researching Toni Morrison and her works. The author not only equips the researcher with well developed information, Bjork also offers an excellent work cited list at the end of this resource. This should be one of the first stops for a Toni Morrison researcher. Highly recommended for any academic libraries literature collection.

Take one overwhelmingly male-centered and predominantly white society, add huge portions of power, racism, sexism, a misinformed public and gross displays of injustice, and you've got a recipe for the American way. This collection of essays written at the time of the Anita Hill/Clarence Thomas hearings holds every bit of relevance now as it did nine years ago. Highlighting earlier civil rights legal battles and connecting their influence to the hearings themselves, each essayist examines in progressive detail just how pervasive--indeed, how dangerously latent--racism and sexism are in our society. How the volatile and often avoided issue of race can blind the equally volative and often dismissed issue of sexism in any race. In these essays, we are given a shockingly clear image of the circus that was the mishandling of the hearings. Explosive, revealling, and thought-provoking, this book yanks the proverbial rose-colored glasses from our collective American conscience and dares us to think for ourselves.

This book is an incredible exploration of how the body mediates perception and experience. Dr. Cooey is a clear writer who clearly explains difficult concepts to the reader.

This is one of those books to treasure in one's most prominent, permanent collection. Moving, thoughtful, exquisitely written, this title that will stand time's tests. Evelyn Jaffe Schreiber gives us a work of impressive depth and perception -- without any pendantry. The book, quite stunning in its originality, is anchored in fine academic research, both fulfills and transcends traditional "scholarly" categories. As a writer and reader, I heartily recommend this as a book-for-all-seasons.

Marcy Heidish

Toni Morrsion's Pulitzer Prize winning novel, Beloved, deals with the self-sacrifice of motherhood, the black experience in America, and an unescapable history which will haunt the bravest at heart. First, she creates an elaborate, detailed story for the reader and secondly, she spins the literary web together by alterating between past and present. Morrison does an extraordinary job in portaying the trials and tribulations of slavery shortly after the Civil War. Also, Toni's greatest aspect and technique of Beloved, is her use of the past ruling the present, this enables the reader to know more about the character than the character may know about themself. The theme of the novel which I found most intriguing was the aura of the book itself. The gothic tale conjured some of the most deep-rooted feelings from my soul. The book is definately a masterpiece of its time and history as well. And it feels extraordinary to have a piece of history in the palms of your hands.

Missy Kubitschek's book does the impossible: she presents a thoughtful, educated, and appreciative reading of Morrison that makes these wonderful novels even more accessible than even good readers could imagine. For teachers who want to provide their students with a superb critical model, here it is. Look at the literate biographical first chapter. The "contexts" chapter moves smoothly and clearly through the critical whitewater of postmodernism, orality, and black identity. The chapters focusing on individual Morrison novels (even the daunting _Paradise_) illuminate Morrison's careful plot and characterization strategies. Best of all, each chapter showcases a particular critical strategy (formalist, historicist, archetypal, "Afro-modernist," etc.) as a lens through which to read the text. This is not only a brilliant teaching strategy, it's delightfully readable. I was surprised and moved all over again at the author's deft discussion of marigolds in _Bluest Eye_ and its subtle evocation of the Demeter/Persephone theme. It's the best discussion I've read of _Paradise_ and the chapter on _Sula_ brought that novel's power home to me years after my first reading of it. This is criticism at its very best.

The cover art, "Wanted Poster No. 17" by Charles White, drew me again and again into the depths of this book. It shows a black woman with her hands on the shoulders of a small black boy. Beside them are the first names and ages of faceless persons as they might be shown on a list of slaves to be offered at an auction. The faces of the woman and boy are very human and sensitive as if they are about to speak of what they have seen and heard.

Philip M. Weinstein, Alexander Griswold Cummins Professor of English at Swarthmore College, begins with his own Southern upbringing by a black woman. The love felt for that black woman was not enough to lead him into some enlightened knowledge of her (or even a visit to her home)until 23 years after her death! Her sister said, when he entered her home, "I've been waiting 23 years for this visit."

When Faulkner writes about Dilsey in "The Sound and the Fury" he is drawing upon the experience he had of being raised by a black woman. Dilsey never expresses personal doubt or pain or need. For such was Faulkner's experience of Callie Walker who raised him. He had no concept of the other world in which she lived and moved and had her being.

Likewise, Morrison has her blind spots. When she seeks to render the white Bodwin in "Beloved" she gives a strong but limited portrait, "a limited but precious truth." As Bodwin is about to enter the house where he was born and has not been in 30 years he thinks merely about the unbearable heat, his toy soldiers and watchless chain. These are nearly his last thoughts in this life were it not for the abortive attempt on his life by the confused Sethe.

The limited portraits by Faulkner and Morrison remind us of both the important contributions they have made to our understanding of their experiences and the need for other pieces of the human puzzle. The last word is not said in having said so much that is gripping and true.

Weinstein calls us to a humility that says where we are without the arrogance of thinking we have said/watched (or heard/seen) it all.