Bookmarks Subscribers discussion

I was disappointed in A Mercy after reading many good reviews. This was the first Toni Morrison book I had read and I did not feel this particular book lived up to her reputation. The manner in which the story was told, from no fewer than 6 different perspectives, made it incoherent and difficult to follow. Jumping back and forth in time through so many characters grew frustrating. It was hard to develop any kind of relationship with the characters because of this technique and because the book was so short. By the time you started getting a sense of one character, another took center stage and then the book was over.

I did come away from the book with a sense of the loss, fear, unbelonging and bewilderment that slaves,indentured servants, mail-order brides, and captive female Indians during the early Colonial period must have experienced. Unfortunately, I was relieved that the book was so short, otherwise I may not have stuck this one out.

Has anyone else read A Mercy or other Toni Morrison books? I'm wondering if her other books, like Beloved, are as good as promoted. I'm not sure if I should give another of her books a try. Any suggestions?

I read The Bluest Eye in high school and liked it; then I read Beloved two years ago (well, I should say kind of read it because I could only get about halfway through). I know some will want to burn me at the stake for this, but I just think Morrison is overrated. People go nuts over Beloved, but in book groups I have been a part of, more and more are starting to come out of the closet and admit "I just didn't get it." or "I thought it was terrible."

I don't even bother with anything by her anymore. My sister has tried a couple more since high school too, but doesn't care for her either.

By the way, I was an English major. ;) Hence, the burn at the stake comment. There are some authors that we are "supposed" to love.

Thanks for sharing that with me. I almost hated to admit that I didn't like A Mercy after so many reviewers praised it. I thought it was an empty story that lacked depth. It will be a long time if ever before I pick up another one of her books.

Beloved is as good as people suggest. But then, so is A Mercy...

I am a believer that one makes up his/her own mind - I am never swayed by books I am "SUPPOSED to love and appreciate," especially because of my background in English lit. I have met very few people that enjoyed Beloved, and I do not believe that reflects on a reader's intelligence or depth. On the same note, I have enjoyed some works that many others have disliked, or wouldn't even try because of intimidation or length or whatever.

But is "enjoyment" the bottom line? One isn't intended to enjoy Schindler's List, for example. Mustn't we take each novel or film according to what it's attempting to elicit or inspire in us, as opposed to some litmus test of pleasure, of all things? It's not a bad thing when we enjoy a novel that we're also finding ourselves edified by, but there are plenty of novels I didn't take pleasure in reading that I feel grateful to have read, Beloved among them.

I am at a point in my life that I am reading for ENJOYMENT purposes primarily, as are most of the readers participating on Goodreads. It is why we locate and join specific book groups that meet our needs as readers. I LOVED being an English Lit major, and I learned SO much; but I was forced to read a lot of books that I completely disliked at the time and would never pick up again. And no, I do not recognize their merit, because I could just as easily find something in the same genre, doing the same thing, that would be more ENJOYABLE for me to read. I don't really think there are original ideas, just different types of packaging. I also do not believe a book is good because a designated group of people decided it should win an award or because a group of critics say: "This is good. Read it." More and more people are turning to friends and family for book recommendations; publications that are people-oriented such as Bookmarks thrive because of the reader-friendly format.

I close with the only Morrison book I have ever read and appreciated was The Bluest Eye.

"And no, I do not recognize their merit, because I could just as easily find something in the same genre, doing the same thing, that would be more ENJOYABLE for me to read."

Perhaps you're the one, then, who can point me to the enjoyable novels about the Holocaust, for I've been looking for them for years. Is it true that Christopher Moore has something coming out along those lines? Or what about the rumor circulating that Vince Flynn is planning a quartet on D-Day?

And it isn't about jumping on the bandwagons created in critics awarding prizes (for sometimes the novels that win those prizes are more unsuccessful than not), I agree. It is, however, about expanding one's conception as to what makes a good novel good, about judging a novel according to what it attempts as opposed to what you would like to see it attempt.

I am well aware of what Toni Morrison was attempting to accomplish with her novel, A Mercy; however I feel she fell short of the mark. Normally, I like a story told from different perspectives, but her effort made the story disjointed. It was difficult sometimes to discern who was speaking. I thought Morrison's technique of jumping between characters and time was ineffectual and frustrating, and could've been done better. Yes, her attempt to show slavery in different forms and blurry terms was noble, but I felt it wasn't worthy of the high praise she garnered. I judged the book for what it was: a good idea written in a technically inferior style.

I must also say, that I respect others opinions and reactions to the books they read even if they don't coincide with my opinions. We all read for different reasons. We are not all at the same crossroads in our reading journey; so a book I read today may not have the same meaning for me 10 years down the road. I like to believe that we are all intelligent enough to appreciate the literature we read; therefore each of our opinions are valid even if it isn't in the majority.

Jason wrote: ""And no, I do not recognize their merit, because I could just as easily find something in the same genre, doing the same thing, that would be more ENJOYABLE for me to read."

Perhaps you're the o..."

Seriously, other people besides you are allowed to have opinions. If we're all too pedestrian for you to bear find another group.

We don't all agree with the taste or choices of everyone else in the group. But when we voice our disagreement, we do it in such a way that isn't attempting to belittle the mental capacity of our fellow group members.

If you find us all so terrible banal, move on.

I agree with Melissa. Everyone is allowed their opinion whether we agree with it or not. If we disagree with each other we should do so with respect. If we are so inferior to you, then by all means move on.