What do you think?
Rate this book
乇丨賲丞
賳爻丕亍賹 睾丕乇賯丕鬲 賮賷 丕賱丨乇賲丕賳 賵丕賱賱賴賮丞.. 乇噩丕賱賹 賲賳卮睾賱賵賳 亘丕賱爻賷丕丿丞 賵丕賱鬲賲賱賾賰.. 丨亘賾 賵兀丨賱丕賲 賵氐乇丕毓丕鬲 鬲夭賷丨 丕賱爻鬲丕卅乇 毓賳 丕賱賲噩鬲賲毓 丕賱兀賲賷乇賰賷 賮賷 丕賱賯乇賳 丕賱爻丕亘毓 毓卮乇 丨賷孬 賷爻賵丿 丕賱丕爻鬲毓賲丕乇 賵丨賷孬 賷鬲賲爻賾賰 丕賱卮毓亘 亘賴賵賷賾鬲賴 賵賷賯丕賵賲 孬賯丕賮丞 賲購爻鬲毓賲乇賺 鬲購賮乇囟 毓賱賷賴 亘丕賱賯賵賾丞.
乇賵丕賷丞 賲丐孬賾乇丞貙 賰購鬲亘鬲 亘賳賮爻 卮丕毓乇賷 賵賯氐氐賷 賵鬲兀乇賷禺賷 賮賷 丌賳. 兀賱賯鬲 賳馗乇丞 廿賳爻丕賳賷丞 亘丕賲鬲賷丕夭 毓賱賶 毓丕賱賲 鬲鬲賮卮賾賶 賮賷賴 丕賱胤亘賯賷賾丞 賵丕賱毓乇賯賷賾丞 賵鬲噩丕乇丞 丕賱乇賯賷賯 賵丕賱丕賳賯爻丕賲丕鬲 丕賱丿賷賳賷丞 賵丕賱馗賱賲 賵丕賱賮賯乇 丕賱匕賷 賷丿賮毓 廿賱賶 賰賱 賲賳賰乇 賵賷亘賷丨 賰賱 賲丨馗賵乇.
兀亘胤丕賱 賷鬲亘丕乇夭賵賳 亘丕賱賯亘囟丕鬲 賵丕賱賳亘囟丕鬲 賮賷 禺亘丕賷丕 賳馗丕賲 賲鬲乇氐賾丿 賵賯丕賲毓貙 鬲噩賲毓賴賲 賯氐氐 鬲鬲賲賷賾夭 亘丕賱噩賲丕賱 賵丕賱睾乇丕亘丞 賵丕賱囟丨賰 賵丕賱丨爻丕爻賷丞.廿賳賴丕 賯氐氐 睾丕賲囟丞 賰爻丨乇 兀爻賵丿 賵賵丕囟丨丞 賰廿卮乇丕賯丞 卮賲爻貙 鬲賳鬲賯賱 賲賳 毓丕賱賲 毓丿丕卅賷賺賾 賵賵丨卮賷賺賾 廿賱賶 毓丕賱賲 賲爻丕賱賲 賵乇丨賷賲.
賵賷噩丿乇 丕賱廿卮丕乇丞 兀賳 賲丐賱賮丞 賴匕賴 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 丕賱乇賵丕卅賷丞 丕賱兀賲乇賷賰賷丞 丕賱兀賮乇賷賯賷丞 鬲賵賳賷 賲賵乇賷爻賵賳 賯丿 丨丕夭鬲 毓賱賶 噩丕卅夭丞 賳賵亘賱 賱賱丌丿丕亘 毓丕賲 1993 毓賳 賲噩賲賱 兀毓賲丕賱賴丕 丕賱兀丿亘賷丞. 鬲賵賳賷 賲賵乇賷爻賵賳 賰賲丕 鬲氐賮賴丕 丕賱乇賵丕卅賷丞 丕賱賰賳丿賷丞 賲丕乇睾乇賷鬲 丕鬲賵賵丿 賵丕丨丿丞 賲賳 丕卮賴乇 丕賱丕氐賵丕鬲 丕賱乇賵丕卅賷丞 丕賱丕賲乇賷賰賷丞 賮賷 賰賱 丕賱毓氐賵乇.
鬲毓賵丿 亘賳丕 賴匕賴 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 丕賱賶 丕賲乇賷賰丕 丕賱賯乇賳 丕賱爻丕亘毓 毓卮乇貙 賮賷 賳賴丕賷丕鬲賴 鬲丨丿賷丿丕. 賵賷鬲丕亘毓 禺胤賵丕鬲 丕賲乇兀丞 爻賵丿丕亍 賷亘賷毓賴丕 爻賷丿賴丕 丕賱亘乇鬲睾丕賱賷 丕賱賶 賲夭丕乇毓 賰賷 賷爻丿丿 丿賷賵賳賴. 賵鬲毓賵丿 亘賳丕 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 賰賲丕 鬲卮賷乇 賲賵乇賷爻賵賳 丕賱賶 丕賲乇賷賰丕 丕賱鬲賷 賱賲 鬲賰賳 亘毓丿 賲賯爻賲丞 亘賳丕亍 毓賱賶 丕賱禺胤賵胤 丕賱毓乇賯賷丞 亘卮賰賱 賳爻亘賷. 賮丕賱賲噩鬲賲毓 丕賱匕賷 鬲氐賮賴 賮賷 賴匕賴 丕賱賮鬲乇丞 賲禺鬲賱胤 賲賳 丕賱爻賵丿 賵丕賱亘賷囟 賵丕賱亘乇鬲睾丕賱賷賷賳 賵丕賱丕賮丕乇賯丞 丕賱毓亘賷丿 賵丕賱禺賱丕爻賷賷賳
乇賵丕賷丞 賲丐孬賾乇丞貙 賰購鬲亘鬲 亘賳賮爻 卮丕毓乇賷 賵賯氐氐賷 賵鬲兀乇賷禺賷 賮賷 丌賳. 兀賱賯鬲 賳馗乇丞 廿賳爻丕賳賷丞 亘丕賲鬲賷丕夭 毓賱賶 毓丕賱賲 鬲鬲賮卮賾賶 賮賷賴 丕賱胤亘賯賷賾丞 賵丕賱毓乇賯賷賾丞 賵鬲噩丕乇丞 丕賱乇賯賷賯 賵丕賱丕賳賯爻丕賲丕鬲 丕賱丿賷賳賷丞 賵丕賱馗賱賲 賵丕賱賮賯乇 丕賱匕賷 賷丿賮毓 廿賱賶 賰賱 賲賳賰乇 賵賷亘賷丨 賰賱 賲丨馗賵乇.
兀亘胤丕賱 賷鬲亘丕乇夭賵賳 亘丕賱賯亘囟丕鬲 賵丕賱賳亘囟丕鬲 賮賷 禺亘丕賷丕 賳馗丕賲 賲鬲乇氐賾丿 賵賯丕賲毓貙 鬲噩賲毓賴賲 賯氐氐 鬲鬲賲賷賾夭 亘丕賱噩賲丕賱 賵丕賱睾乇丕亘丞 賵丕賱囟丨賰 賵丕賱丨爻丕爻賷丞.廿賳賴丕 賯氐氐 睾丕賲囟丞 賰爻丨乇 兀爻賵丿 賵賵丕囟丨丞 賰廿卮乇丕賯丞 卮賲爻貙 鬲賳鬲賯賱 賲賳 毓丕賱賲 毓丿丕卅賷賺賾 賵賵丨卮賷賺賾 廿賱賶 毓丕賱賲 賲爻丕賱賲 賵乇丨賷賲.
賵賷噩丿乇 丕賱廿卮丕乇丞 兀賳 賲丐賱賮丞 賴匕賴 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 丕賱乇賵丕卅賷丞 丕賱兀賲乇賷賰賷丞 丕賱兀賮乇賷賯賷丞 鬲賵賳賷 賲賵乇賷爻賵賳 賯丿 丨丕夭鬲 毓賱賶 噩丕卅夭丞 賳賵亘賱 賱賱丌丿丕亘 毓丕賲 1993 毓賳 賲噩賲賱 兀毓賲丕賱賴丕 丕賱兀丿亘賷丞. 鬲賵賳賷 賲賵乇賷爻賵賳 賰賲丕 鬲氐賮賴丕 丕賱乇賵丕卅賷丞 丕賱賰賳丿賷丞 賲丕乇睾乇賷鬲 丕鬲賵賵丿 賵丕丨丿丞 賲賳 丕卮賴乇 丕賱丕氐賵丕鬲 丕賱乇賵丕卅賷丞 丕賱丕賲乇賷賰賷丞 賮賷 賰賱 丕賱毓氐賵乇.
鬲毓賵丿 亘賳丕 賴匕賴 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 丕賱賶 丕賲乇賷賰丕 丕賱賯乇賳 丕賱爻丕亘毓 毓卮乇貙 賮賷 賳賴丕賷丕鬲賴 鬲丨丿賷丿丕. 賵賷鬲丕亘毓 禺胤賵丕鬲 丕賲乇兀丞 爻賵丿丕亍 賷亘賷毓賴丕 爻賷丿賴丕 丕賱亘乇鬲睾丕賱賷 丕賱賶 賲夭丕乇毓 賰賷 賷爻丿丿 丿賷賵賳賴. 賵鬲毓賵丿 亘賳丕 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 賰賲丕 鬲卮賷乇 賲賵乇賷爻賵賳 丕賱賶 丕賲乇賷賰丕 丕賱鬲賷 賱賲 鬲賰賳 亘毓丿 賲賯爻賲丞 亘賳丕亍 毓賱賶 丕賱禺胤賵胤 丕賱毓乇賯賷丞 亘卮賰賱 賳爻亘賷. 賮丕賱賲噩鬲賲毓 丕賱匕賷 鬲氐賮賴 賮賷 賴匕賴 丕賱賮鬲乇丞 賲禺鬲賱胤 賲賳 丕賱爻賵丿 賵丕賱亘賷囟 賵丕賱亘乇鬲睾丕賱賷賷賳 賵丕賱丕賮丕乇賯丞 丕賱毓亘賷丿 賵丕賱禺賱丕爻賷賷賳
197 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
1671 people are currently reading
30265 people want to read
About the author
Toni Morrison
238听books22.1k听followersChloe Anthony Wofford Morrison, known as Toni Morrison, was an American novelist and editor. Her first novel, The Bluest Eye, was published in 1970. The critically acclaimed Song of Solomon (1977) brought her national attention and won the National Book Critics Circle Award. In 1988, Morrison won the Pulitzer Prize for Beloved (1987); she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993.
Born and raised in Lorain, Ohio, Morrison graduated from Howard University in 1953 with a B.A. in English. Morrison earned a master's degree in American Literature from Cornell University in 1955. In 1957 she returned to Howard University, was married, and had two children before divorcing in 1964. Morrison became the first black female editor for fiction at Random House in New York City in the late 1960s. She developed her own reputation as an author in the 1970s and '80s. Her novel Beloved was made into a film in 1998. Morrison's works are praised for addressing the harsh consequences of racism in the United States and the Black American experience.
The National Endowment for the Humanities selected Morrison for the Jefferson Lecture, the U.S. federal government's highest honor for achievement in the humanities, in 1996. She was honored with the National Book Foundation's Medal of Distinguished Contribution to American Letters the same year. President Barack Obama presented her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom on May 29, 2012. She received the PEN/Saul Bellow Award for Achievement in American Fiction in 2016. Morrison was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 2020.
Born and raised in Lorain, Ohio, Morrison graduated from Howard University in 1953 with a B.A. in English. Morrison earned a master's degree in American Literature from Cornell University in 1955. In 1957 she returned to Howard University, was married, and had two children before divorcing in 1964. Morrison became the first black female editor for fiction at Random House in New York City in the late 1960s. She developed her own reputation as an author in the 1970s and '80s. Her novel Beloved was made into a film in 1998. Morrison's works are praised for addressing the harsh consequences of racism in the United States and the Black American experience.
The National Endowment for the Humanities selected Morrison for the Jefferson Lecture, the U.S. federal government's highest honor for achievement in the humanities, in 1996. She was honored with the National Book Foundation's Medal of Distinguished Contribution to American Letters the same year. President Barack Obama presented her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom on May 29, 2012. She received the PEN/Saul Bellow Award for Achievement in American Fiction in 2016. Morrison was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 2020.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,783 reviews
February 13, 2025
鈥�Slavery broke the world in half,鈥� Toni Morrison once said, and her body of work has tracked the break and the aftershocks still trembling centuries later like a literary seismograph. In A Mercy, 惭辞谤谤颈蝉辞苍鈥檚 ninth novel, she transports us to the early days of slavery in the New World where white men try to shape their destinies through the land, imposing violence and hardship on the slaves, servants and women who struggle to survive while learning the harsh truth that 鈥�we never shape the world, the world shapes us.鈥� Those who are familiar with Morrison will recognize her unflinching gaze into the brutalities faced by Black women from which we should not look away from, though her prose is so exquisite and heart wrenchingly perfect you could not imagine doing so anyways. The story follows the life of Florens, who feels abandoned by her mother and not recognizing her sale into indentured servitude for small landowner, Jacob, was a mercy saving her from the sexual violence of her former owner. Told through shifting perspectives and twisting along the timeline, it also chronicles the relationships between the other women on the farm, all victims to a society 鈥�of and for men鈥� where profits come at the cost of blood and labor from Black slaves. Vigorously confronting issues of colonialism, racism, misogyny and the ways religion and a belief in the fruitful dream of the New World held an umbrella over these injustices, A Mercy is an unforgettable novel.
鈥�To be given dominion over another is a hard thing; to wrest dominion over another is a wrong thing; to give dominion of yourself to another is a wicked thing.鈥�
In her essay , Toni Morrison wrote 鈥�what was distinctive in the New World was, first of all, its claim to freedom, and second, the presence of the unfree within the heart of the democratic experiment.鈥� As her work often explores the idea of slavery as an original sin of the United States (best exemplified here by the serpents on the iron gates leading to Jacob鈥檚 new home, a house with the aims to display wealth but symbolic of the sins of slavery that made such wealth possible), A Mercy takes a deep look into the ways the idea of freedom in the New World came at the cost of horrific suffering and exploitation of victims who were very much not free. Jacob sees the land with awe, 鈥�forests untouched since Noah, shorelines beautiful enough to bring tears, wild food for the taking.鈥� Though we should note the final words and the notion that the men have come here thinking everything is theirs 鈥�for the taking.鈥� And if they do not respect the land, why would they respect the people who were already living upon it, as we see through Lina, an indigenous woman owned by Jacob who struggles with survivors guilt after her entire village perished from smallpox brought by the European colonialists. She is forced to have 鈥�acknowledged her status as heathen鈥� and told she can only be 鈥�purified鈥� through unpaid, devoted labor to the white people who massacred her land and people for personal gain.
鈥�You are nothing but wilderness. No constraint. No mind.鈥�
In , French feminist philosopher draws a direct line between the mentality of owning land and property with the patriarchal belief of ownership over women, something we see in A Mercy with the juxtaposition of colonialist exploitation of land and the disgustingly legal ownership of the women on the farm. This is not a safe or free land for women. Rebekka, Jacob鈥檚 wife, notes that it is legal to beat your wife as long as it is before nightfall and if she is deemed to deserve it, exemplifying how misogyny and violence against women was normalized and even codified into law. The law would always look the other way anyways, especially if the woman is unwed and nobody even flinches at the far worse treatment of Black women. Sexual violence is rampant in this novel and in the histories of most of these women and treated as something they just have to expect and endure.
Generational trauma is seen throughout the novel and each generation is born into a world already set against them, their names already in a ledger of ownership over them and their labor. Florens mother tries to break the cycle, knowing Jacob will at least be better than her own plantation, though what she considers to be a mercy is felt by Florens as a betrayal and abandonment. Which will haunt her forever and frighten her decisions. But through all of this we see why close bonds between the women form鈥斺€�they had everything in common with one thing: the promise and threat of men鈥欌€攁nd how it helps sustain them in their times of need, and how holding this space for themselves and each other is critical in a society where they are denied space, safety, freedom and a voice.
鈥�Religion鈥as a flame fueled by a wondrous hatred.鈥�
Morrison shows how the European religions not only upheld the normalization of patriarchy and racism, but also served to divide people as well. Each of the various denominations are isolated and hostile to each other, with some rather pointed quips such as 鈥�shallow believers prefer a shallow God. The timid enjoyed a rampaging avenging god.鈥� Though we also see how religious beliefs are used to justify slavery (there were people used), to enact violence against the indigenous for being 鈥�heathens鈥� and to erase their culture through ways not just limited to missionary work. In contrast, we see characters such as Lina and those oppressed by the various denominations ignore their divisions to lump them as one oppressor (such as Lina calling them all 鈥楨uropes鈥�). Though despite their dismissal of non-Christian practices, it is the Blacksmith鈥檚 cultural healing that revives Rebekka when prayer is found to be ineffective.
鈥�Fire. How quick. How purposefully it ate whatever had been built, what had been life. Cleansing somehow and scandalous in beauty.鈥�
The extensive religious imagery all points to one idea: slavery as sin. And it is a sin that breaks the world and overtakes everyone. Even though Jacob initially dislikes the idea of slaves, he still reaps the profits of slavery and eventually gives in to participation in the slave trade. His new home made possible by slavery becomes almost a cursed land and symbol of sin, with his punishment becoming a litany of miseries and deaths in his family and even he perishes from disease. It is all consuming though, and we see how a small farm cannot compete with large plantations who willfully force slave labor to take in profits that would put anyone else out of business unless they too commit the sin of owning slaves and upholding the violence of slavery.
鈥�It was there I learned how I was not a person from my country, nor from my families.鈥�
Reputation is seen as essential in this society, but if 鈥�what a man leaves behind is what a man is,鈥� and they are leaving a legacy of violence, racial injustice and misogyny in their wake, then these men are symbolic of sin as well as Morrison explains. A Mercy is a devastating novel that forces us all to confront this horrendous history that still perpetuates itself in modern society and generational traumas (the novel by is an excellent expression of this). Toni Morrison was a giant of literature, well deserving of the Nobel Prize and left an awe-inspiring legacy not only on the US literary scene but all across the world. While a difficult novel to face, full of sexual violence and hardships, A Mercy is a stunning work that speaks to important topics and does so with writing that will sear straight through you.
5/5
鈥�I welcomed the circling sharks but they avoided me as if knowing I preferred their teeth to the chains around my neck my waist my ankles.鈥�
鈥�To be given dominion over another is a hard thing; to wrest dominion over another is a wrong thing; to give dominion of yourself to another is a wicked thing.鈥�
In her essay , Toni Morrison wrote 鈥�what was distinctive in the New World was, first of all, its claim to freedom, and second, the presence of the unfree within the heart of the democratic experiment.鈥� As her work often explores the idea of slavery as an original sin of the United States (best exemplified here by the serpents on the iron gates leading to Jacob鈥檚 new home, a house with the aims to display wealth but symbolic of the sins of slavery that made such wealth possible), A Mercy takes a deep look into the ways the idea of freedom in the New World came at the cost of horrific suffering and exploitation of victims who were very much not free. Jacob sees the land with awe, 鈥�forests untouched since Noah, shorelines beautiful enough to bring tears, wild food for the taking.鈥� Though we should note the final words and the notion that the men have come here thinking everything is theirs 鈥�for the taking.鈥� And if they do not respect the land, why would they respect the people who were already living upon it, as we see through Lina, an indigenous woman owned by Jacob who struggles with survivors guilt after her entire village perished from smallpox brought by the European colonialists. She is forced to have 鈥�acknowledged her status as heathen鈥� and told she can only be 鈥�purified鈥� through unpaid, devoted labor to the white people who massacred her land and people for personal gain.
鈥�You are nothing but wilderness. No constraint. No mind.鈥�
In , French feminist philosopher draws a direct line between the mentality of owning land and property with the patriarchal belief of ownership over women, something we see in A Mercy with the juxtaposition of colonialist exploitation of land and the disgustingly legal ownership of the women on the farm. This is not a safe or free land for women. Rebekka, Jacob鈥檚 wife, notes that it is legal to beat your wife as long as it is before nightfall and if she is deemed to deserve it, exemplifying how misogyny and violence against women was normalized and even codified into law. The law would always look the other way anyways, especially if the woman is unwed and nobody even flinches at the far worse treatment of Black women. Sexual violence is rampant in this novel and in the histories of most of these women and treated as something they just have to expect and endure.
鈥�There is no protection. To be female in this place is to be an open wound that cannot heal. Even if scars form, the festering is ever below.鈥�
Generational trauma is seen throughout the novel and each generation is born into a world already set against them, their names already in a ledger of ownership over them and their labor. Florens mother tries to break the cycle, knowing Jacob will at least be better than her own plantation, though what she considers to be a mercy is felt by Florens as a betrayal and abandonment. Which will haunt her forever and frighten her decisions. But through all of this we see why close bonds between the women form鈥斺€�they had everything in common with one thing: the promise and threat of men鈥欌€攁nd how it helps sustain them in their times of need, and how holding this space for themselves and each other is critical in a society where they are denied space, safety, freedom and a voice.
鈥�Religion鈥as a flame fueled by a wondrous hatred.鈥�
Morrison shows how the European religions not only upheld the normalization of patriarchy and racism, but also served to divide people as well. Each of the various denominations are isolated and hostile to each other, with some rather pointed quips such as 鈥�shallow believers prefer a shallow God. The timid enjoyed a rampaging avenging god.鈥� Though we also see how religious beliefs are used to justify slavery (there were people used), to enact violence against the indigenous for being 鈥�heathens鈥� and to erase their culture through ways not just limited to missionary work. In contrast, we see characters such as Lina and those oppressed by the various denominations ignore their divisions to lump them as one oppressor (such as Lina calling them all 鈥楨uropes鈥�). Though despite their dismissal of non-Christian practices, it is the Blacksmith鈥檚 cultural healing that revives Rebekka when prayer is found to be ineffective.
鈥�Fire. How quick. How purposefully it ate whatever had been built, what had been life. Cleansing somehow and scandalous in beauty.鈥�
The extensive religious imagery all points to one idea: slavery as sin. And it is a sin that breaks the world and overtakes everyone. Even though Jacob initially dislikes the idea of slaves, he still reaps the profits of slavery and eventually gives in to participation in the slave trade. His new home made possible by slavery becomes almost a cursed land and symbol of sin, with his punishment becoming a litany of miseries and deaths in his family and even he perishes from disease. It is all consuming though, and we see how a small farm cannot compete with large plantations who willfully force slave labor to take in profits that would put anyone else out of business unless they too commit the sin of owning slaves and upholding the violence of slavery.
鈥�It was there I learned how I was not a person from my country, nor from my families.鈥�
Reputation is seen as essential in this society, but if 鈥�what a man leaves behind is what a man is,鈥� and they are leaving a legacy of violence, racial injustice and misogyny in their wake, then these men are symbolic of sin as well as Morrison explains. A Mercy is a devastating novel that forces us all to confront this horrendous history that still perpetuates itself in modern society and generational traumas (the novel by is an excellent expression of this). Toni Morrison was a giant of literature, well deserving of the Nobel Prize and left an awe-inspiring legacy not only on the US literary scene but all across the world. While a difficult novel to face, full of sexual violence and hardships, A Mercy is a stunning work that speaks to important topics and does so with writing that will sear straight through you.
5/5
鈥�I welcomed the circling sharks but they avoided me as if knowing I preferred their teeth to the chains around my neck my waist my ankles.鈥�
November 16, 2023
This is a devastating look not only at the slave experience in the 17th century, but of various forms of bondage and of the place of women in that world. While skin color may have defined one sort of servitude, gender and class define others. Yet there are ways to find space between the bars.
Toni Morrison - from The Telegraph
Set in the late 17th century, this is an ensemble story. Florens is a young, spirited slave girl. She speaks in the first person giving us a look from inside her skin. Except for one chapter by Florens鈥� mother, the rest of the book is third person. We see Florens鈥� experience with owners, families and yearnings old and new. Jakob is a kindly merchant/farmer, eager to help the unfortunate, always recalling his own humble, even desperate childhood. Rebekka is outwardly a free white woman, but truly was sold by her parents to be Jakob鈥檚 wife no less than any black slave. Lina is the eldest of three helper women on Jakob鈥檚 farm, a mother and friend to Rebekka. She is a Native American, a survivor of a small pox outbreak and the subsequent torching of her village. Sorrow is a black-toothed, somewhat addled woman who washed up on shore after a shipwreck. She holds conversations with an imaginary twin. Morrison also shows us two indentured servants. Despite having fixed terms to their indenture, their bosses find or concoct excuses to prolong their indebtedness and thus their servitude endlessly.
Religion comes in for a beating here.
The 17th century is a cruel, harsh world
But even with all the horror of the world we still define for ourselves who we are, maybe by paring crusted misery from our memory, maybe from holding some part of our true self separate from the harsh world.
=============================EXTRA STUFF
惭辞谤谤颈蝉辞苍鈥檚 page - Morrison passed in 2019. The page is maintained by Knopf.
Reviews of other Morrison work
-----2014 - God Help the Child
-----2011 - Home
-----1987 -
Read but not reviewed
-----1977 - Song of Solomon
-----1973 - Sula
Toni Morrison - from The Telegraph
Set in the late 17th century, this is an ensemble story. Florens is a young, spirited slave girl. She speaks in the first person giving us a look from inside her skin. Except for one chapter by Florens鈥� mother, the rest of the book is third person. We see Florens鈥� experience with owners, families and yearnings old and new. Jakob is a kindly merchant/farmer, eager to help the unfortunate, always recalling his own humble, even desperate childhood. Rebekka is outwardly a free white woman, but truly was sold by her parents to be Jakob鈥檚 wife no less than any black slave. Lina is the eldest of three helper women on Jakob鈥檚 farm, a mother and friend to Rebekka. She is a Native American, a survivor of a small pox outbreak and the subsequent torching of her village. Sorrow is a black-toothed, somewhat addled woman who washed up on shore after a shipwreck. She holds conversations with an imaginary twin. Morrison also shows us two indentured servants. Despite having fixed terms to their indenture, their bosses find or concoct excuses to prolong their indebtedness and thus their servitude endlessly.
the original seven years stretched to twenty-some, he said, and he had long ago forgotten most of the mischief that kept extending his bondage.One cannot but think of today鈥檚 extension of tours of duty in the military.
Religion comes in for a beating here.
Religion, as Rebekka experienced if from her mother, was a flame fueled by a wondrous hatred.In one scene, Florens is suspected by a bizarre woman of being a witch and is forced to strip so she can be checked to see if she has a tail. Later, she attaches herself to a free black man in another form of devotion, only to have that work out badly. Lina had been taken in by a group of fundamentalists, who, unkindly, named her Messalina, seeing her as cursed by God. A curate is guilty of buggering a young boy.
The 17th century is a cruel, harsh world
鈥t was clear in her household that execution was a festivity as exciting as a king鈥檚 parade. Brawls, knifings and kidnaps were so common in the city of her birth that the warnings of slaughter in a new, unseen world were like threats of bad weatherboth in the old world and the new. Jakob offers a relatively safe place, a fenced-in peaceful community where orphans collect.
But even with all the horror of the world we still define for ourselves who we are, maybe by paring crusted misery from our memory, maybe from holding some part of our true self separate from the harsh world.
Solitude, regret and fury would have broken her had she not erased those six years preceding the death of the world. The company of other children, industrious mothers in beautiful jewelry, the majestic plan of life: when to vacate, to harvest, to burn, to hunt; ceremonies of death, birth and worship. She stored and sorted what she dared to recall and eliminated the rest, an activity that shaped her inside and out. By the time Mistress came, her self-invention was almost perfected. Soon it was irresistible.While maybe not the masterpiece that was, A Mercy is a very dense novel, a torte of a work, covering a range of subjects rich in significance, in language that is moving and penetrating.
=============================EXTRA STUFF
惭辞谤谤颈蝉辞苍鈥檚 page - Morrison passed in 2019. The page is maintained by Knopf.
Reviews of other Morrison work
-----2014 - God Help the Child
-----2011 - Home
-----1987 -
Read but not reviewed
-----1977 - Song of Solomon
-----1973 - Sula
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 7, 2015
鈥淚t was there I learned how I was not a person from my country, nor from my families. I was negrita. Everything. Language, dress, gods, dance, habits, decoration, song鈥� all of it cooked together in the colour of my skin.鈥� 鈥� Toni Morrison, A Mercy
It鈥檚 the 17th Century, and slavery is still relatively new in the Americas. The people living there have either been brought there by force or have voluntarily gone there to start a new life. They are people with no roots in their new country, no family either. And in such a small space, Morrison manages to pack away so many stories, so many emotions.
This was definitely a satisfying read and, as is always the case with Morrison, we are rewarded with poetic and perfectly crafted sentences.
Morrison paints the New World as a place of hope, but also very different from the Old World:
鈥淩ight, he thought, looking at a sky vulgar with stars. Clear and right. The silver that glittered there was not at all unreachable. And that wide swath of cream pouring through the stars was his for the tasting.鈥�
鈥淯nlike the English fogs he had known since he could walk, or those way north where he lived now, this one was sun fired, turning the world into thick, hot gold. Penetrating it was like struggling through a dream.鈥�
What鈥檚 common among the women in the story is that they are all victims. Regardless of colour or station, be they slave or free, they are reliant on men and their situation is precarious. They are in many ways pawns; their role in the New World is only slightly above cattle.
How do people displaced from their homes try to come to terms with this separation? How do they try to save their cultures and traditions?
鈥淩elying on memory and her own resources, she cobbled together neglected rites, merged Europe medicine with native, scripture with lore, and recalled or invented the hidden meaning of things. Found, in other words, a way to be in the world.鈥�
Slavery is never easy to read about but this line was especially poignant to me:
鈥淭he two men walked the row, inspecting. D鈥橭rtega identifying talents, weaknesses and possibilities, but silent about the scars, the wounds like misplaced veins tracing their skin.鈥�
This book has a lot of sadness in it, then again 惭辞谤谤颈蝉辞苍鈥檚 books are never cheerful. What I love about her chronicles is that she gives voices and feelings to people who are often ignored. Morrison always seems to adds a new layer of emotion to her characters.
It鈥檚 the 17th Century, and slavery is still relatively new in the Americas. The people living there have either been brought there by force or have voluntarily gone there to start a new life. They are people with no roots in their new country, no family either. And in such a small space, Morrison manages to pack away so many stories, so many emotions.
This was definitely a satisfying read and, as is always the case with Morrison, we are rewarded with poetic and perfectly crafted sentences.
Morrison paints the New World as a place of hope, but also very different from the Old World:
鈥淩ight, he thought, looking at a sky vulgar with stars. Clear and right. The silver that glittered there was not at all unreachable. And that wide swath of cream pouring through the stars was his for the tasting.鈥�
鈥淯nlike the English fogs he had known since he could walk, or those way north where he lived now, this one was sun fired, turning the world into thick, hot gold. Penetrating it was like struggling through a dream.鈥�
What鈥檚 common among the women in the story is that they are all victims. Regardless of colour or station, be they slave or free, they are reliant on men and their situation is precarious. They are in many ways pawns; their role in the New World is only slightly above cattle.
How do people displaced from their homes try to come to terms with this separation? How do they try to save their cultures and traditions?
鈥淩elying on memory and her own resources, she cobbled together neglected rites, merged Europe medicine with native, scripture with lore, and recalled or invented the hidden meaning of things. Found, in other words, a way to be in the world.鈥�
Slavery is never easy to read about but this line was especially poignant to me:
鈥淭he two men walked the row, inspecting. D鈥橭rtega identifying talents, weaknesses and possibilities, but silent about the scars, the wounds like misplaced veins tracing their skin.鈥�
This book has a lot of sadness in it, then again 惭辞谤谤颈蝉辞苍鈥檚 books are never cheerful. What I love about her chronicles is that she gives voices and feelings to people who are often ignored. Morrison always seems to adds a new layer of emotion to her characters.
August 7, 2019
xxxxxxxx
December 22, 2014
Toni, Toni, Toni...it feels good to know you again.
A Mercy is a gorgeous narrative of a dark time that flitters from person to person: child, slave, sympathetic Dutch businessman, mother. Betrayal is ever present, even seemingly from mother to child.
The setting and subject is slavery in 17th century America, specifically Catholic Maryland. These are early days in the New World. Superstition was rife. Black magic and the devil were palpably real.
With a bevy of glimpses Morrison displays most of the facets of slavery in this period, in this place. She does not forget that it was black Africans who kidnapped and sold black Africans to white Europeans, who sold them into slavery. She did not forget that white slavery existed in this time. She wrote about a people's strife without bended knee and bleeding heart, and yet your heart will bleed.
Admittedly, I was turned off within the first few pages, because of the gypsy narration. I like permanence in my storytelling voice and this was very reminiscent of William Faulkner's The Sound and The Fury with its variant and confusing p.o.v.s and its scene setting via murky imagery. But I stuck with it, soon was enjoying A Mercy and in the end, came to love it.
The writing is so strong, emotive and filled with vivid imagery. It is the kind of writing that inspires writers in their craft.
This was a revisit to an old acquaintance for me. Not since college have I read a Toni Morrison novel. I loved it then, so why the delay? Why do we do that? When you only have one life - a single existence which could be snuffed out in an instance - why neglect the good things in life? Cherish what you have. It may be taken from you. Though we can only hope fate will be merciful.
A Mercy is a gorgeous narrative of a dark time that flitters from person to person: child, slave, sympathetic Dutch businessman, mother. Betrayal is ever present, even seemingly from mother to child.
The setting and subject is slavery in 17th century America, specifically Catholic Maryland. These are early days in the New World. Superstition was rife. Black magic and the devil were palpably real.
With a bevy of glimpses Morrison displays most of the facets of slavery in this period, in this place. She does not forget that it was black Africans who kidnapped and sold black Africans to white Europeans, who sold them into slavery. She did not forget that white slavery existed in this time. She wrote about a people's strife without bended knee and bleeding heart, and yet your heart will bleed.
Admittedly, I was turned off within the first few pages, because of the gypsy narration. I like permanence in my storytelling voice and this was very reminiscent of William Faulkner's The Sound and The Fury with its variant and confusing p.o.v.s and its scene setting via murky imagery. But I stuck with it, soon was enjoying A Mercy and in the end, came to love it.
The writing is so strong, emotive and filled with vivid imagery. It is the kind of writing that inspires writers in their craft.
This was a revisit to an old acquaintance for me. Not since college have I read a Toni Morrison novel. I loved it then, so why the delay? Why do we do that? When you only have one life - a single existence which could be snuffed out in an instance - why neglect the good things in life? Cherish what you have. It may be taken from you. Though we can only hope fate will be merciful.
June 25, 2022
An author arrives at the pinnacle of her powers. She writes her masterpiece. Does she know it will never be so good again? Virginia Woolf famously struggled after completing The Waves and went into a long mounting depression that killed her. Toni Morrison's writing career though is more similar to Don DeLillo. The masterpiece came relatively early. Lots of novels follow the masterpiece. None of them reach the heights of the masterpiece but they are novels we're very glad to have in the world.
In many ways A Mercy feels like the novel Morrison wrote before Beloved. It is a beautiful book in its thrilling complexity of design and poetic prose. When I finished it I immediately began reading it again - to discover what I had missed and gain more clarity on how all the pieces fall together in chronology. It takes us back to the beginnings of America. Jacob Vaark arrives from Europe. He advertises for an English wife. He takes pity on a native American orphan and hires her. His ambitions though extend beyond farming. When a business associate can't afford to pay a debt he offers Jacob shackled slave workers. Jacob is appalled. A woman begs him to take her daughter. This is the act of mercy. The half crazy girl of a shipwreck also joins the family. Morrison shuffles time frames as she is so good at doing. And gives all her characters a distinctive voice. The women are all essentially captive though Jacob is a kindly master. He though dies of smallpox which his wife also catches. The girls know they will be leaves for every wind that blows unless the wife survives the sickness and the book almost ends with their attempts to save her, to change the course of history. The end itself is the beginning: the snatching of the mercy child's mother from her home in Africa and her experience of being sold into slavery.
In many ways A Mercy feels like the novel Morrison wrote before Beloved. It is a beautiful book in its thrilling complexity of design and poetic prose. When I finished it I immediately began reading it again - to discover what I had missed and gain more clarity on how all the pieces fall together in chronology. It takes us back to the beginnings of America. Jacob Vaark arrives from Europe. He advertises for an English wife. He takes pity on a native American orphan and hires her. His ambitions though extend beyond farming. When a business associate can't afford to pay a debt he offers Jacob shackled slave workers. Jacob is appalled. A woman begs him to take her daughter. This is the act of mercy. The half crazy girl of a shipwreck also joins the family. Morrison shuffles time frames as she is so good at doing. And gives all her characters a distinctive voice. The women are all essentially captive though Jacob is a kindly master. He though dies of smallpox which his wife also catches. The girls know they will be leaves for every wind that blows unless the wife survives the sickness and the book almost ends with their attempts to save her, to change the course of history. The end itself is the beginning: the snatching of the mercy child's mother from her home in Africa and her experience of being sold into slavery.
January 4, 2009
Back in college I took a course on Colonial America because I had to. It was pretty tough for me to get into it at the time, since I never really gave a crap about that inaccessible and unglamorous period. I wish this book had been around in those days, because Morrison's efforts to describe that bizarre and confusing world might've helped me get better picture of the time, and therefore care more about what I was learning. To me, A Mercy really is incredible historical fiction that provides access to a strange time and the people who lived in it. Morrison exposes the insides of her seventeenth-century characters in a way that made them sympathetic and comprehensible, though still remote and unfamiliar, even foreign. I didn't feel I could relate to these people at all, which for me was part of the point -- what do I have in common with someone living four hundred years ago? -- but also kept me feeling somewhat detached for the first two thirds of the novel. I enjoyed it, but I didn't really freak out about this book the way some other Booksters did until the last few chapters, which were totally fabulous and really did blow my mind.
Recently on here there was some friendly (I think) bickering about Howard Zinn's People's History of the US and the whole question of multiculturalism and revisionist history. Although it's fiction, A Mercy is an almost perfect example of how I like my American history served: organic, unflinching, and successfully synthesizing, rather than just reacting against previous histories. In A Mercy, Morrison tears away the veil of idealism and whitewashing to stare unflinchingly at the myth of America, then unapologetically celebrates that very myth (it seemed to me), and it's pretty extraordinary. There's one passage in here about a character leaving the cramped, violent filth of Europe for the fresh, clean, virginal Eden of the New World, and it just gave me chills. I mean, it's really spectacular! She writes about all this slavery and sexual violence and persecution and disease in a way that lets you imagine what it was like to live in that era, and somehow, paradoxically, it makes the classic American myths -- especially the myth of freedom -- seem true for the first time, in a new way.... if that makes any sense. Morrison captures the complexity and brutality of Colonial America, cataloguing the various ways there were to be unfree (slavery, indentured servitude, marriage, etc.) through a multiethnic cast of characters who she's able to write as both weighty symbols and deeply human individuals in a way only -- and almost no one else -- is able to get away with. The chapters are written from the perspectives of the various characters, in this unbelievable Morrisonesque language that will make you freak out. Yeah, this book probably will make you freak out.... Plus, it's super short! It's also a really interesting perspective on the legacy of American slavery, that recontextualizes it in a much earlier, more northern setting than most treatments, and gets into some different questions and issues than a lot of us are probably used to. Also, did I mention this lady can write?
So yeah, in closing: I wasn't competely nuts about this, and especially at the beginning I had a couple weird moments where I almost felt like I was reading a trashy romance novel -- because of the subject matter, not the style -- but it was a good book, and I do recommend it.
Recently on here there was some friendly (I think) bickering about Howard Zinn's People's History of the US and the whole question of multiculturalism and revisionist history. Although it's fiction, A Mercy is an almost perfect example of how I like my American history served: organic, unflinching, and successfully synthesizing, rather than just reacting against previous histories. In A Mercy, Morrison tears away the veil of idealism and whitewashing to stare unflinchingly at the myth of America, then unapologetically celebrates that very myth (it seemed to me), and it's pretty extraordinary. There's one passage in here about a character leaving the cramped, violent filth of Europe for the fresh, clean, virginal Eden of the New World, and it just gave me chills. I mean, it's really spectacular! She writes about all this slavery and sexual violence and persecution and disease in a way that lets you imagine what it was like to live in that era, and somehow, paradoxically, it makes the classic American myths -- especially the myth of freedom -- seem true for the first time, in a new way.... if that makes any sense. Morrison captures the complexity and brutality of Colonial America, cataloguing the various ways there were to be unfree (slavery, indentured servitude, marriage, etc.) through a multiethnic cast of characters who she's able to write as both weighty symbols and deeply human individuals in a way only -- and almost no one else -- is able to get away with. The chapters are written from the perspectives of the various characters, in this unbelievable Morrisonesque language that will make you freak out. Yeah, this book probably will make you freak out.... Plus, it's super short! It's also a really interesting perspective on the legacy of American slavery, that recontextualizes it in a much earlier, more northern setting than most treatments, and gets into some different questions and issues than a lot of us are probably used to. Also, did I mention this lady can write?
So yeah, in closing: I wasn't competely nuts about this, and especially at the beginning I had a couple weird moments where I almost felt like I was reading a trashy romance novel -- because of the subject matter, not the style -- but it was a good book, and I do recommend it.
November 1, 2021
This story occurs in the late 1600s, during early days of slavery in America (that is, African people being used as slaves). By that time however, the tradition of using 'indentured servants' - essentially white slaves - was already well established.
In this tale, several slaves work on a small farm run by Jacob and Rebekka Vaark.
The indentured servants are: Native American Lina - whose tribe has been decimated by disease;
Black child Florens - who was given away by her mother;
And jinxed Sorrow, who seems to bring bad luck wherever she goes.
As Jacob and Rebekka fall victim to smallpox the women - Lina, Florens, Sorrow, and Rebekka - each tells her tale in her own voice.
We learn that Lina is a capable farmer who forged a friendship with Rebekka; that Florens yearns for affection and fell in love with a free African blacksmith;
That uneducated Sorrow - who may be more clever than she seems - still can't fathom why she keeps getting pregnant;
And that Rebekka traveled to America to marry a man she didn't know.
Though the Vaarks are relatively kind masters the book touches on the evils of slavery and demonstrates the soul-deep damage caused by this practice. A well-written book with compelling and interesting characters.
You can follow my reviews at
May 13, 2025
Toni Morrison is such a classical and iconic writer that I struggle to wrap my head around the fact that she wrote and published novels well into the 21st century. When I think of her I think of the 70s, 80s and 90s. She seems like a relic from the past, not because her work is outdated (it's quite the opposite actually, it becomes more relevant with each year that passes) but because she wrote in such a grand manner. People don't write like that anymore.
I read her body of work out of order and so with no rhyme or reason A Mercy ended up being the last Morrison novel I ever got to read for the first time. I read Playing in the Dark in 2017 but my first proper Morrison novel, Song of Solomon, I read in 2021. (Up to this day, it's my favorite of hers.) In the ensuing four years, I read her other 10 novels, her play Desdemona and her brilliant short story Recitatif. Not only did this woman never write a bad book, she never even wrote a bad sentence. Everything she ever put to paper just made sense. She played in a league of her own, and we can count ourselves lucky that we got to live in the time of Morrison. Her work is a treasure and she was a blessing.
The novel centers the lives of different women in different positions: Florens, an enslaved girl, lives and works on Jacob Vaark's rural farm. She was given up in a seemingly dreadful act by her mother who rather wanted her daughter to be sold than herself. Lina, a Native American and fellow laborer on the Vaark farm, relates in a parallel narrative how she became one of a handful of survivors of a smallpox plague that destroyed her tribe. Sorrow, another enslaved woman on the farm, was found half drowned as an adolescent and then given to Jacob. She is mentally unstable. Vaark's wife Rebekka describes leaving England on a ship for the new world to be married to a man she has never seen.
The young Florens is bought because all of the Vaark's babies subsequently die, and Vaark hopes that Florens will help alleviate Rebekka's loneliness. However, it is Lina and Florens that become inseparable. Florens wanted a mother and Lina wanted a child, and so they cling to each other. Due to her own mother's neglect, Florens is eager for approval: "However slight, any kindness shown her she munched like a rabbit." When Vaark dies of smallpox and the disease threatens his wife's life, Florens, now 16, is sent to find the Blacksmith, a Black freedman, who has some knowledge of herbal medicines. She falls in love with him but disaster strikes when she is to look after the Blacksmith's son (as he goes off to heal Rebekka), becomes paranoid about the boy's presence, and breaks his arm when he won't stop crying. Furious, the Blacksmith casts Florens out after his return.
Florens then returns to the farm and finds Rebekka healed. Much changes, however. The farm has grown wild during the time it was left unattended, so Rebekka hires Will and Scully for help. While Florens was away, Sorrow gave birth to her baby, and motherhood improves her mental health significantly. Rebekka becomes highly religious after her near death experience, and also becomes very mean. She is cruel to Lina, beats Sorrow, and intends to sell Florens. Florens, too, is changed. She is much more moody since the Blacksmith left her, and often thinks of how her mother abandoned her. Every night she sneaks into the house and carves words into the wood of one room, narrating her story in the hopes that someday the Blacksmith will read it. Florens never finds out the true reason behind her mother's actions:
A Mercy is full of complicated and nuanced relationships. The one that stuck out to me the most is the one between Lina and Mistress. Over the course of the novel, Morrison describes how the two become "friends": "They became friends. [...] Mostly because neither knew precisely what they were doing or how." It was interesting to read about their kinship because despite the obvious hierarchy, Mistress was struggling due to her position as a woman as well. However, I didn't really buy the realness of their friendship due to the obvious dependencies. And I appreciate that Morrison proved my fears right by the end, when Mistress turns on Lina (and the other women) and it becomes clear that she never saw her as an equal, or even a full human being. It's a chilling realisation but one that rings true.
I read her body of work out of order and so with no rhyme or reason A Mercy ended up being the last Morrison novel I ever got to read for the first time. I read Playing in the Dark in 2017 but my first proper Morrison novel, Song of Solomon, I read in 2021. (Up to this day, it's my favorite of hers.) In the ensuing four years, I read her other 10 novels, her play Desdemona and her brilliant short story Recitatif. Not only did this woman never write a bad book, she never even wrote a bad sentence. Everything she ever put to paper just made sense. She played in a league of her own, and we can count ourselves lucky that we got to live in the time of Morrison. Her work is a treasure and she was a blessing.
"To be female in this place is to be an open wound that cannot heal."A Mercy, Morrison's ninth novel, published in 2008, is set in colonial America in the late 17th century and tells the story of a European farmer, his purchased wife, and his growing household of indentured or enslaved white, Native American, and African people. The novel is only 167 pages long 鈥� which might be my only complaint, I wanted to dig deeper below its surface 鈥� which meant that I read it in one session in the middle of March. Now, two months later, as I'm writing this review, I have to be honest and admit that the plot and the novel's characters didn't stick that much with me. I appreciate how this story was told but on my first read, I didn't particularly care about the story that was told.
The novel centers the lives of different women in different positions: Florens, an enslaved girl, lives and works on Jacob Vaark's rural farm. She was given up in a seemingly dreadful act by her mother who rather wanted her daughter to be sold than herself. Lina, a Native American and fellow laborer on the Vaark farm, relates in a parallel narrative how she became one of a handful of survivors of a smallpox plague that destroyed her tribe. Sorrow, another enslaved woman on the farm, was found half drowned as an adolescent and then given to Jacob. She is mentally unstable. Vaark's wife Rebekka describes leaving England on a ship for the new world to be married to a man she has never seen.
The young Florens is bought because all of the Vaark's babies subsequently die, and Vaark hopes that Florens will help alleviate Rebekka's loneliness. However, it is Lina and Florens that become inseparable. Florens wanted a mother and Lina wanted a child, and so they cling to each other. Due to her own mother's neglect, Florens is eager for approval: "However slight, any kindness shown her she munched like a rabbit." When Vaark dies of smallpox and the disease threatens his wife's life, Florens, now 16, is sent to find the Blacksmith, a Black freedman, who has some knowledge of herbal medicines. She falls in love with him but disaster strikes when she is to look after the Blacksmith's son (as he goes off to heal Rebekka), becomes paranoid about the boy's presence, and breaks his arm when he won't stop crying. Furious, the Blacksmith casts Florens out after his return.
Florens then returns to the farm and finds Rebekka healed. Much changes, however. The farm has grown wild during the time it was left unattended, so Rebekka hires Will and Scully for help. While Florens was away, Sorrow gave birth to her baby, and motherhood improves her mental health significantly. Rebekka becomes highly religious after her near death experience, and also becomes very mean. She is cruel to Lina, beats Sorrow, and intends to sell Florens. Florens, too, is changed. She is much more moody since the Blacksmith left her, and often thinks of how her mother abandoned her. Every night she sneaks into the house and carves words into the wood of one room, narrating her story in the hopes that someday the Blacksmith will read it. Florens never finds out the true reason behind her mother's actions:
"One chance, I thought. There is no protection but there is difference. You stood there in those shoes and the tall man laughed and said he would take me to close the debt. I knew Senhor would not allow it. I said you. Take you, my daughter. Because I saw the tall man see you as a human child, not pieces of eight. I knelt before him. Hoping for a miracle. He said yes. It was not a miracle. Bestowed by God. It was a mercy. Offered by a human. I stayed on my knees. In the dust where my heart will remain each night and every day until you understand what I know and long to tell you: to be given dominion over another is a hard thing, to wrest dominion over another is a wrong thing; to give dominion of yourself to another is a wicked thing."All these characters are bereft of their roots, struggling to survive in a new and alien environment filled with danger and disease. Personally, I found it interesting to see the many parallels in the narrative structure as well as the novel's themes to other Morrison novels. The section in which the reader is directly addressed reminded me of how Morrison's subsequent novel Home was written. Similarly, Florens being given up by her mother (not out of self-preservation but out of her mother's absolute will to protect her daughter from rape and other crimes of men) is reminiscent of the plot of Beloved, where an enslaved mother even goes so far as to (attempt to) kill her children to protect them from being enslaved.
A Mercy is full of complicated and nuanced relationships. The one that stuck out to me the most is the one between Lina and Mistress. Over the course of the novel, Morrison describes how the two become "friends": "They became friends. [...] Mostly because neither knew precisely what they were doing or how." It was interesting to read about their kinship because despite the obvious hierarchy, Mistress was struggling due to her position as a woman as well. However, I didn't really buy the realness of their friendship due to the obvious dependencies. And I appreciate that Morrison proved my fears right by the end, when Mistress turns on Lina (and the other women) and it becomes clear that she never saw her as an equal, or even a full human being. It's a chilling realisation but one that rings true.
June 9, 2023
袣邪泻 胁褋械谐写邪, 褍 孝芯薪懈 袦芯褉褉懈褋芯薪, 褋褌懈谢褜 锌懈褋褜屑邪 屑芯褖械薪 懈 锌芯谢芯薪 褋懈谢褘.
袛械泄褋褌胁懈械 褉芯屑邪薪邪 "袞邪谢芯褋褌褜" 锌褉芯懈褋褏芯写懈褌 胁 泻芯薪褑械 褋械屑薪邪写褑邪褌芯谐芯 胁械泻邪, 泻芯谐写邪 械褖褢 懈 小楔袗 薪械 褋褍褖械褋褌胁芯胁邪谢芯, 薪芯 蟹邪褌芯 泻芯谢芯薪懈褋褌褘 胁褋械褏 屑邪褋褌械泄 褍褋褌褉械屑懈谢懈褋褜 胁 袧芯胁褘泄 小胁械褌 蟹邪褏胁邪褌褘胁邪褌褜 蟹械屑谢懈, 褍褖械屑谢褟褟 懈 泻芯褉械薪薪芯械 薪邪褋械谢械薪懈械 懈 胁胁芯蟹褟 褉邪斜芯胁 褋 袗褎褉懈泻懈. 袩芯懈褋泻 泻芯褉薪械泄, 懈写械薪褌懈褔薪芯褋褌懈 胁邪卸械薪 写谢褟 泻邪卸写芯谐芯 褔械谢芯胁械泻邪 懈 泻邪卸写芯谐芯 薪邪褉芯写邪. 袠褋褌芯褉懈褟 褉邪斜褋褌胁邪 褌邪泻卸械 胁邪卸薪邪.
袣邪泻 胁褋械谐写邪, 孝芯薪懈 袦芯褉褉懈褋芯薪 锌懈褕械褌 芯 卸械薪褖懈薪邪褏, 褑胁械褌薪褘褏 卸械薪褖懈薪邪褏, 薪芯 懈 斜械谢褘褏 褌芯卸械, 芯 卸械薪褖懈薪邪褏-屑邪褌械褉褟褏. 袩械褉械写 薪邪褕懈屑懈 谐谢邪蟹邪屑懈 褉邪蟹胁芯褉邪褔懈胁邪褞褌褋褟 褋褍写褜斜褘 褔械褌褘褉械褏 卸械薪褖懈薪. 袨薪懈 卸懈胁褍褌 胁 褍褋邪写褜斜械 袛卸械泻芯斜邪 袙邪邪褉泻邪, 胁芯蟹薪邪屑械褉懈胁褕械谐芯褋褟 褋褌褉芯懈褌褜 "褉邪泄褋泻懈泄 褍谐芯谢芯泻".袞械薪懈谢褋褟 芯薪 薪邪 袪械斜械泻泻械, 锌芯褔褌懈 褉械斜械薪泻械, 褔械褌褘褉薪邪写褑邪褌懈谢械褌薪械泄 写械胁芯褔泻械 懈蟹 袗薪谐谢懈懈, 锌褉懈斜褘胁褕械泄 薪邪 "泻芯褉邪斜谢械 薪械胁械褋褌", 锌芯褌芯屑褍 褔褌芯 芯褌械褑 薪械 褏芯褌械谢 泻芯褉屑懈褌褜 谢懈褕薪懈泄 褉芯褌. 袛械褌械泄 褍 薪懈褏 薪械 斜褘谢芯, 芯薪懈 褍屑懈褉邪谢懈 胁 屑谢邪写械薪褔械褋褌胁械, 褌芯谢褜泻芯 芯写薪邪 写芯褔泻邪 写芯卸懈谢邪 写芯 锌褟褌懈 谢械褌. 袣芯谐写邪 懈 褌邪 褍屑械褉谢邪, 袛卸械泻芯斜 胁蟹褟谢 胁 褋褔褢褌 写芯谢谐邪 褍 锌芯褉褌褍谐邪谢褜褋泻芯谐芯 蟹械屑谢械胁谢邪写械谢褜褑邪 褔械褉薪芯泻芯卸褍褞 写械胁芯褔泻褍, 胁蟹褟谢 懈蟹 卸邪谢芯褋褌懈, 泻邪泻 泻 写械胁芯褔泻械, 褌邪泻 懈 泻 褋胁芯械泄 卸械薪械, 薪械写邪胁薪芯 锌芯褌械褉褟胁褕械泄 写芯褔褜, 懈 写褍屑邪褟, 褔褌芯 褉械斜械薪芯泻 褌芯谐芯 卸械 胁芯蟹褉邪褋褌邪 屑芯卸械褌 泻邪泻-褌芯 褍褌械褕懈褌褜. 袧芯 屑芯卸械褌 谢懈 褔褍卸芯泄 褉械斜械薪芯泻 褍褌械褕懈褌褜 屑邪褌械褉懈薪褋泻芯械 褋械褉写褑械? 小薪邪褔邪谢邪 袪械斜械泻泻邪 斜褘谢邪 胁褉邪卸写械斜薪邪 薪邪褋褌褉芯械薪邪 泻 肖谢芯褉邪薪褋, 薪芯 褋芯 胁褉械屑械薪械屑, 械械 褋械褉写褑械 褋屑褟谐褔懈谢芯褋褜. 袛卸械泄泻芯斜 锌芯泻邪蟹邪薪 锌褉芯褌懈胁薪懈泻芯屑 褉邪斜褋褌胁邪, 械谐芯 泻芯褉芯斜懈谢芯 芯褌薪芯褕械薪懈械 泻 褉邪斜邪屑, 泻邪泻 泻 卸懈胁芯屑褍 褌芯胁邪褉褍. 袨薪 蟹邪褏芯褌械谢 胁蟹褟褌褜 胁 褋褔褢褌 写芯谢谐邪 褔械褉薪芯泻芯卸褍褞 褉邪斜褘薪褞, 薪芯 写'袨褉褌械谐邪 芯褌泻邪蟹邪谢褋褟, 褌芯谐写邪 屑邪褌褜 写械胁芯褔泻懈 锌芯锌褉芯褋懈谢邪: "袙芯蟹褜屑懈褌械 屑芯褞 写芯褔褜". 袣邪泻 芯薪邪 芯斜褗褟褋薪懈谢邪 - 胁 薪邪写械卸写械 薪邪 谢褍褔褕褍褞 写芯谢褞. 袛卸械泄泻芯斜 写械泄褋褌胁懈褌械谢褜薪芯 锌芯卸邪谢械谢 写械胁芯褔泻褍 懈 屑邪褌褜 薪械 芯褕懈斜谢邪褋褜. 袧芯 肖谢芯褉械薪褋 薪械 屑芯谐谢邪 械泄 锌褉芯褋褌懈褌褜 褉邪蟹谢褍泻懈 懈 械械 屑芯卸薪芯 锌芯薪褟褌褜. 袝褖褢 芯写薪邪 芯斜懈褌邪褌械谢褜薪懈褑邪 薪械写芯褋褌褉芯械薪薪芯谐芯 褉邪褟, 锌褉械写褋褌邪胁懈褌械谢褜薪懈褑邪 泻芯褉械薪薪褘褏 邪屑械褉懈泻邪薪褑械胁, 褌芯卸械 褉邪斜褘薪褟. 袝械 写械褉械胁薪褟 斜褘谢邪 褍薪懈褔褌芯卸械薪邪 斜芯谢械蟹薪褜褞, 褋芯谢写邪褌褘-械胁褉芯锌械泄褑褘, 褔褌芯斜褘 芯褋褌邪薪芯胁懈褌褜 褝锌懈写械屑懈褞, 褋芯卸谐谢懈 械械, 懈 写械胁芯褔泻褍 芯褌写邪谢懈 薪邪 胁芯褋锌懈褌邪薪懈械. 袝泄 写邪谢懈 懈屑褟 袦械褋褋邪谢懈薪邪, 邪 泻芯褉芯褌泻芯, 袥懈薪邪. 袠 薪邪泻芯薪械褑, 械褖褢 芯写薪邪 褉邪斜褘薪褟 袚芯褉械屑褘泻邪, 薪械 褋芯胁褋械屑 屑械薪褌邪谢褜薪芯 蟹写芯褉芯胁邪, 胁械褉懈胁褕邪褟 胁 褌芯, 褔褌芯 械械 胁褘褌邪褖懈谢懈 懈蟹 屑芯褉褟 泻懈褌褘. 袛卸械泄泻芯斜 褌芯卸械 胁蟹褟谢 械械 懈蟹 卸邪谢芯褋褌懈. 袨薪邪 薪械褋锌芯褋芯斜薪邪 斜褘谢邪 泻 褉邪斜芯褌械, 薪芯 锌芯褋谢械 褉芯卸写械薪懈褟 写芯褔械褉懈 泻 薪械泄 胁芯蟹胁褉邪褖邪械褌褋褟 褉邪蟹褍屑. 袙褋械, 褔褌芯 懈褏 胁褋械褏 芯斜褗械写懈薪褟谢芯 - 褝褌芯 卸邪谢芯褋褌褜 袛卸械泄泻芯斜邪. 小 械谐芯 胁薪械蟹邪锌薪芯泄 褋屑械褉褌褜褞, 褋胁褟蟹褍褞褖邪褟 懈褏 褋懈谢邪 懈褋褔械蟹谢邪.
袙 写邪薪薪芯屑 褉芯屑邪薪械 锌懈褋邪褌械谢褜薪懈褑褍 懈薪褌械褉械褋褍械褌 褉邪斜褋褌胁芯, 泻邪泻 褟胁谢械薪懈械, 懈 褉邪斜褋褌胁芯, 泻邪泻 懈褋褌芯褉懈褟. 袪邪斜褋褌胁芯 薪械 褌芯谢褜泻芯, 泻邪泻 褉邪斜芯褔邪褟 褋懈谢邪 懈 "卸懈胁芯泄 褌芯胁邪褉", 褍薪懈卸邪褞褖邪褟 褔械谢芯胁械褔械褋泻芯械 写芯褋褌芯懈薪褋褌胁芯, 卸械褋褌芯泻芯械 芯斜褉邪褖械薪懈械 薪邪 褎懈蟹懈褔械褋泻芯屑 褍褉芯胁薪械, 薪芯 懈 写褍褏芯胁薪芯械 褉邪斜褋褌胁芯.
"...携 褉邪斜邪, 锌芯褌芯屑褍 褔褌芯 啸芯蟹褟懈薪 泻褍锌懈谢 屑械薪褟.
- 袧械褌. 孝褘 褋邪屑邪 褉邪斜芯泄 褋写械谢邪谢邪褋褜.
- 袣邪泻 褝褌芯?
- 校 褌械斜褟 锌褍褋褌邪褟 谐芯谢芯胁邪 懈 褉邪蟹薪褍蟹写邪薪薪芯械 褌械谢芯.
- 袧芯 褟 谢褞斜谢褞 褌械斜褟.
- 袠 胁 褝褌芯屑 褌褘 褌芯卸械 褉邪斜邪"
袪邪胁薪芯 泻邪泻 懈 卸邪谢芯褋褌褜 - 褔褍胁褋褌胁芯, 泻芯褌芯褉芯械 褋 芯写薪芯泄 褋褌芯褉芯薪褘, 锌芯屑芯谐邪械褌, 屑懈谢芯褋械褉写褋褌胁褍械褌, 邪 褋 写褉褍谐芯泄, 薪械 写邪械褌 褋懈谢褘, 薪械 写邪械褌 褉邪蟹胁懈褌懈褟.
袛械泄褋褌胁懈械 褉芯屑邪薪邪 "袞邪谢芯褋褌褜" 锌褉芯懈褋褏芯写懈褌 胁 泻芯薪褑械 褋械屑薪邪写褑邪褌芯谐芯 胁械泻邪, 泻芯谐写邪 械褖褢 懈 小楔袗 薪械 褋褍褖械褋褌胁芯胁邪谢芯, 薪芯 蟹邪褌芯 泻芯谢芯薪懈褋褌褘 胁褋械褏 屑邪褋褌械泄 褍褋褌褉械屑懈谢懈褋褜 胁 袧芯胁褘泄 小胁械褌 蟹邪褏胁邪褌褘胁邪褌褜 蟹械屑谢懈, 褍褖械屑谢褟褟 懈 泻芯褉械薪薪芯械 薪邪褋械谢械薪懈械 懈 胁胁芯蟹褟 褉邪斜芯胁 褋 袗褎褉懈泻懈. 袩芯懈褋泻 泻芯褉薪械泄, 懈写械薪褌懈褔薪芯褋褌懈 胁邪卸械薪 写谢褟 泻邪卸写芯谐芯 褔械谢芯胁械泻邪 懈 泻邪卸写芯谐芯 薪邪褉芯写邪. 袠褋褌芯褉懈褟 褉邪斜褋褌胁邪 褌邪泻卸械 胁邪卸薪邪.
袣邪泻 胁褋械谐写邪, 孝芯薪懈 袦芯褉褉懈褋芯薪 锌懈褕械褌 芯 卸械薪褖懈薪邪褏, 褑胁械褌薪褘褏 卸械薪褖懈薪邪褏, 薪芯 懈 斜械谢褘褏 褌芯卸械, 芯 卸械薪褖懈薪邪褏-屑邪褌械褉褟褏. 袩械褉械写 薪邪褕懈屑懈 谐谢邪蟹邪屑懈 褉邪蟹胁芯褉邪褔懈胁邪褞褌褋褟 褋褍写褜斜褘 褔械褌褘褉械褏 卸械薪褖懈薪. 袨薪懈 卸懈胁褍褌 胁 褍褋邪写褜斜械 袛卸械泻芯斜邪 袙邪邪褉泻邪, 胁芯蟹薪邪屑械褉懈胁褕械谐芯褋褟 褋褌褉芯懈褌褜 "褉邪泄褋泻懈泄 褍谐芯谢芯泻".袞械薪懈谢褋褟 芯薪 薪邪 袪械斜械泻泻械, 锌芯褔褌懈 褉械斜械薪泻械, 褔械褌褘褉薪邪写褑邪褌懈谢械褌薪械泄 写械胁芯褔泻械 懈蟹 袗薪谐谢懈懈, 锌褉懈斜褘胁褕械泄 薪邪 "泻芯褉邪斜谢械 薪械胁械褋褌", 锌芯褌芯屑褍 褔褌芯 芯褌械褑 薪械 褏芯褌械谢 泻芯褉屑懈褌褜 谢懈褕薪懈泄 褉芯褌. 袛械褌械泄 褍 薪懈褏 薪械 斜褘谢芯, 芯薪懈 褍屑懈褉邪谢懈 胁 屑谢邪写械薪褔械褋褌胁械, 褌芯谢褜泻芯 芯写薪邪 写芯褔泻邪 写芯卸懈谢邪 写芯 锌褟褌懈 谢械褌. 袣芯谐写邪 懈 褌邪 褍屑械褉谢邪, 袛卸械泻芯斜 胁蟹褟谢 胁 褋褔褢褌 写芯谢谐邪 褍 锌芯褉褌褍谐邪谢褜褋泻芯谐芯 蟹械屑谢械胁谢邪写械谢褜褑邪 褔械褉薪芯泻芯卸褍褞 写械胁芯褔泻褍, 胁蟹褟谢 懈蟹 卸邪谢芯褋褌懈, 泻邪泻 泻 写械胁芯褔泻械, 褌邪泻 懈 泻 褋胁芯械泄 卸械薪械, 薪械写邪胁薪芯 锌芯褌械褉褟胁褕械泄 写芯褔褜, 懈 写褍屑邪褟, 褔褌芯 褉械斜械薪芯泻 褌芯谐芯 卸械 胁芯蟹褉邪褋褌邪 屑芯卸械褌 泻邪泻-褌芯 褍褌械褕懈褌褜. 袧芯 屑芯卸械褌 谢懈 褔褍卸芯泄 褉械斜械薪芯泻 褍褌械褕懈褌褜 屑邪褌械褉懈薪褋泻芯械 褋械褉写褑械? 小薪邪褔邪谢邪 袪械斜械泻泻邪 斜褘谢邪 胁褉邪卸写械斜薪邪 薪邪褋褌褉芯械薪邪 泻 肖谢芯褉邪薪褋, 薪芯 褋芯 胁褉械屑械薪械屑, 械械 褋械褉写褑械 褋屑褟谐褔懈谢芯褋褜. 袛卸械泄泻芯斜 锌芯泻邪蟹邪薪 锌褉芯褌懈胁薪懈泻芯屑 褉邪斜褋褌胁邪, 械谐芯 泻芯褉芯斜懈谢芯 芯褌薪芯褕械薪懈械 泻 褉邪斜邪屑, 泻邪泻 泻 卸懈胁芯屑褍 褌芯胁邪褉褍. 袨薪 蟹邪褏芯褌械谢 胁蟹褟褌褜 胁 褋褔褢褌 写芯谢谐邪 褔械褉薪芯泻芯卸褍褞 褉邪斜褘薪褞, 薪芯 写'袨褉褌械谐邪 芯褌泻邪蟹邪谢褋褟, 褌芯谐写邪 屑邪褌褜 写械胁芯褔泻懈 锌芯锌褉芯褋懈谢邪: "袙芯蟹褜屑懈褌械 屑芯褞 写芯褔褜". 袣邪泻 芯薪邪 芯斜褗褟褋薪懈谢邪 - 胁 薪邪写械卸写械 薪邪 谢褍褔褕褍褞 写芯谢褞. 袛卸械泄泻芯斜 写械泄褋褌胁懈褌械谢褜薪芯 锌芯卸邪谢械谢 写械胁芯褔泻褍 懈 屑邪褌褜 薪械 芯褕懈斜谢邪褋褜. 袧芯 肖谢芯褉械薪褋 薪械 屑芯谐谢邪 械泄 锌褉芯褋褌懈褌褜 褉邪蟹谢褍泻懈 懈 械械 屑芯卸薪芯 锌芯薪褟褌褜. 袝褖褢 芯写薪邪 芯斜懈褌邪褌械谢褜薪懈褑邪 薪械写芯褋褌褉芯械薪薪芯谐芯 褉邪褟, 锌褉械写褋褌邪胁懈褌械谢褜薪懈褑邪 泻芯褉械薪薪褘褏 邪屑械褉懈泻邪薪褑械胁, 褌芯卸械 褉邪斜褘薪褟. 袝械 写械褉械胁薪褟 斜褘谢邪 褍薪懈褔褌芯卸械薪邪 斜芯谢械蟹薪褜褞, 褋芯谢写邪褌褘-械胁褉芯锌械泄褑褘, 褔褌芯斜褘 芯褋褌邪薪芯胁懈褌褜 褝锌懈写械屑懈褞, 褋芯卸谐谢懈 械械, 懈 写械胁芯褔泻褍 芯褌写邪谢懈 薪邪 胁芯褋锌懈褌邪薪懈械. 袝泄 写邪谢懈 懈屑褟 袦械褋褋邪谢懈薪邪, 邪 泻芯褉芯褌泻芯, 袥懈薪邪. 袠 薪邪泻芯薪械褑, 械褖褢 芯写薪邪 褉邪斜褘薪褟 袚芯褉械屑褘泻邪, 薪械 褋芯胁褋械屑 屑械薪褌邪谢褜薪芯 蟹写芯褉芯胁邪, 胁械褉懈胁褕邪褟 胁 褌芯, 褔褌芯 械械 胁褘褌邪褖懈谢懈 懈蟹 屑芯褉褟 泻懈褌褘. 袛卸械泄泻芯斜 褌芯卸械 胁蟹褟谢 械械 懈蟹 卸邪谢芯褋褌懈. 袨薪邪 薪械褋锌芯褋芯斜薪邪 斜褘谢邪 泻 褉邪斜芯褌械, 薪芯 锌芯褋谢械 褉芯卸写械薪懈褟 写芯褔械褉懈 泻 薪械泄 胁芯蟹胁褉邪褖邪械褌褋褟 褉邪蟹褍屑. 袙褋械, 褔褌芯 懈褏 胁褋械褏 芯斜褗械写懈薪褟谢芯 - 褝褌芯 卸邪谢芯褋褌褜 袛卸械泄泻芯斜邪. 小 械谐芯 胁薪械蟹邪锌薪芯泄 褋屑械褉褌褜褞, 褋胁褟蟹褍褞褖邪褟 懈褏 褋懈谢邪 懈褋褔械蟹谢邪.
袙 写邪薪薪芯屑 褉芯屑邪薪械 锌懈褋邪褌械谢褜薪懈褑褍 懈薪褌械褉械褋褍械褌 褉邪斜褋褌胁芯, 泻邪泻 褟胁谢械薪懈械, 懈 褉邪斜褋褌胁芯, 泻邪泻 懈褋褌芯褉懈褟. 袪邪斜褋褌胁芯 薪械 褌芯谢褜泻芯, 泻邪泻 褉邪斜芯褔邪褟 褋懈谢邪 懈 "卸懈胁芯泄 褌芯胁邪褉", 褍薪懈卸邪褞褖邪褟 褔械谢芯胁械褔械褋泻芯械 写芯褋褌芯懈薪褋褌胁芯, 卸械褋褌芯泻芯械 芯斜褉邪褖械薪懈械 薪邪 褎懈蟹懈褔械褋泻芯屑 褍褉芯胁薪械, 薪芯 懈 写褍褏芯胁薪芯械 褉邪斜褋褌胁芯.
"...携 褉邪斜邪, 锌芯褌芯屑褍 褔褌芯 啸芯蟹褟懈薪 泻褍锌懈谢 屑械薪褟.
- 袧械褌. 孝褘 褋邪屑邪 褉邪斜芯泄 褋写械谢邪谢邪褋褜.
- 袣邪泻 褝褌芯?
- 校 褌械斜褟 锌褍褋褌邪褟 谐芯谢芯胁邪 懈 褉邪蟹薪褍蟹写邪薪薪芯械 褌械谢芯.
- 袧芯 褟 谢褞斜谢褞 褌械斜褟.
- 袠 胁 褝褌芯屑 褌褘 褌芯卸械 褉邪斜邪"
袪邪胁薪芯 泻邪泻 懈 卸邪谢芯褋褌褜 - 褔褍胁褋褌胁芯, 泻芯褌芯褉芯械 褋 芯写薪芯泄 褋褌芯褉芯薪褘, 锌芯屑芯谐邪械褌, 屑懈谢芯褋械褉写褋褌胁褍械褌, 邪 褋 写褉褍谐芯泄, 薪械 写邪械褌 褋懈谢褘, 薪械 写邪械褌 褉邪蟹胁懈褌懈褟.
May 24, 2021
Reread
When the furor erupted over the 1619 Project, my thoughts went back to this work, which is set in 1690. Its characters鈥� dealing with an outbreak of smallpox is another timely element.
With the enslaved mother and daughter at the core of the book, I could envision that some might feel this novel is -鈥渓ite,鈥� but I would say that鈥檚 true only in its size and its arguably easier style. In under 170 pages Morrison satisfyingly includes stories of several individuals, including a landowning widow and her daughter who's suspected of being a witch. I鈥檓 almost tempted to say this is my favorite Morrison, but I can鈥檛鈥攖hat would be like choosing a favorite child.
My favorite passage ends the second-to-last paragraph, so I won鈥檛 quote it here, as it ties up the themes beautifully and it鈥檚 best to come upon it yourself.
*
Previous review:
Yes, I am a fan and believe she is incapable of writing a bad book, but that doesn't mean I wasn't ready to be critical of her new book if necessary. It's not necessary. The beginning may seem slow (that never bothers me) as we are thrust into a world that is faraway in time, but real. Historical details never bog down; they are worn lightly, as a reviewer put it.
Reviewers have compared one character here to Sethe from ; and though I see the parallel, this is a very different book. Morrison never repeats a book: each is different from the others. Here the setting is the U.S. before it was the U.S. and slavery is presented in all its forms: black, white, natives, indentured Europeans, 'rescued' orphans, those who are needy, etc. Life is difficult, dangerous and arduous for all, yet there are some who manage to make connections to others despite everything. A slim book that contains multitudes.
The sign of a great book for me: I paged back to the beginning as I neared the end (as I approached the ending, I couldn't put it down) and when I was finished, I could've read it all over again. I will one day.
When the furor erupted over the 1619 Project, my thoughts went back to this work, which is set in 1690. Its characters鈥� dealing with an outbreak of smallpox is another timely element.
With the enslaved mother and daughter at the core of the book, I could envision that some might feel this novel is -鈥渓ite,鈥� but I would say that鈥檚 true only in its size and its arguably easier style. In under 170 pages Morrison satisfyingly includes stories of several individuals, including a landowning widow and her daughter who's suspected of being a witch. I鈥檓 almost tempted to say this is my favorite Morrison, but I can鈥檛鈥攖hat would be like choosing a favorite child.
My favorite passage ends the second-to-last paragraph, so I won鈥檛 quote it here, as it ties up the themes beautifully and it鈥檚 best to come upon it yourself.
*
Previous review:
Yes, I am a fan and believe she is incapable of writing a bad book, but that doesn't mean I wasn't ready to be critical of her new book if necessary. It's not necessary. The beginning may seem slow (that never bothers me) as we are thrust into a world that is faraway in time, but real. Historical details never bog down; they are worn lightly, as a reviewer put it.
Reviewers have compared one character here to Sethe from ; and though I see the parallel, this is a very different book. Morrison never repeats a book: each is different from the others. Here the setting is the U.S. before it was the U.S. and slavery is presented in all its forms: black, white, natives, indentured Europeans, 'rescued' orphans, those who are needy, etc. Life is difficult, dangerous and arduous for all, yet there are some who manage to make connections to others despite everything. A slim book that contains multitudes.
The sign of a great book for me: I paged back to the beginning as I neared the end (as I approached the ending, I couldn't put it down) and when I was finished, I could've read it all over again. I will one day.
September 12, 2020
A Mercy takes us on a voyage into the dark world of slavery in the 1690s through the eyes of several slaves and one owner. In typical Morrison style, the time is non-linear, but it is an easier book to follow than say Beloved. Its text is less powerful and poetic than say, Beloved, but still there is a poignancy and urgency to the writing. Given the current slavery-denial in the media, it is probably a timely read.
December 28, 2013
I was enthralled with the incandescent prose and moving voices of four women in this tale set on a remote farm in colonial New York in the 1690s. It was outstanding in the audiobook form read by the author, often sending chills up my spine with the vibrant power of its poetry. A major theme is how people harness love in all its forms and how they deal with the perception of betrayal. Another is the paradox of the foundation of the new world both on the hunger for freedom and on various forms of slavery (classic slavery, indentured servants, arranged marriage).
The characters are wonderfully drawn. Rebekka is a 鈥渕ail order鈥� bride from England for a Dutch farmer turned trader, Jacob Vaart, whom she comes to loves dearly. Her household includes: Lina, a Native American orphaned from the decimation of her tribe by smallpox; Florens, a black slave girl whom Jacob reluctantly takes on as payment of a debt; and Sorrow, a mentally disturbed black slave who grew up on a ship of her slave trader father. Together they make a virtual family over the long intervals while Jacob is away.
Rebekkah grieves over the loss of her children to disease and injury. She doesn鈥檛 take to the judgmental forms of Christianity in the distant town. Instead she finds community with her workers at the farm. On the ship journey to America, she surprised herself by admiring the verve and parallel outlook of fellow women passengers headed for a life of prostitution in the new world:
What excited and challenged her shipmates horrified the churched women and each set believed the other deeply, dangerously flawed. Although they had nothing in common with the views of each other, they had everything in common with one thing: the promise and threat of men. Here, they agreed, was where security and risk lay. And both had come to terms. Some, like Lina, who had experienced both deliverance and destruction at their hands, withdrew. Some, like Sorrow, who apparently was never coached by other females, became their play. Some like her shipmates fought them. Others, the pious, obeyed them. And a few, like herself, after a mutually loving relationship, became like children when the man was gone.
The life Jacob brings her is so much freer than her life in London, but his travel to fulfill his ambition for an estate is a form of betrayal which leaves her in helpless loneliness:
She learned the intricacy of loneliness: the horror of color, the roar of soundlessness, the menace of familiar objects lying still. 鈥�
Silence would fall like snow floating around her head and shoulders, spreading outward to wind-driven yet quiet leaves, dangling cowbells, the whack of Lina鈥檚 axe chopping firewood nearby. Her skin would flush, then chill. Sound would return eventually, but the loneliness might remain for days. Until, in the middle of it, he would ride up shouting.
鈥淲here鈥檚 my star?鈥�
鈥淗ere in the north,鈥� she鈥檇 reply and he would toss a bolt of calico at her feet or hand her a packet of needles.
I was most interested in Lina, who is the most self-reliant of the women. Despite her losses, she has the strongest foundation owing to having had a loving mother and identity forged through her connections of her tribe. The betrayal she feels lies in the blind destructiveness of the immigrant invaders:
Her people had built sheltering cities for a thousand years and, except for the deathfeet of the Europes, might have built them for a thousand more. As it turned out the sachem had been dead wrong. The Europes neither fled nor died out. 鈥� They would come with languages that sounded like dog bark; with a childish hunger for animal fur. They would forever fence land, ship whole trees to faraway countries, take any women for quick pleasure, ruin soil, befoul sacred places and worship a dull, unimaginative god. 鈥�
Solitude would have crushed her had she not fallen into hermit skills and become one more thing that moved in the natural world. She cawed with birds, chatted with plants, spoke to squirrels, sang to the cow and opened her mouth to rain. The shame of having survived the destruction of her families shrank with her vow never to betray or abandon anyone she cherished.
Sorrow is a strange bird with few skills to survive and an imaginary twin to ease her solitude. Having never known love, she is totally bowled over and obsessed with it when it happens to her, first with a free black man who periodically does blacksmith work for the farm and later with her child. The blacksmith betrays her by not committing to the relationship. The rapture of her love for him is portrayed so compellingly:
The shine of water runs down your spine and I have shock at myself for wanting to lick there. I run away into the cowshed to stop this thing from happening inside me. Nothing stops it. There is only you. Nothing outside of you. My eyes not my stomach are the hungry pats of me. There will never be enough time to look how you move. Your arm goes up to strike iron. You drop to one knee. You bend. You stop to pour water first on the iron then down your throat. Before you know I am the world I am already kill by you. My mouth is open, my legs go softly and the heart is stretching to break.
Florens comes off as the smartest of the women. She is the only one who can read, and she shows great courage and problem solving skills when tasked to make a long journey alone to get help from a herbalist when Jacob falls ill. Her mother made a sacrifice to give her up to Jacob instead of herself as a means of saving her from sexual assault by the master who owes Jacob money. Yet Florens is blind to that mercy and forever feels thrown away.
The audiobook came with a helpful interview with Morrison added at the end. She eloquently explains some of her intentions in portraying the uncertain future for people living in the new world, the inventive ad-hoc nature of its social forms, and the prevalence of slavery independent of racism. I see this is the seventh book by Morrison I have had the pleasure of experiencing. I see also that I gave each one 4 stars. Enough of such niggling. Who am I to deny this one five stars when it resonates so long after reading it.
The characters are wonderfully drawn. Rebekka is a 鈥渕ail order鈥� bride from England for a Dutch farmer turned trader, Jacob Vaart, whom she comes to loves dearly. Her household includes: Lina, a Native American orphaned from the decimation of her tribe by smallpox; Florens, a black slave girl whom Jacob reluctantly takes on as payment of a debt; and Sorrow, a mentally disturbed black slave who grew up on a ship of her slave trader father. Together they make a virtual family over the long intervals while Jacob is away.
Rebekkah grieves over the loss of her children to disease and injury. She doesn鈥檛 take to the judgmental forms of Christianity in the distant town. Instead she finds community with her workers at the farm. On the ship journey to America, she surprised herself by admiring the verve and parallel outlook of fellow women passengers headed for a life of prostitution in the new world:
What excited and challenged her shipmates horrified the churched women and each set believed the other deeply, dangerously flawed. Although they had nothing in common with the views of each other, they had everything in common with one thing: the promise and threat of men. Here, they agreed, was where security and risk lay. And both had come to terms. Some, like Lina, who had experienced both deliverance and destruction at their hands, withdrew. Some, like Sorrow, who apparently was never coached by other females, became their play. Some like her shipmates fought them. Others, the pious, obeyed them. And a few, like herself, after a mutually loving relationship, became like children when the man was gone.
The life Jacob brings her is so much freer than her life in London, but his travel to fulfill his ambition for an estate is a form of betrayal which leaves her in helpless loneliness:
She learned the intricacy of loneliness: the horror of color, the roar of soundlessness, the menace of familiar objects lying still. 鈥�
Silence would fall like snow floating around her head and shoulders, spreading outward to wind-driven yet quiet leaves, dangling cowbells, the whack of Lina鈥檚 axe chopping firewood nearby. Her skin would flush, then chill. Sound would return eventually, but the loneliness might remain for days. Until, in the middle of it, he would ride up shouting.
鈥淲here鈥檚 my star?鈥�
鈥淗ere in the north,鈥� she鈥檇 reply and he would toss a bolt of calico at her feet or hand her a packet of needles.
I was most interested in Lina, who is the most self-reliant of the women. Despite her losses, she has the strongest foundation owing to having had a loving mother and identity forged through her connections of her tribe. The betrayal she feels lies in the blind destructiveness of the immigrant invaders:
Her people had built sheltering cities for a thousand years and, except for the deathfeet of the Europes, might have built them for a thousand more. As it turned out the sachem had been dead wrong. The Europes neither fled nor died out. 鈥� They would come with languages that sounded like dog bark; with a childish hunger for animal fur. They would forever fence land, ship whole trees to faraway countries, take any women for quick pleasure, ruin soil, befoul sacred places and worship a dull, unimaginative god. 鈥�
Solitude would have crushed her had she not fallen into hermit skills and become one more thing that moved in the natural world. She cawed with birds, chatted with plants, spoke to squirrels, sang to the cow and opened her mouth to rain. The shame of having survived the destruction of her families shrank with her vow never to betray or abandon anyone she cherished.
Sorrow is a strange bird with few skills to survive and an imaginary twin to ease her solitude. Having never known love, she is totally bowled over and obsessed with it when it happens to her, first with a free black man who periodically does blacksmith work for the farm and later with her child. The blacksmith betrays her by not committing to the relationship. The rapture of her love for him is portrayed so compellingly:
The shine of water runs down your spine and I have shock at myself for wanting to lick there. I run away into the cowshed to stop this thing from happening inside me. Nothing stops it. There is only you. Nothing outside of you. My eyes not my stomach are the hungry pats of me. There will never be enough time to look how you move. Your arm goes up to strike iron. You drop to one knee. You bend. You stop to pour water first on the iron then down your throat. Before you know I am the world I am already kill by you. My mouth is open, my legs go softly and the heart is stretching to break.
Florens comes off as the smartest of the women. She is the only one who can read, and she shows great courage and problem solving skills when tasked to make a long journey alone to get help from a herbalist when Jacob falls ill. Her mother made a sacrifice to give her up to Jacob instead of herself as a means of saving her from sexual assault by the master who owes Jacob money. Yet Florens is blind to that mercy and forever feels thrown away.
The audiobook came with a helpful interview with Morrison added at the end. She eloquently explains some of her intentions in portraying the uncertain future for people living in the new world, the inventive ad-hoc nature of its social forms, and the prevalence of slavery independent of racism. I see this is the seventh book by Morrison I have had the pleasure of experiencing. I see also that I gave each one 4 stars. Enough of such niggling. Who am I to deny this one five stars when it resonates so long after reading it.
September 9, 2023
[If you haven't watched the documentary Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am, do yourself a favor and find it somewhere.]
I was uncertain about this book until a little more than halfway through at which point I fell in love. Eight women of no importance--mothers, daughters, whores, and thieves--having a tea ceremony in the dark lower deck of a ship crossing the Atlantic at the tail end of the seventeenth century. There is no tea, only warm water spirited with rum, along with cheese and stale biscuits, and the women each extend a pinky finger, imitating what they imagine to be the manners of queens. Magic! Then there's a bit of witchery, and a great deal of unrequited love with even some LGBT representation thrown in. The result is a gem only slightly less lustrous than some of the others in Morrison's crown.
I was uncertain about this book until a little more than halfway through at which point I fell in love. Eight women of no importance--mothers, daughters, whores, and thieves--having a tea ceremony in the dark lower deck of a ship crossing the Atlantic at the tail end of the seventeenth century. There is no tea, only warm water spirited with rum, along with cheese and stale biscuits, and the women each extend a pinky finger, imitating what they imagine to be the manners of queens. Magic! Then there's a bit of witchery, and a great deal of unrequited love with even some LGBT representation thrown in. The result is a gem only slightly less lustrous than some of the others in Morrison's crown.
December 13, 2019
[8/10]
What a beautifully heart-breaking book. It's a bit disorienting, jumping around from different characters' perspectives, and told in different writing styles. But I think that lends itself to the sort of medley of pain and struggle and sorrow these characters' face. Each has their own story to tell about loss, about displacement and about learning to live through it as best they can. And Morrison excellently captures those feelings without every feeling didactic. They are richly crafted and flawed characters who you can't help but root for. I think this one would reward a second reading after you've got the initial understanding of exactly what is happening, and upon re-read you can appreciate how she tells it so masterfully.
What a beautifully heart-breaking book. It's a bit disorienting, jumping around from different characters' perspectives, and told in different writing styles. But I think that lends itself to the sort of medley of pain and struggle and sorrow these characters' face. Each has their own story to tell about loss, about displacement and about learning to live through it as best they can. And Morrison excellently captures those feelings without every feeling didactic. They are richly crafted and flawed characters who you can't help but root for. I think this one would reward a second reading after you've got the initial understanding of exactly what is happening, and upon re-read you can appreciate how she tells it so masterfully.
December 3, 2022
鈥淎merica, whatever the danger, how could it possibly be worse?鈥�
This may be a short novel, one of Morrison's last ones (2008), but the feeling of disorientation that creeps up on you at the first reading is immediately reminiscent of Faulkner. Morrison made use of the Faulknerian techniques of twisted perspectives and stream of consciousness before, but here she goes a step further. The result is that you only get a little insight into the story towards the end of the book, which immediately makes a second reading all the more rewarding. Because only then does the layering of this novel really come into its own.
The story may be opaque, but the context and themes provided by Morrison are not. The setting is the British colonies in what would later become the United States, at the end of the 17th century, so less than 100 years after their establishment. Morrison knows perfectly how to evoke the harshness and diversity of the inhabitants and the landscapes, at a time when the region still could evolve in all directions, and formal slavery, for instance, had only just made its appearance. The characters are equally diverse, although the narrative perspectives are mainly those of women. Also, all protagonist are damaged people, displaced in the broadest sense of the word (the Europeans, the Native Americans, the Afro-Americans), and none of them are all good or all bad.
The title betrays the biblical undertone, and this is certainly present in other respects (including references to paradise, and to the suffering of Job). But the main focus of Morrison is the precarious situation of the women, because she lets them do the talking most of the time. This book is by no means an easy read, but it once again demonstrates the power of literature to evoke an inscrutable world and make you think on the harshness of reality and of the place of human relations therein. (rating 3.5 stars)
This may be a short novel, one of Morrison's last ones (2008), but the feeling of disorientation that creeps up on you at the first reading is immediately reminiscent of Faulkner. Morrison made use of the Faulknerian techniques of twisted perspectives and stream of consciousness before, but here she goes a step further. The result is that you only get a little insight into the story towards the end of the book, which immediately makes a second reading all the more rewarding. Because only then does the layering of this novel really come into its own.
The story may be opaque, but the context and themes provided by Morrison are not. The setting is the British colonies in what would later become the United States, at the end of the 17th century, so less than 100 years after their establishment. Morrison knows perfectly how to evoke the harshness and diversity of the inhabitants and the landscapes, at a time when the region still could evolve in all directions, and formal slavery, for instance, had only just made its appearance. The characters are equally diverse, although the narrative perspectives are mainly those of women. Also, all protagonist are damaged people, displaced in the broadest sense of the word (the Europeans, the Native Americans, the Afro-Americans), and none of them are all good or all bad.
The title betrays the biblical undertone, and this is certainly present in other respects (including references to paradise, and to the suffering of Job). But the main focus of Morrison is the precarious situation of the women, because she lets them do the talking most of the time. This book is by no means an easy read, but it once again demonstrates the power of literature to evoke an inscrutable world and make you think on the harshness of reality and of the place of human relations therein. (rating 3.5 stars)
April 30, 2020
Short, tragic, beautifully written book set in the late 17th century in the American Colonies. It speaks of slavery, indentured servitude, patriarchy, exploitation, superstition, disease, and child mortality. Prominent themes include fear of abandonment, lack of agency, and unintended consequences. The author elucidates the seeds of issues that still have repercussions today.
Morrison focuses this book on an ensemble of characters. Jacob Vaark finds slavery abhorrent but, at the urging of her mother, accepts Florens as partial payment of a debt. She joins Lina, an indentured servant from a native tribe, and Sorrow, a mixed-race orphan that survives a shipwreck, in laboring at the Vaark鈥檚 farm. Jacob鈥檚 wife, Rebekka, arrives from London as what we would call a mail order bride. Scully and Willard are two male indentured servants whose servitude keeps getting extended by dubious means. A free African blacksmith plays a key role. Through this dream-like narrative, the reader learns the backstories of these characters.
Morrison explores oppression based on gender, race, and class. She shows the heartbreak of mothers unable to protect their children. She writes expressively and packs a great deal into a slim novel. The sense of time and place is vivid. This is my first experience in reading 惭辞谤谤颈蝉辞苍鈥檚 work, and I look forward to reading more from her catalogue. A Mercy is an impressive book that conveys a powerful message in an artistic way.
Morrison focuses this book on an ensemble of characters. Jacob Vaark finds slavery abhorrent but, at the urging of her mother, accepts Florens as partial payment of a debt. She joins Lina, an indentured servant from a native tribe, and Sorrow, a mixed-race orphan that survives a shipwreck, in laboring at the Vaark鈥檚 farm. Jacob鈥檚 wife, Rebekka, arrives from London as what we would call a mail order bride. Scully and Willard are two male indentured servants whose servitude keeps getting extended by dubious means. A free African blacksmith plays a key role. Through this dream-like narrative, the reader learns the backstories of these characters.
Morrison explores oppression based on gender, race, and class. She shows the heartbreak of mothers unable to protect their children. She writes expressively and packs a great deal into a slim novel. The sense of time and place is vivid. This is my first experience in reading 惭辞谤谤颈蝉辞苍鈥檚 work, and I look forward to reading more from her catalogue. A Mercy is an impressive book that conveys a powerful message in an artistic way.
June 10, 2016
兀賵賱賸丕 : 亘毓賷丿賸丕 毓賳 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 賱丕 鬲噩毓賱賵丕 丿賵乇 丕賱賳卮乇 鬲禺丿毓賰賲 鈥� 禺氐賵氐賸丕 丕賱毓乇亘賷丞 鈥� 亘噩賲賱丞 丕賱乇賵丕卅賷 丕賱丨丕卅夭 毓賱賶 噩丕卅夭丞 丕賱亘賵賰乇 毓丕賲.... 丕賱乇賵丕卅賷 丕賱丨丕卅夭 毓賱賶 噩丕卅夭丞 丕賱亘丨乇 丕賱賲鬲賵爻胤 毓丕賲 鈥�. 丕賱乇賵丕卅賷丞 丕賱丨丕卅夭丞 噩丕卅夭丞 賳賵亘賱 毓丕賲 鈥�.. 賴匕丕 賲賳 亘丕亘 丕賱毓賱賲 賮賯胤 賵賱賷爻 賱賴 毓賱丕賯丞 亘賴匕賴 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞. 賵賮賵乇 賲卮丕賴丿鬲賰賲 賱賴匕賴 丕賱噩賲賱丞 兀噩毓賱賵丕 丕賱卮賰 兀賵賱 兀賲乇賰賲 賮賷 丕賱毓賲賱 丕賱匕賷 亘賷賳 兀賷丿賷賰賲貙
賵毓賳 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 賱賲賳 賴賲 賲賴鬲賲賷賳 亘夭賲賳 丕賱毓亘賵丿賷丞 賵爻賷噩丿賴丕 胤亘毓賸丕 毓賳丿 爻丕丿丕鬲 丕賱毓亘賵丿賷丞 賮賷 丕賱鬲丕乇賷禺 丕賱丨丿賷孬 丨賷孬 丕賱賵賱丕賷丕鬲 丕賱賲鬲丨丿丞 丕賱丕賲乇賷賰賷丞. 賱賴丿丕 鬲毓賵丿 亘賰賲 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 賱夭賲賳 丕賱噩匕賵乇. 丨賷孬 丕賱賯乇賳 丕賱爻丕亘毓 毓卮乇 賲賷賱丕丿賷 鬲賵賳賷 賲賵乇賷爻賵賳. 賲賳 賯乇兀 賰賵禺 丕賱毓賲 鬲賵賲 賵丕毓噩亘賴 丕賱廿胤丕乇 丕賱毓丕賲 賱賱乇賵丕賷丞 爻鬲毓噩亘賴 賴匕賴 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞.
毓賳 鬲丕乇賷禺 丕賱毓亘賵丿賷丞.. 丕賱乇賯.. 丕爻鬲毓亘丕丿 丕賱賱賵賳 丕賱兀爻賵丿.. 賴賳丕 兀丨丿 兀亘乇夭 爻賲丕鬲 丕賱鬲丕乇賷禺 丕賱兀爻賵丿 丕賱廿賲乇賷賰賷貙 丕賱毓亘賵丿賷丞 賲賳 禺賱丕賱 賯賱賲 鬲賵賳賷 賲賵乇賷爻賵賳 賵亘丨乇賯丞 賵毓賳賮賵丕賳 鬲爻鬲卮賮賴 賲賳 禺賱丕賱賴 丕賱兀賱賲 丕賱丨賯賷賯賷 丕賱賱廿賳爻丕賳.
賱賲 兀噩丿 鬲賮爻賷乇賸丕 賷賱賷賯 亘毓賳賵丕賳 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 (A Mercy) 睾賷乇 兀賳賴丕 丕賱乇丨賲丞 丕賱鬲賷 賷胤賱亘賴丕 (丕賱毓亘丿) 賮賷 夭賲賳 丕賱毓亘賵丿賷丞 賲賳 禺賱丕賱 丕賱夭賲丕賳 賵丕賱賲賰丕賳 賮賷 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞. 毓賱賲賸丕 兀賳 賴匕丕 丕賱賲賵囟賵毓 賱賱賲丐賱賮丞 賱賷爻 亘噩丿賷丿 亘賱 賳爻鬲胤賷毓 丕賱賯賵賱 兀賳賴 丕賱賯丕毓丿丞 丕賱乇卅賷爻丞 丕賱鬲賷 亘賳鬲 鬲賵賳賷 毓賱賷賴丕 丕賱賰孬賷乇 賲賳 賰鬲亘丕鬲賴丕 胤賵丕賱 丨賷丕鬲賴丕.
賷丨鬲丕噩 賲賳賰 丕賱毓賲賱 兀賳 鬲鬲丨賲賱賴 賮賷 丕賱乇亘毓 丕賱兀賵賱 賮賯胤 賱毓噩夭賰 丕賱兀賵賱賷 毓賳 鬲丨丿賷丿 賳賵毓 丕賱乇賵丕賷 賵賰孬乇丞 丕賱兀氐賵丕鬲 孬賲 爻乇毓丕賳 賲丕 鬲鬲丨丿丿 丕賱亘賵氐賱丞. 亘賵丨 丕賱兀賲 賮賷 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 賰丕賳 賵賯毓賴 賯丕爻 噩丿賸丕 賵賵氐賮 賴噩賵賲 鬲噩丕乇 丕賱賳禺丕爻丞 毓賱賶 賲賳丕夭賱賴賲 賵丨乇賯賴賲 賱賴丕 卮賷亍 賲賯夭夭.
賵毓賳 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 賱賲賳 賴賲 賲賴鬲賲賷賳 亘夭賲賳 丕賱毓亘賵丿賷丞 賵爻賷噩丿賴丕 胤亘毓賸丕 毓賳丿 爻丕丿丕鬲 丕賱毓亘賵丿賷丞 賮賷 丕賱鬲丕乇賷禺 丕賱丨丿賷孬 丨賷孬 丕賱賵賱丕賷丕鬲 丕賱賲鬲丨丿丞 丕賱丕賲乇賷賰賷丞. 賱賴丿丕 鬲毓賵丿 亘賰賲 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 賱夭賲賳 丕賱噩匕賵乇. 丨賷孬 丕賱賯乇賳 丕賱爻丕亘毓 毓卮乇 賲賷賱丕丿賷 鬲賵賳賷 賲賵乇賷爻賵賳. 賲賳 賯乇兀 賰賵禺 丕賱毓賲 鬲賵賲 賵丕毓噩亘賴 丕賱廿胤丕乇 丕賱毓丕賲 賱賱乇賵丕賷丞 爻鬲毓噩亘賴 賴匕賴 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞.
毓賳 鬲丕乇賷禺 丕賱毓亘賵丿賷丞.. 丕賱乇賯.. 丕爻鬲毓亘丕丿 丕賱賱賵賳 丕賱兀爻賵丿.. 賴賳丕 兀丨丿 兀亘乇夭 爻賲丕鬲 丕賱鬲丕乇賷禺 丕賱兀爻賵丿 丕賱廿賲乇賷賰賷貙 丕賱毓亘賵丿賷丞 賲賳 禺賱丕賱 賯賱賲 鬲賵賳賷 賲賵乇賷爻賵賳 賵亘丨乇賯丞 賵毓賳賮賵丕賳 鬲爻鬲卮賮賴 賲賳 禺賱丕賱賴 丕賱兀賱賲 丕賱丨賯賷賯賷 丕賱賱廿賳爻丕賳.
賱賲 兀噩丿 鬲賮爻賷乇賸丕 賷賱賷賯 亘毓賳賵丕賳 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 (A Mercy) 睾賷乇 兀賳賴丕 丕賱乇丨賲丞 丕賱鬲賷 賷胤賱亘賴丕 (丕賱毓亘丿) 賮賷 夭賲賳 丕賱毓亘賵丿賷丞 賲賳 禺賱丕賱 丕賱夭賲丕賳 賵丕賱賲賰丕賳 賮賷 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞. 毓賱賲賸丕 兀賳 賴匕丕 丕賱賲賵囟賵毓 賱賱賲丐賱賮丞 賱賷爻 亘噩丿賷丿 亘賱 賳爻鬲胤賷毓 丕賱賯賵賱 兀賳賴 丕賱賯丕毓丿丞 丕賱乇卅賷爻丞 丕賱鬲賷 亘賳鬲 鬲賵賳賷 毓賱賷賴丕 丕賱賰孬賷乇 賲賳 賰鬲亘丕鬲賴丕 胤賵丕賱 丨賷丕鬲賴丕.
賷丨鬲丕噩 賲賳賰 丕賱毓賲賱 兀賳 鬲鬲丨賲賱賴 賮賷 丕賱乇亘毓 丕賱兀賵賱 賮賯胤 賱毓噩夭賰 丕賱兀賵賱賷 毓賳 鬲丨丿賷丿 賳賵毓 丕賱乇賵丕賷 賵賰孬乇丞 丕賱兀氐賵丕鬲 孬賲 爻乇毓丕賳 賲丕 鬲鬲丨丿丿 丕賱亘賵氐賱丞. 亘賵丨 丕賱兀賲 賮賷 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 賰丕賳 賵賯毓賴 賯丕爻 噩丿賸丕 賵賵氐賮 賴噩賵賲 鬲噩丕乇 丕賱賳禺丕爻丞 毓賱賶 賲賳丕夭賱賴賲 賵丨乇賯賴賲 賱賴丕 卮賷亍 賲賯夭夭.
October 6, 2009
Toni 惭辞谤谤颈蝉辞苍鈥檚 A Mercy is one of the most infuriating, lovely, haunted and haunting works I鈥檝e read in many a moon. It is one of the few books I can remember that sent me back to read key passages and even whole chapters after I finished it to get clues to its maddeningly vague denouement and sample the blood-soaked, well-seeded soil of its prose one more time. I didn鈥檛 reread anything in frustration, but in gratitude and admiration.
A Mercy is set ostensibly in the late 17th century, a fact I didn鈥檛 believe for a minute and yet strangely didn鈥檛 bother me in the least. While the book lacks the heavy weight of multiple and minute details that grant the usual work of historical fiction verisimilitude, it also doesn鈥檛 contain any howling anachronisms that hurl the reader out of the spell being cast. I feel more than a hard scrabble colonial era farm in an America barely shed of its birth caul, A Mercy is instead set in a place called 鈥楳orrisonland鈥�, a gothic, sinister place suffused with lust, longing, confusions of identity and thwarted passions and improbable fates. It is a place that exists simultaneously only in the mind of its author and is a perfect representation of one aspect of America鈥檚 fucked up soul. It is a pagan place, not a Christian one, full of dark ritual, demons and a sprit-infused geography that telegraphs well impending tragedy for those with eyes to see.
As in all Morrison books, race is central, skin colors of all grades on display throughout in a mad dance of slavery, ownership, parent and discarded child, victim and potential killer. But Morrison is too canny and wise to write a book that is a straight up indictment of the huge festering wound that is the American subjugation of African and Native American people. Everyone wrestles with their own slavery in this book, whether it is to ideas of mercantile ascension and social respect, loveless marriage, or thralldom to a land that will break bones before it yields anything that offers anything remotely resembling sustenance.
Morrison plants a few seeds of traditional romance within the narrative that point to the possibility of one character, the slave girl, Florens, escaping to a better fate via a freed African blacksmith and their intense physical relationship that develops. But once again Morrison is too true to her own darker gifts for any fairy tale ending where the princess is rescued and taken to some magic kingdom free of bitterness and strife. Instead, as in real life, a lesser fate and shadow identity is assumed where one that was hopefully headed for an upward trajectory is cast down utterly into blank confusion through her own befuddled mind and over-attachment to the lures of the body and a fantasy future that was always unlikely at best.
It鈥檚 a tough ending, one if written by anyone other than Morrison might sparks of racism and sexism but the hard ending is foreshadowed with great effectiveness and anyone expecting all to end well in this stretch fly infested swampland wasn鈥檛 reading the text closely enough or else read too many Harlequins when they were younger. And while the ending is bitter and hard there are also grace notes of redemption, of life merely going on, of other wounded ones becoming 鈥楥omplete鈥� that offer partial recompense for this harsh vision, making not wholly bleak, but tinged with small sweetness, like a flower bloomed in shadow.
A Mercy is set ostensibly in the late 17th century, a fact I didn鈥檛 believe for a minute and yet strangely didn鈥檛 bother me in the least. While the book lacks the heavy weight of multiple and minute details that grant the usual work of historical fiction verisimilitude, it also doesn鈥檛 contain any howling anachronisms that hurl the reader out of the spell being cast. I feel more than a hard scrabble colonial era farm in an America barely shed of its birth caul, A Mercy is instead set in a place called 鈥楳orrisonland鈥�, a gothic, sinister place suffused with lust, longing, confusions of identity and thwarted passions and improbable fates. It is a place that exists simultaneously only in the mind of its author and is a perfect representation of one aspect of America鈥檚 fucked up soul. It is a pagan place, not a Christian one, full of dark ritual, demons and a sprit-infused geography that telegraphs well impending tragedy for those with eyes to see.
As in all Morrison books, race is central, skin colors of all grades on display throughout in a mad dance of slavery, ownership, parent and discarded child, victim and potential killer. But Morrison is too canny and wise to write a book that is a straight up indictment of the huge festering wound that is the American subjugation of African and Native American people. Everyone wrestles with their own slavery in this book, whether it is to ideas of mercantile ascension and social respect, loveless marriage, or thralldom to a land that will break bones before it yields anything that offers anything remotely resembling sustenance.
Morrison plants a few seeds of traditional romance within the narrative that point to the possibility of one character, the slave girl, Florens, escaping to a better fate via a freed African blacksmith and their intense physical relationship that develops. But once again Morrison is too true to her own darker gifts for any fairy tale ending where the princess is rescued and taken to some magic kingdom free of bitterness and strife. Instead, as in real life, a lesser fate and shadow identity is assumed where one that was hopefully headed for an upward trajectory is cast down utterly into blank confusion through her own befuddled mind and over-attachment to the lures of the body and a fantasy future that was always unlikely at best.
It鈥檚 a tough ending, one if written by anyone other than Morrison might sparks of racism and sexism but the hard ending is foreshadowed with great effectiveness and anyone expecting all to end well in this stretch fly infested swampland wasn鈥檛 reading the text closely enough or else read too many Harlequins when they were younger. And while the ending is bitter and hard there are also grace notes of redemption, of life merely going on, of other wounded ones becoming 鈥楥omplete鈥� that offer partial recompense for this harsh vision, making not wholly bleak, but tinged with small sweetness, like a flower bloomed in shadow.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 14, 2020
This is only my second Toni Morrison after reading Song of Solomon last year, I guess I am tiptoeing cautiously towards her major works.
It is extraordinarily impressive what Morrison manages to do here in this slim novel (167 pgs). The text rapidly immerses you in late 17th century America and almost all the characters are either orphans or foundlings. Essentially, one might classify this as a character study, each chapter tells one person's story of how they came to be alone in the world, and as the novel progresses, you begin to see what traits might allow them to survive.
It is so cleverly done. So much packed into a small space and, as I found with Song of Solomon, there is something quotable on almost every page.
Suddenly Jacob felt his stomach seize. The tobacco odor, so welcoming when he arrived, now nauseated him. Or was it the sugared rice, the hog cuts fried and dripping with molasses, the cocoa Lady D'Ortega was giddy about? Whatever it was, he couldn't stay there surrounded by a passel of slaves whose silence made him imagine an avalanche seen from a great distance. No sound, just the knowledge of a roar he could not hear.
An impressive novel from one of America's greatest authors.
It is extraordinarily impressive what Morrison manages to do here in this slim novel (167 pgs). The text rapidly immerses you in late 17th century America and almost all the characters are either orphans or foundlings. Essentially, one might classify this as a character study, each chapter tells one person's story of how they came to be alone in the world, and as the novel progresses, you begin to see what traits might allow them to survive.
It is so cleverly done. So much packed into a small space and, as I found with Song of Solomon, there is something quotable on almost every page.
Suddenly Jacob felt his stomach seize. The tobacco odor, so welcoming when he arrived, now nauseated him. Or was it the sugared rice, the hog cuts fried and dripping with molasses, the cocoa Lady D'Ortega was giddy about? Whatever it was, he couldn't stay there surrounded by a passel of slaves whose silence made him imagine an avalanche seen from a great distance. No sound, just the knowledge of a roar he could not hear.
An impressive novel from one of America's greatest authors.
October 25, 2021
Krenuv拧i s ovom malom i tankom knjigom o膷ekivala sam pro膷itati ju u jednom dahu. 艩to ina膷e i bih ako gledamo samo na broj stranica (158). Ovaj put sam se ba拧 prevarila. Nije ovo jedna od takvih knjiga, ovoj se morate posvetiti. I拧膷itavati i razmi拧ljati, povezivati i zaklju膷ivati, pro啪ivjeti svaku pri膷u ispri膷anu kroz svaki od 膷etiri 啪enska lika.
Cijeli osvrt prona膽ite ovdje:
Cijeli osvrt prona膽ite ovdje:
June 1, 2017
Maybe it's the bitter taste Beloved left me with; Maybe it's that she comes off as the poor woman's Maya Angelou; Maybe it's just that no matter how much I want to like her writing, I just can't.
The first four chapters were confusing as hell and the remaining ones were disorienting. The POV's from chapter to chapter were so intertwined, I could barely remember who was talking and found myself constantly going back to the beginning of that particular chapter to double check. Not only that, but the timeline from chapter to chapter was muddled. Add to that nausea the style of writing. While the narrative was meant to be abrupt and disjointed, it actually came across as a sophomoric attempt to show a world that the writer herself stereotyped.
With all that said, I did enjoy the ending of the book; the bird's eye view into the lives of the cast as it were to unfold and the purity that it conveyed. Though it felt like it took blood, sweat, and tears just to get there.
The first four chapters were confusing as hell and the remaining ones were disorienting. The POV's from chapter to chapter were so intertwined, I could barely remember who was talking and found myself constantly going back to the beginning of that particular chapter to double check. Not only that, but the timeline from chapter to chapter was muddled. Add to that nausea the style of writing. While the narrative was meant to be abrupt and disjointed, it actually came across as a sophomoric attempt to show a world that the writer herself stereotyped.
With all that said, I did enjoy the ending of the book; the bird's eye view into the lives of the cast as it were to unfold and the purity that it conveyed. Though it felt like it took blood, sweat, and tears just to get there.
December 9, 2008
This was definitely not one of my favorites. I am usually a die-hard Morrison fan, but this one just wasn't up to par with her earlier works. Many people have compared this to Beloved, but I find that comparison unjust. This book, while it had its moments of brilliance, was inundated with dense, incomprehensible prose. At times, I was unable to decipher who was speaking and when. It just wasn't a good read for me.
July 23, 2008
By the end of this novel I felt as though I had finished reading a collection of character sketches that could be used to form a much larger and perhaps more coherent text. Each chapter skips around from one character to another, and from first to third person narration, which in itself is not a problem, and if done well can make an interesting and eclectic whole. In this case, the text simply became frustrating; a puzzle that is frankly not interesting enough to put together.
The characters in this novel are diverse and could be very interesting if they were given the pages count they need. The characters consist of a Native American slave woman, a black slave woman who has a reputation of "madness," a young black slave girl whose sale to another man was urged on by her own mother, a pair of white atheists (who seem nice at first, but are really like all other whites, bad), a freed young blacksmith, and two indentured men. We learn bits and pieces about each of these people, but never enough to truly care about them. The small histories we are given whet the appetite for more details that are never delivered. After reading Beloved one gets spoiled by the closeness that we can have with characters like Sethe, Denver, and Paul D, but in A Mercy it felt that the characters were being held away from the reader, forcing them to be impersonal. Even in Paradise a novel filled with dozens of characters, the individuals at least seemed more alive than those in Morrison's new text.
Now for the Narrative. I simply do not know what to say as there is so little there. What is the point of the novel? Where do the characters end up? There is little development, and the heart of the story spans perhaps a few days with backlogs giving us a little information about how these people ended up where they are, but the sparse journey and the little history given do not add up to an interesting whole.
Sorrow gives birth to a baby-girl and finds wholeness within that event, but we don't know her. The white woman Rebekka turns violent and cruel, but her betrayal means little because we hardly get to know the good in her which her cruelty is supposed to contrast. And yes, the young woman who was urged to be sold off by her mother is able to pick her sexual partner as her mother intended, but that freedom is so curtailed by the failure of her relationship and the reader's lack of personal connection with her that it barely matters.
I wanted to love and adore this book as I do Beloved, but there is so little that the two books have in common. The utter intimacy that Morrison had to have developed with her characters in Beloved is not even attempted in this book. It is that distance that tears at my heart and makes me wonder if she will explore, and allow us readers to experience, that gut-wrenching sadness, anger, betrayal, again.
The characters in this novel are diverse and could be very interesting if they were given the pages count they need. The characters consist of a Native American slave woman, a black slave woman who has a reputation of "madness," a young black slave girl whose sale to another man was urged on by her own mother, a pair of white atheists (who seem nice at first, but are really like all other whites, bad), a freed young blacksmith, and two indentured men. We learn bits and pieces about each of these people, but never enough to truly care about them. The small histories we are given whet the appetite for more details that are never delivered. After reading Beloved one gets spoiled by the closeness that we can have with characters like Sethe, Denver, and Paul D, but in A Mercy it felt that the characters were being held away from the reader, forcing them to be impersonal. Even in Paradise a novel filled with dozens of characters, the individuals at least seemed more alive than those in Morrison's new text.
Now for the Narrative. I simply do not know what to say as there is so little there. What is the point of the novel? Where do the characters end up? There is little development, and the heart of the story spans perhaps a few days with backlogs giving us a little information about how these people ended up where they are, but the sparse journey and the little history given do not add up to an interesting whole.
Sorrow gives birth to a baby-girl and finds wholeness within that event, but we don't know her. The white woman Rebekka turns violent and cruel, but her betrayal means little because we hardly get to know the good in her which her cruelty is supposed to contrast. And yes, the young woman who was urged to be sold off by her mother is able to pick her sexual partner as her mother intended, but that freedom is so curtailed by the failure of her relationship and the reader's lack of personal connection with her that it barely matters.
I wanted to love and adore this book as I do Beloved, but there is so little that the two books have in common. The utter intimacy that Morrison had to have developed with her characters in Beloved is not even attempted in this book. It is that distance that tears at my heart and makes me wonder if she will explore, and allow us readers to experience, that gut-wrenching sadness, anger, betrayal, again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 6, 2016
丕诏賴 倬蹖卮 賮乇囟鬲賵賳 乇丕噩毓 亘賴 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘 賲賵乇蹖爻賵賳 蹖賴 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 讴賱蹖卮賴 丕蹖 丕夭 亘乇丿賴 丿丕乇蹖賴 丿乇 丕卮鬲亘丕賴蹖丿. 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 丿乇 丕賲乇蹖讴丕蹖 賯乇賳 賴賮丿賴 賲蹖诏匕乇賴 .讴鬲丕亘 乇賵 賲蹖卮賴 亘賴 禺丕胤乇 趩賴丕乇 卮禺氐蹖鬲 丕氐賱蹖 賮賱賵乇賳爻貙 乇亘賴 讴丕貙 爻丕乇賵 賵 賱蹖賳丕 夭賳丕賳賴 亘賴 丨爻丕亘 丌賵乇丿 賵賱蹖 賴賲夭賲丕賳 亘賴 禺丕胤乇 氐丨亘鬲 讴乇丿賳 乇丕噩毓 亘賴 賲賮丕賴蹖賲 毓賲蹖賯 丕賳爻丕賳蹖 亘賴 賲乇丿丕賳 賴賲 鬲賵氐蹖賴 卮 讴乇丿. 卮丕蹖丿 囟丿讴賱蹖卮賴 丕蹖 鬲乇蹖賳 賯爻賲鬲 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 貙 丕乇亘丕亘 卮乇蹖賮卮賴 讴賴 丕夭 鬲噩丕乇鬲 丕賳爻丕賳 亘蹖夭丕乇賴 賵 亘丕 丿蹖丿賴 丨賯丕乇鬲 賵 倬爻鬲蹖 亘賴卮 賳诏丕賴 賲蹖 讴賳賴. 丕乇亘丕亘蹖 讴賴 趩賴丕乇 丿禺鬲乇 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 乇賵 丿乇 賯丕賱亘 賴賲爻乇貙 禺丿賲鬲讴丕乇貙 亘乇丿賴 賵 蹖丕 丨鬲蹖 趩蹖夭蹖 卮亘蹖賴 丿禺鬲乇 禺賵丕賳丿賴 丿賵乇 賴賲 噩賲毓 讴乇丿賴. 丌丿賲 賴丕蹖蹖 讴賴 爻乇賳賵卮鬲 丕賵賳 賴丕 乇賵 亘賴 賴賲 乇爻賵賳丿賴 賵 趩丕乇賴 丕蹖 噩夭 丕蹖賳 亘乇丕卮賵賳 亘丕賯蹖 賳诏匕丕卮鬲賴
丿丕爻鬲丕賳 賮氐賱 亘賴 賮氐賱 噩賱賵 賲蹖乇賴 賵 賴乇 賮氐賱 亘賴 蹖讴 卮禺氐蹖鬲 丕禺鬲氐丕氐 丿丕乇賴. 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 賮賱賵乇賳爻 乇賵丕蹖鬲 丕賵賱 卮禺氐 賵 爻丕蹖乇 丕卮禺丕氐貙 乇丕賵蹖 丿丕賳丕蹖 讴賱 丿丕乇賳丿 讴賴 卮丕蹖丿 亘賴 賳賵毓蹖 鬲丕讴蹖丿 賲賵乇蹖爻賵賳 亘乇 鬲賮丕賵鬲 賮賱賵乇賳爻 亘丕 爻丕蹖乇蹖賳賴. 賮賱賵乇賳爻蹖 讴賴 丿乇 毓卮賯 倬丕蹖丿丕乇賴貙 亘乇禺賱丕賮 毓乇賮 亘賴 毓賳賵丕賳 蹖讴 亘乇丿賴 毓丕卮賯 讴賮卮 倬丕卮賳賴 丿丕乇賴 賵 亘丕爻賵丕丿賴 賵 亘賴 丿賳亘丕賱 噩賵丕亘 爻賵丕賱蹖 丕夭 賲丕丿乇卮賴: 讴賴 鬲賵 賮氐賱 丕禺乇 亘賴卮 賲蹖 乇爻蹖賲.
賲蹖卮賴 诏賮鬲 鬲賵 賴賲賵賳 賮氐賱 丕賵賱 貙 禺賵丕賳賳丿賴 亘賲亘丕乇丕賳 丕胤賱丕毓丕鬲蹖 賲蹖卮賴. 鬲賯乇蹖亘賳 讴賱 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 鬲賵 賴賲賵賳 賮氐賱 丕賵賱 亘乇丕蹖 禺賵丕賳賳丿賴 乇賵丕蹖鬲 賲蹖卮賴 亘丿賵賳 丕蹖賳 讴賴 亘丿賵賳賴 丕夭 趩賴 讴爻丕賳蹖 賵 趩賴 趩蹖夭賴丕蹖蹖 氐丨亘鬲 賲蹖卮賴. 讴賲 讴賲 噩賱賵 賲蹖乇賴 賵 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 賲孬賱 倬丕夭賱 讴丕賲賱 賲蹖卮賴 賵 卮丕禺 賵 亘乇诏 賲蹖诏蹖乇賴 賵 賵丕乇丿 噩夭卅蹖丕鬲 賲蹖卮賴.亘賴 賳馗乇賲 丕蹖丿賴 丌賱 乇丕噩毓 亘賴 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘貙丿賵亘丕乇 禺賵賳丿賳卮賴
賵 趩乇丕 蹖讴 爻鬲丕乇賴 讴賲 丿丕丿賲責 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴 丿乇 丕賳鬲賯丕賱 賮囟丕蹖 賯乇賳 賴賮丿賲蹖 亘賴 賲賳 賲禺丕胤亘 趩賳丿丕賳 賲賵賮賯 賳亘賵丿賴 亘賴 丕囟丕賮賴 蹖 丕蹖賳 讴賴 卮丕蹖丿 賲賵乇蹖爻賵賳貙賲賳 乇賵 亘蹖卮 丕夭 丨丿 鬲賵丕賳賲貙 爻乇诏乇丿丕賳 蹖丕賮鬲賳 鬲讴賴 賴丕蹖 诏賲 卮丿賴 蹖 倬丕夭賱 禺賵丿卮 讴乇丿賴 賵 丨鬲蹖 诏丕賴賳 丕鬲賮丕賯丕鬲 夭丕蹖丿蹖 乇賵 賴賲 亘賴 鬲賳賴 蹖 丕氐賱蹖 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 丕囟丕賮賴 讴乇丿賴
丕賱亘鬲賴 禺賵丿 賲賵乇蹖爻賵賳 丿乇 鬲賵囟蹖丨 丕蹖賳 爻乇丿乇诏賲蹖 賲禺丕胤亘 丿乇 賮囟丕蹖 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 诏賮鬲賴 鬲賱丕卮 丿丕卮鬲賴 鬲丕 丨爻 禺賵丕賳賳丿賴 乇賵 亘賴 卮禺氐亘鬲 賴丕 賳夭丿蹖讴 賵 賴賲乇丕賴 讴賳賴.卮禺氐蹖鬲 賴丕蹖蹖 讴賴 賲孬賱 賲丕 鬲賵 賮囟丕蹖 禺丕賳賴 蹖 丕乇亘丕亘蹖貙 睾乇蹖亘賴 賵 噩丿蹖丿 賵 爻乇诏乇丿丕賳 賴爻鬲賳丿
丿丕爻鬲丕賳 賮氐賱 亘賴 賮氐賱 噩賱賵 賲蹖乇賴 賵 賴乇 賮氐賱 亘賴 蹖讴 卮禺氐蹖鬲 丕禺鬲氐丕氐 丿丕乇賴. 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 賮賱賵乇賳爻 乇賵丕蹖鬲 丕賵賱 卮禺氐 賵 爻丕蹖乇 丕卮禺丕氐貙 乇丕賵蹖 丿丕賳丕蹖 讴賱 丿丕乇賳丿 讴賴 卮丕蹖丿 亘賴 賳賵毓蹖 鬲丕讴蹖丿 賲賵乇蹖爻賵賳 亘乇 鬲賮丕賵鬲 賮賱賵乇賳爻 亘丕 爻丕蹖乇蹖賳賴. 賮賱賵乇賳爻蹖 讴賴 丿乇 毓卮賯 倬丕蹖丿丕乇賴貙 亘乇禺賱丕賮 毓乇賮 亘賴 毓賳賵丕賳 蹖讴 亘乇丿賴 毓丕卮賯 讴賮卮 倬丕卮賳賴 丿丕乇賴 賵 亘丕爻賵丕丿賴 賵 亘賴 丿賳亘丕賱 噩賵丕亘 爻賵丕賱蹖 丕夭 賲丕丿乇卮賴: 讴賴 鬲賵 賮氐賱 丕禺乇 亘賴卮 賲蹖 乇爻蹖賲.
賲蹖卮賴 诏賮鬲 鬲賵 賴賲賵賳 賮氐賱 丕賵賱 貙 禺賵丕賳賳丿賴 亘賲亘丕乇丕賳 丕胤賱丕毓丕鬲蹖 賲蹖卮賴. 鬲賯乇蹖亘賳 讴賱 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 鬲賵 賴賲賵賳 賮氐賱 丕賵賱 亘乇丕蹖 禺賵丕賳賳丿賴 乇賵丕蹖鬲 賲蹖卮賴 亘丿賵賳 丕蹖賳 讴賴 亘丿賵賳賴 丕夭 趩賴 讴爻丕賳蹖 賵 趩賴 趩蹖夭賴丕蹖蹖 氐丨亘鬲 賲蹖卮賴. 讴賲 讴賲 噩賱賵 賲蹖乇賴 賵 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 賲孬賱 倬丕夭賱 讴丕賲賱 賲蹖卮賴 賵 卮丕禺 賵 亘乇诏 賲蹖诏蹖乇賴 賵 賵丕乇丿 噩夭卅蹖丕鬲 賲蹖卮賴.亘賴 賳馗乇賲 丕蹖丿賴 丌賱 乇丕噩毓 亘賴 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘貙丿賵亘丕乇 禺賵賳丿賳卮賴
賵 趩乇丕 蹖讴 爻鬲丕乇賴 讴賲 丿丕丿賲責 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴 丿乇 丕賳鬲賯丕賱 賮囟丕蹖 賯乇賳 賴賮丿賲蹖 亘賴 賲賳 賲禺丕胤亘 趩賳丿丕賳 賲賵賮賯 賳亘賵丿賴 亘賴 丕囟丕賮賴 蹖 丕蹖賳 讴賴 卮丕蹖丿 賲賵乇蹖爻賵賳貙賲賳 乇賵 亘蹖卮 丕夭 丨丿 鬲賵丕賳賲貙 爻乇诏乇丿丕賳 蹖丕賮鬲賳 鬲讴賴 賴丕蹖 诏賲 卮丿賴 蹖 倬丕夭賱 禺賵丿卮 讴乇丿賴 賵 丨鬲蹖 诏丕賴賳 丕鬲賮丕賯丕鬲 夭丕蹖丿蹖 乇賵 賴賲 亘賴 鬲賳賴 蹖 丕氐賱蹖 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 丕囟丕賮賴 讴乇丿賴
丕賱亘鬲賴 禺賵丿 賲賵乇蹖爻賵賳 丿乇 鬲賵囟蹖丨 丕蹖賳 爻乇丿乇诏賲蹖 賲禺丕胤亘 丿乇 賮囟丕蹖 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 诏賮鬲賴 鬲賱丕卮 丿丕卮鬲賴 鬲丕 丨爻 禺賵丕賳賳丿賴 乇賵 亘賴 卮禺氐亘鬲 賴丕 賳夭丿蹖讴 賵 賴賲乇丕賴 讴賳賴.卮禺氐蹖鬲 賴丕蹖蹖 讴賴 賲孬賱 賲丕 鬲賵 賮囟丕蹖 禺丕賳賴 蹖 丕乇亘丕亘蹖貙 睾乇蹖亘賴 賵 噩丿蹖丿 賵 爻乇诏乇丿丕賳 賴爻鬲賳丿
February 21, 2021
Brilliant.
A little way into reading, I had to pause and go back to the beginning, because this story is told not in a linear way, but in a spiral and with multiple perspectives that to me didn't relate to what the blurb says this book is about.
Florens is the only voice we hear more than once as she sets out on her quest, her chapters are interspersed by those she is growing up around, each one of those is told in the third person, but for their chapter stays with their perspective and views the others. And the last chapter circles back to the beginning and is given to the mother.
Without looking at the structure, and trying to understand the author's intention by it, I can see why one might struggle with this, I went back and reread the first chapter countless times as I read forward, because it reveals so much that is understood as we progress. I benefited so much from each time I circled back and reread that beginning. And felt the excitement of realising what Morrison was doing.
This man Jacob gets one chapter, but the first person narrator is the little girl Florens who we see at 8 years and at sixteen years and we only understand why when we read the very last voice, that of her mother, and whose intention it was, who spotted that opportunity, A Mercy.
Just wow.
A simple telling of a complex novel in the hands of one of the greats.
To use my own symbolism, which at the end I draw in the back of the book, to capture it immediately it comes to mind, it's like learning about how trees live in communities and support each other, there is what you see above ground, what lies below that connects them, and then there is the environment in which they grow, are nurtured, or might wither. And the small mercies.
A little way into reading, I had to pause and go back to the beginning, because this story is told not in a linear way, but in a spiral and with multiple perspectives that to me didn't relate to what the blurb says this book is about.
Florens is the only voice we hear more than once as she sets out on her quest, her chapters are interspersed by those she is growing up around, each one of those is told in the third person, but for their chapter stays with their perspective and views the others. And the last chapter circles back to the beginning and is given to the mother.
Without looking at the structure, and trying to understand the author's intention by it, I can see why one might struggle with this, I went back and reread the first chapter countless times as I read forward, because it reveals so much that is understood as we progress. I benefited so much from each time I circled back and reread that beginning. And felt the excitement of realising what Morrison was doing.
This man Jacob gets one chapter, but the first person narrator is the little girl Florens who we see at 8 years and at sixteen years and we only understand why when we read the very last voice, that of her mother, and whose intention it was, who spotted that opportunity, A Mercy.
Just wow.
A simple telling of a complex novel in the hands of one of the greats.
To use my own symbolism, which at the end I draw in the back of the book, to capture it immediately it comes to mind, it's like learning about how trees live in communities and support each other, there is what you see above ground, what lies below that connects them, and then there is the environment in which they grow, are nurtured, or might wither. And the small mercies.
It was not a miracle. Bestowed by God. It was a mercy. Offered by a human.
June 11, 2018
I needed this. Morrison is always fascinating for me to read; I'm paying attention to the structure, the themes, the tone, and every nuance she wrings out of her perfect sentences.
This is one of her easier novels, one featuring a swirling ensemble of voices, all gazing at the harsh reality of a group of women living in 17th century America.
The whole novel is one fluid tapestry, quite intimate, with a subtlety that is rare for Morrison but which works so well here. She questions how, in a world where one is inevitably owned in some way, do you form a self that is free of dominion?
Through the novel's incredibly strong female characters, she answers this question in several intense and surprising ways. I was especially moved by the final chapter, which I think really explains the entire point of the novel.
This is one of her easier novels, one featuring a swirling ensemble of voices, all gazing at the harsh reality of a group of women living in 17th century America.
The whole novel is one fluid tapestry, quite intimate, with a subtlety that is rare for Morrison but which works so well here. She questions how, in a world where one is inevitably owned in some way, do you form a self that is free of dominion?
Through the novel's incredibly strong female characters, she answers this question in several intense and surprising ways. I was especially moved by the final chapter, which I think really explains the entire point of the novel.
December 19, 2011
I love Toni Morrison, the way she holds out the dark truths of Americas past and forces the reader to look and while the themes here are the same as much of her other work this one is a bit more raw, not the writing which is beautiful as always, but here she just lays it all out in plain sight, here it is motherfuckers, And oh man does she really give it to Christianity good for its part in the oppression of women, slave trade, all around evilness, etc, so you know I was into that and I probably should write a decent review for once, but fuck it, I'll just say Toni Morrison is a total badass and leave it at that, really, the amount of effort some of you put into your reviews, jesus christ.
February 11, 2009
From my youngest sister, who reads often and prefers "Austenish" lit: "It was confusing and hard to get into and I didn't like the ending, but I did like that we heard every person's side of events. I still like my picks "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" and "The Guernsey Potato Peel Pie Society" best."
From my middle sister, who is not a big reader and likes "family smut" (aka divorcee single mother who has had it hard and then finds love in the shape of a Tarzan woodsman living alone and horny in the Rockies) and books like "the Shack" and "the Notebook": "This was the worst pick I have chosen so far. It took forever to know who was speaking and in the end nothing happened. This wasn't what I thought it would be based on the synopsis on Amazon...I thought it would be about a slave girl and her life. I liked my picks "" and "The Memory Keepers Daughter more than this."
From me, the literary hungry hippo who has read only "The Bluest Eye" from Toni in addition to "A Mercy": "Gave it almost 80 pages to really get going...chock full of things to analyze and the descriptions and format of the different voices provided early confusion but left a very layered tableau. I loved the ending- the last third of the book was great and really pulled together like strings twisting around and then forming a tight braid. Many similarities to "Bluest Eye"."
I would love to discuss this book with you if you choose to read it...I have a theory snowballing around in my head about what the turning point of the story concerning the slave girl Florens.If you still have the book, look at the part where Florens escapes the cabin with the white girl's help- I think there is a line or two where Florens asks her if she is taken with the devil and the girl smiles and says yes and then Florens feels a spirit or wind or something follow or watch her through the fence. That part is where I thought she fully embraced her darker self, and then from there on she was a primal being, intent on embracing a heady darkness she couldn't control. The indulgence of herself in herself- the selfishness of it all (the blacksmith addresses this) was breathtaking and sudden.
My younger sister thought the boy was just hurt. I thought she might've killed him, and my middle sister wasn't sure- she thought maybe both boy and man were killed or none were killed. What do you think?
From my middle sister, who is not a big reader and likes "family smut" (aka divorcee single mother who has had it hard and then finds love in the shape of a Tarzan woodsman living alone and horny in the Rockies) and books like "the Shack" and "the Notebook": "This was the worst pick I have chosen so far. It took forever to know who was speaking and in the end nothing happened. This wasn't what I thought it would be based on the synopsis on Amazon...I thought it would be about a slave girl and her life. I liked my picks "" and "The Memory Keepers Daughter more than this."
From me, the literary hungry hippo who has read only "The Bluest Eye" from Toni in addition to "A Mercy": "Gave it almost 80 pages to really get going...chock full of things to analyze and the descriptions and format of the different voices provided early confusion but left a very layered tableau. I loved the ending- the last third of the book was great and really pulled together like strings twisting around and then forming a tight braid. Many similarities to "Bluest Eye"."
I would love to discuss this book with you if you choose to read it...I have a theory snowballing around in my head about what the turning point of the story concerning the slave girl Florens.If you still have the book, look at the part where Florens escapes the cabin with the white girl's help- I think there is a line or two where Florens asks her if she is taken with the devil and the girl smiles and says yes and then Florens feels a spirit or wind or something follow or watch her through the fence. That part is where I thought she fully embraced her darker self, and then from there on she was a primal being, intent on embracing a heady darkness she couldn't control. The indulgence of herself in herself- the selfishness of it all (the blacksmith addresses this) was breathtaking and sudden.
My younger sister thought the boy was just hurt. I thought she might've killed him, and my middle sister wasn't sure- she thought maybe both boy and man were killed or none were killed. What do you think?
August 12, 2009
Dear Ms. Morrison:
I just want you to know that I think you are a wonderful writer. I remember picking up a copy of back in 1990 because I was taking a stupid college course and we were required to read a book by a female author written after WWII. I chose your book because it was really short and I didn't want to put a lot of time into that assignment. I remember crying while reading it and wanting to take that little girl out of her miserable life and make her feel better about herself. When my son was a baby, I read and was equally horrified and sympathetic to Sethe's predicament. I loved the depth of emotion that book brought out in me. Later, I read and was so impressed by the way the language echoed the theme. The rhythm of your words was so, well, jazzy.
I really, really wanted to give more than three stars. I wanted to be blown away. I was looking forward to really feeling something, even if it didn't feel good. Unfortunately, the only things I felt were confusion and disappointment. It took me half of each chapter to figure out which character the chapter was about and what time frame the chapter was set in. It felt flat and pointless. I never got to really know any of the characters. Honestly, 167 pages is not enough to cover the number of characters and ideas this story is trying to convey. It's more like a draft than a finished novel. It's an epic story that's been condensed and abridged. I wanted to know more about these characters and the 17th century American colonies in which they lived. I liked that nobody was either a hero or a villain, but human. I just would have liked to know these humans better.
Frankly, the reason I do give your book as many as three stars is that the prose is absolutely beautiful, as usual for you. The imagery and the rhythm is both poetic and musical. I just wish there had been more of it.
Sincerely,
Sandi K.
I just want you to know that I think you are a wonderful writer. I remember picking up a copy of back in 1990 because I was taking a stupid college course and we were required to read a book by a female author written after WWII. I chose your book because it was really short and I didn't want to put a lot of time into that assignment. I remember crying while reading it and wanting to take that little girl out of her miserable life and make her feel better about herself. When my son was a baby, I read and was equally horrified and sympathetic to Sethe's predicament. I loved the depth of emotion that book brought out in me. Later, I read and was so impressed by the way the language echoed the theme. The rhythm of your words was so, well, jazzy.
I really, really wanted to give more than three stars. I wanted to be blown away. I was looking forward to really feeling something, even if it didn't feel good. Unfortunately, the only things I felt were confusion and disappointment. It took me half of each chapter to figure out which character the chapter was about and what time frame the chapter was set in. It felt flat and pointless. I never got to really know any of the characters. Honestly, 167 pages is not enough to cover the number of characters and ideas this story is trying to convey. It's more like a draft than a finished novel. It's an epic story that's been condensed and abridged. I wanted to know more about these characters and the 17th century American colonies in which they lived. I liked that nobody was either a hero or a villain, but human. I just would have liked to know these humans better.
Frankly, the reason I do give your book as many as three stars is that the prose is absolutely beautiful, as usual for you. The imagery and the rhythm is both poetic and musical. I just wish there had been more of it.
Sincerely,
Sandi K.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,783 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.