A review by nadia
Tar Baby by Toni Morrison

challenging emotional slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

A really solid read! I didn't know anything about Tar Baby going in, avoiding the blurb on the TSG page and the back of my book, and found myself quickly immersed, with the characters coming to life. As always when I get back to Morrison I'm like: "okkkkkurrr, now this is writing. Wow."

I didn't fully get the significance of everything, especially some of the more magical realism elements (I think that's what you'd call them), including the ending, but I was able to mostly follow everything and appreciated all of the main themes of the book.

I think my current Toni Morrison ranking is:

1. Song of Solomon
2. Sula
3. Tar Baby
4. The Bluest Eye

My Beloved reread — the only Morrison I'd read before starting this chronological read — is next!
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