Diane Verdi
asked:
Did anyone else really hate this book ?- I feel guilty because it is by such a reknown author. I'm 1/2 way thru and can't get up any curiosity or interest in what happens next.
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Melissa Aubuchon
I actually couldn't get through it the first time I read it. I put it down and then came back to it a couple years later. If you can't finish it, set it aside and move on. Maybe put it back on the bookshelf for another time.
I find Morrison generally difficult but extremely rewarding to read. The second attempt clicked for me and I made it to the end and then LOVED it.
I agree with Nyla, though. If you don't like it; you don't like it. There are plenty of popular authors and books out there that I just don't feel the same way about. Morrison is amazingly talented and smart. Her messages resonate with different people at different times in our lives. I certainly haven't liked all her books, but I am probably not her target audience in those cases.
I find Morrison generally difficult but extremely rewarding to read. The second attempt clicked for me and I made it to the end and then LOVED it.
I agree with Nyla, though. If you don't like it; you don't like it. There are plenty of popular authors and books out there that I just don't feel the same way about. Morrison is amazingly talented and smart. Her messages resonate with different people at different times in our lives. I certainly haven't liked all her books, but I am probably not her target audience in those cases.
John
Toni Morrison is boring and hard to read. There are always a million characters who drop into the story without introduction and fill pages with internal monologue, lingering over some seemingly (or actually?) insignificant moment.
The mood of her novels is grim and humorless. If I were a better person this would click for me, but I'm not.
The mood of her novels is grim and humorless. If I were a better person this would click for me, but I'm not.
Julia
I am currently reading this, and am heartened knowing that I am not alone in finding it a difficult read. I think part of my problem is I read before bed every night, so unless a book is riveting I find my mind wandering over issues from the day. If there is one thing I know of Ms. Morrison’s writing it is that you must stay in the moment of the story. But I am stubborn, and refuse to stop. When I’m in it, I’m in love with the writing and enthralled with the story; when I’m drowsy, I’m back in college reading the same text over and over, retaining nothing. I think it’s a great idea to come back to it from time to time.
Dennis
It's very difficult to follow because of the number of charaacters / stories and the fact that the intertwining relationships among the townspeople borders on the incestuous. (I had my suspicions about the number of damaged children one couple produced.) I stuck with it because I'm basically stubborn but it's not an easy read plot-wise; the beauty is in the language and images, I think.
Cynthia Arrieu-King
I'm listening on audiobook. I've listened to many of her books that way, and I feel like I'm still ok just mostly listening instead of closely listening. Might be a way to get through. Definitely don't have to like everything Morrison writes.
Steven Mastroyin
This is the only Toni Morrison I started and came to a DNF. Trying for a second time now, with the audiobook, but really struggling. I think keeping track of the characters and how they relate to each other ends up being a bit too much work compared to the payoff. Going to keep plowing through but even though I love Morrison's voice I'm having even more trouble with the audiobook than I remember from reading. The reverse chronology style is not really my thing in general, and also this story is just so maudlin. Even in dealing with heavy material in her other works, the conversations and relationships between people create some joy and give some vibrance to the book. This just feels dour all the way to me.
IvanOpinion
Hate would be too strong, but I did find it heavy going in the middle. Unlike you, I was intensely curious to find out how the scene at the beginning came to pass, so I persevered. But I do think it could have been sharpened in the middle.
Elizabeth Wood
I too did not like this book. I kept trying since I have loved Toni Morrison in the past (especially recently I read and loved A Mercy, which I highly recommend to all readers). But with this one I kept getting confused by the characters and put it down for two or three months in the middle - which, of course, didn't help (like Nyla). Somehow the characters were not only confusing, but also somehow a bit precious... Such a bummer.
Nyla Panzilius
First of all, you should never feel bad for having your own opinion about a book, even if that opinion is not "popular." You have a mind of your own, and you are entitled to use it! Literary tastes are very personal, and not every reader is going to connect with every book.
But to answer your question . . . Yes, I also disliked this book. I have read much of Morrison's work, but I had a difficult time even finishing this one. I also got stuck about halfway through the book and put it down for three months before finally forcing myself to finish it, just to get it off of my nightstand. (I wonder if we both got stuck by the same unnecessarily long scene?)
There are novels that are complex, and then there are novels that are so complex, they are actually convoluted and confusing. I would put this book in that second category.
But to answer your question . . . Yes, I also disliked this book. I have read much of Morrison's work, but I had a difficult time even finishing this one. I also got stuck about halfway through the book and put it down for three months before finally forcing myself to finish it, just to get it off of my nightstand. (I wonder if we both got stuck by the same unnecessarily long scene?)
There are novels that are complex, and then there are novels that are so complex, they are actually convoluted and confusing. I would put this book in that second category.
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