I read Toni Morrison's Beloved for the first time this fall. I'd (shamefully) never read Morrison before. And I mostly loved it, except the end felt rushed to me.
Now I've read her latest novel, Home, and this slim (150 pages) little book covers a lot of territory in a very short space: we have a black Korean War vet returning to the States to face racism and difficult personal history; we have the woman he meets and falls in love with; we have some family history, especially about his nasty grandmother Lenore; and we have his hapless sister, Cee, who falls into the clutches of a white doctor who's studying eugenics.
That's a whole lot of stuff going on in 150 pages.
I suspect there's a lot of symbolism going on, and maybe the creation of a parable. The soldier, Frank Money (yes!), and his sister hate the town where they grew up, and they go out into the bigger world where they experience a lot of hurt. It's only when they return home that they can confront the pain the bigger world has caused them--and they've caused others--and begin to heal.
For me, whereas I thought most of Beloved was paced just right except for the rushed ending, this whole book felt rushed. It has none of the depth and exploration of Beloved. We're just handed these characters and situations and whoosh, we're at the end. These are significant events with significant consequences--I think I would have happily read the same story at four times the current length. But the shortness of it kept me at arm's reach; just when I was getting interested and concerned for one character, we zipped off to read another's story, and the main plot points occur so quickly and then are past, I barely had time to consider them and feel an emotional response.
But I hear I should read Sula and Song of Solomon. Thoughts from more experienced Toni Morrison readers?
The Bluest Eye is my only experience with Morrison, and I thought it was wonderful! Just discovered Beloved, read by the author, in my audio library... but I don't remember purchasing it. Sigh.
Posted by: JoAnn | October 21, 2012 at 10:26 AM
Definitely read Sula and Song of Solomon! Song of Solomon, in my opinion is her best work. Runners up to me are Beloved, Sula and then The Bluest Eye. The only ones I haven't read are Paradise and this, Home. From the sound of it, this seems to be similar to her previous one, A Mercy, which was short and seemed underdeveloped. But no matter, I'll still read it, but I hope she puts out something as substantial as her older books in the future.
Posted by: claire | October 21, 2012 at 01:02 PM
You are the second person in as many days to recommend Bluest Eye. So it appears I need to read that, Sula, and Song of Solomon, posthaste.
Posted by: Amy Rea | October 21, 2012 at 01:48 PM
JoAnn, you are now the third person to recommend Bluest Eye! I must get to it. And I sympathize with your sigh. Heh.
Posted by: Amy Rea | October 21, 2012 at 01:49 PM