NobelWomen #6: Song of Solomon

[@babetteernst8874]

Das Buch hat mich wirklich überrascht. Bisher las ich noch kein Buch von Toni Morrison, aber ich vermutete, dass mir die Lebenswelt der Schwarzen in Amerika zu fremd ist, um mich in den Bann zu ziehen. Doch es steckte so unglaublich viel mehr dahinter, dass alle Themen auch viel universeller verstanden werden konnten: die Nachwirkungen von Gewalt, Hass und Armut auf nachfolgende Generationen, die Suche nach der eigenen Identität, den Wurzeln, die Bedeutung von Selbstwirksamkeit und Selbstbestimmtheit, die Bedeutung von Familie und Freundschaft, von Standesdünkel und alten Überlieferungen... Es ist ein so vielschichtiges Buch, das mich in seinen Bann zog, das überzeugende Charaktere schuf, die meist nachvollziehbar handelten. Diese waren so mehrdimensional, alle mit Fehlern und trotzdem ist niemand völlig unsympathisch. Auch die Sprache, die zwischen Dialogen in Slang und einer fantasievollen Erzählerstimme wechselte, faszinierte mich. Mitunter gab es geisterhafte, irreale Szenen, die nicht immer völlig geklärt wurden und von denen ich jetzt weiß, dass man sie magischen Realismus nennt ;-) Sie haben mich etwas irritiert, passten aber richtig gut in den Gesamtkontext. Sehr schön, das wiederkehrende Motiv des Fliegens und einige andere Themensetzungen. Von allen Büchern der Nobelpreisträgerinnen hat mich dieses bisher am meisten überzeugt.

[@brittabohlerthesecondshelf]

Liebe Babette, vielen Dank für deinen ausführlichen Kommentar! Es freut mich sehr, dass dir Solomon gefallen hat und deine Analyse des Buchs ist wunderbar.

[@Paromita_M]

Really nice discussion. 'Beloved' and this book have been on my 'want to but haven't have the courage to pick up yet' TBR (mainly for her surrealist writing style, my attempts to read magical realism works have not gone well). This review gave me lot of encouragement 😊.

[@brittabohlerthesecondshelf]

That is so great to hear, Parimita, I love when my videos encourage readers! 💕

[@tortoisedreams6369]

Finally, a book I've read! We can call it myth, folklore, voodoo, or even magical realism. Whatever it is, Morrison does it right. I remember thinking the ending was anti-climactic & wishing that she had ended it (with some rearranging) about seven paragraphs earlier. But a brilliant novel, Morrison at her peak, one of the essential books of the American canon. To know Pilate is to love Pilate. I've read Morrison's first 6 books, & while I recognize them as great books, well written books, they're often painful & draining. Jazz, however, her sixth book was just wonderful without inflicting the agony of some of her others. Looking forward to the next book ... !

[@thuntz29]

This has been the best book I’ve read this month! Thanks for suggesting it. I was thinking of reading her chronologically but I couldn’t wait. Will read Sula next!

[@brittabohlerthesecondshelf]

So happy to hear that! And I hope that you will enjoy Sula just as much. Happy reading!

[@josmith5992]

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to finally read this Britta and thank you for reminding me of things that I hadn't thought as much about when I first finished; I'd forgotten those great first scenes with the suicide for example. It's hard to talk about the ending without giving it away but it did take me by surprise especially because I never really understood a certain characters motivation, it also felt so sad but then Toni Morrison novels don't always have happy endings. I'm very intrigued by Greed and have a copy all ready to go.

[@brittabohlerthesecondshelf]

I had the same experience with the ending. I always read it as being 'open' re the outcome, in other words, Milkman 'leaps' but after that... who knows...

[@jbsubscribes6399]

I believe that I own most of Toni Morrison's novels, but I have only read Beloved. I read Beloved when it was first published. It made such an impression on me that I was hesitant to delve further into her work for fear of being disappointed. I just pulled Song of Solomon from an (embarrassingly) dusty shelf. Thanks for posting your thoughts on this novel, Britta.

[@brittabohlerthesecondshelf]

Sula, Beloved, Song of Solomon, the Big Three... I hope you will delve into Solomon at some point (soon)!

[@marianryan2991]

I'm thoroughly into this book, but it's so intense and dense that it's taking me a while. I'm doing the audio and am just one-third of the way in but Milkman is already over 30 so the story must be very packed in a short span of time for the latter half Toni Morrison reads it herself and it sounds like a fairly recent recording and is very slowly, almost painstakingly read, punctuated by her pausing to get her breath, which adds even more to the intense feeling of the narrative. I'm glad you chose it, as I've neglected to read it until now. Thanks for the spoiler free discussion!

[@brittabohlerthesecondshelf]

Happy to hear you are reading Solomon, and yes, it's quite 'dense' and not a quick read. But so rewarding!

[@wendyryan1618]

My first Toni Morrison and I thought it was brilliant. Loved the ending as well, really seemed appropriate to me. Interesting that you say it is one of her least accessible novels. If so, I will definitely enjoy catching up on her other works.

[@brittabohlerthesecondshelf]

Thats great to hear, Wendy! I think Beloved and Sula are more accessible in terms of writing style and they are less 'dense'.

[@lindaleehall]

The insurance agent was a member of Guitar's "group" wasn't he? So he was relevant. I read this book when it was first published and I have always loved it. The ending is perfect.

[@brittabohlerthesecondshelf]

Ah, I didn't mean to say that the insurance agent shouldn't have been in the book. I just meant that Morrison jumps from the suicide right into the life of Milkman without the reader knowing the significance of the insurance man. (This will only become clear much later).

[@DanielNour]

The ending is perfect: it's somehow bittersweet even though it's so tragic

[@brittabohlerthesecondshelf]

Great that you liked the ending, Daniel!

[@KayAmpersand]

I liked the book a lot. It dealt with so many issue but in a way that wasn't patronizing or victimizing - the Seven Days and that whole discussion about what they do was particularly poignant. Still puzzled by Guitar's motivation at the end but that didn't lessen my enjoyment of the novel. I read the ending as a metaphor and thought it was on point.

[@brittabohlerthesecondshelf]

Ah, happy to hear you liked it, Kay! And I didnt talk much about 7 Days in the video but I thought that this was one of the most interesting 'sub-stories' in the book, it gave me so much to think about. And I like your interpretation of the ending!

[@robertelder5770]

Nice you like Toni Morrison. I read 3 and attempted a 4th. The Bluest Eye, Shula, Tar Baby and I attempted Paradise. I will never read another Toni Morrison book. To read Toni Morrison is punishment, to me. Paradise was a horrible book, more so then the others. How she has won any award is beyond me. But, then again, these book awards like the ManBooker are so pretentious, and they pick the worst, boring books out there. Sorry dear, I know my remarks are unflattering but it’s how I feel.

[@brittabohlerthesecondshelf]

No worries about being not a fan of Toni Morrison's work! Not every writer (however famous) is for everybody.