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Winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1993, Toni Morrison is among our most distinguished contemporary novelists. Morrison describes herself as a "black woman novelist," and all her novels deal with African American characters and communities. Exploring the entire cycle of human life in a spiritual context, her novels are also universal in their depiction of families, especially mothers and their children. From her first novel, The Bluest Eye, to her most recent, Paradise, Toni Morrison has explored the African American experience, and by extension, the human experience. The characters she creates linger in our minds long after we have finished reading the novel. This is the only book-length study of Morrison's novels to discuss all of her novels published to date. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Here's a book of criticism we _all_ will wish we'd written!
Missy Kubitschek's book does the impossible:she presents a thoughtful, educated, and appreciative reading of Morrison that makes these wonderful novels even more accessible than even good readers could imagine.Forteachers who want to provide their students with a superb critical model,here it is.Look at the literate biographical first chapter.The"contexts" chapter moves smoothly and clearly through thecritical whitewater of postmodernism, orality, and black identity. Thechapters focusing on individual Morrison novels (even the daunting_Paradise_) illuminate Morrison's careful plot and characterizationstrategies.Best of all, each chapter showcases a particular criticalstrategy (formalist, historicist, archetypal, "Afro-modernist,"etc.) as a lens through which to read the text.This is not only abrilliant teaching strategy, it's delightfully readable. I was surprisedand moved all over again at the author's deft discussion of marigolds in_Bluest Eye_ and its subtle evocation of the Demeter/Persephone theme. It's the best discussion I've read of _Paradise_ and the chapter on _Sula_brought that novel's power home to me years after my first reading of it. This is criticism at its very best. ... Read more

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Discusses the personal life and literary achievements of the woman who, in 1993, became the first African American to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. ... Read more

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The story of the eighth American--and first black--Nobel Prize-winning author of such modern masterpieces as "Beloved, Sula, The Bluest Eye" and "Paradise" is told in vivid detail, from her beginnings in Lorain, Ohio, to some of her most recent accomplishments. ... Read more

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This volume embraces modern theoretic approaches to the novels of Toni Morrison. ... Read more

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How does Toni Morrison use language to represent race? Answering this question through literary criticism and linguistic research, this book shows how Morrison’s language reflects the souls of black folk in The Bluest Eye and Beloved. The book focuses on the way in which Morrison forces language to reveal what cannot be spoken by a "black" grammar. To achieve the breaking of this silence, Morrison uses rhetoric, voice, and narrative structures not conventionally used to achieve the effect of "black English." Students and teachers of Toni Morrison’s novels and black English will find this book useful. ... Read more

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How does Toni Morrison use language to represent race? Answering this question through literary criticism and linguistic research, this book shows how Morrison’s language reflects the souls of black folk in The Bluest Eye and Beloved. The book focuses on the way in which Morrison forces language to reveal what cannot be spoken by a "black" grammar. To achieve the breaking of this silence, Morrison uses rhetoric, voice, and narrative structures not conventionally used to achieve the effect of "black English." Students and teachers of Toni Morrison’s novels and black English will find this book useful. ... Read more

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Toni Morrison, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993, is perhaps the most important living American author today, and certainly one of the most popular in college and high school courses. Her novels, including "Sula", "Song of Solomon", "Beloved", and "Paradise", have won almost every major award available to them. In addition, her influence as a critic, book editor, and mentor to other writers has been incalculable. "Critical Companion to Toni Morrison" examines Morrison's life and writing, featuring critical analyses of her work and themes, as well as entries on related topics and relevant people, places, and influences. ... Read more

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One of the few authors to attain both commercial success and literary acclaim, Toni Morrison, a longstanding member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, is widely read by high school students and general readers. Her books have been adapted into highly extolled films such as Beloved, largely because, even when set in the past, they grapple with issues and emotions relevant to contemporary society.

Designed for students and general readers, Reading Toni Morrison is a handy introduction to Morrison's works and their place in the world. The book begins with a look at Morrison's life and writing. Chapters overview the plots of her novels and discuss their themes, characters, and contexts. The book then examines Morrison's treatment of social issues and the presence of her works in popular culture. Chapters provide sidebars of interesting information along with questions to promote student research and book club discussion.