Sign in with Facebook
Violet wells's Reviews > Sula
Sula
by
by
This is the first time I’ve ever struggled to review a book I’ve read. Perhaps this relentless English rain is getting to me and addling my brain? Not that Sula was in any way bad. Just that I find my response to it is as mysterious as the book itself. I could say it’s been a while since I read Toni Morrison and my first response was excitement at the reminder of how stunningly she can write a sentence – “Grass stood blade by blade, shocked into separateness by an ice that held for days”. I could say it’s about two girls who strike up a poignant intimacy as children and how one becomes a compromised adult and the other becomes the quintessential outsider until she’s resented and feared by her entire neighbourhood, a neighbourhood that seems to exist on a barren island, cut off from the wider world of opportunity and hope – everyone’s hopes are centred on the rumoured construction of a tunnel and a bridge to the neighbouring town. And how it does a moving job of showing how all the odds are stacked against a black woman living in the USA in the first half of the 20th century – “ because each had discovered years before they were neither white nor male and that all freedom and triumph was forbidden them they set about something else to be." I could say it’s a strange mix of poetic myth and grubby realism with perhaps an absence of narrative drive, of compelling storytelling. Despite the beauty of its language and its moving chronicling of appalling social injustice – “the staggering childish malevolence of their employers”. In fact, I think that’s what I’ll say and leave it at that – except to conclude that in this novel all Morrison’s immense gifts as a writer are on display, except her genius of weaving them all together into riveting storytelling. The ending though is fabulous. 3.5 stars.
The sun's just come out!
The sun's just come out!
Sign into Goodreads to see if any of your friends have read
Sula.
Sign In »
Quotes Violet Liked
“When she awoke there was a melody in her head she could not identify or recall ever hearing before. 'Perhaps I made it up,' she thought. Then it came to her - the name of the song and all its lyrics just as she had heard it many times before. She sat on the edge of the bed thinking, 'There aren't any more new songs and I have sung all the ones there are. I have sung them all. I have sung all the songs there are.”
― Sula
― Sula
“She had been looking all along for a friend, and it took her a while to discover that a lover was not a comrade and could never be - for a woman. And that no one would ever be that version of herself which she sought to reach out to and touch with an ungloved hand. There was only her own mood and whim, and if that was all there was, she decided to turn the naked hand toward it, discover it and let others become as intimate with their own selves as she was.”
― Sula
― Sula
Reading Progress
July 13, 2016
– Shelved as:
to-read
July 13, 2016
– Shelved
July 25, 2016
–
Started Reading
August 3, 2016
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-41 of 41 (41 new)
date
newest »
newest »
message 1:
by
Matthias
(new)
Aug 03, 2016 06:58AM
Your struggle was not for nothing, Violet. Great review!! Grey skies over Brussels as well, but somehow the image a blades of grass standing side by side brightened my day. Let's just hope it doesn't start to freeze any time soon.
reply
|
flag
Violet, your struggle to review this book certainly didn't cause this to be a less than competent review! Just as insightful and well articulated as always :)
On a side note- happy to hear the sun has decided to make an appearance on your side! We've had our fair share over here!
Violet, I certainly didn't see a struggle with your review. It was up to your usual high standard.I've never read any of Tony Morrison's books - I don't know why - just one of those things.
As an aside, we have had so much rain here over the past few months and now it is boiling with temperatures averaging 29°C. Too much for me. All my shutters are down most of the day and I feel as if I'm inside a pyramid!
Matthias wrote: "Your struggle was not for nothing, Violet. Great review!! Grey skies over Brussels as well, but somehow the image a blades of grass standing side by side brightened my day. Let's just hope it doesn..."Thanks Matthias. I've been to Brussels twice and it rained both times. Third time lucky hopefully. I'd like to see it under a blue sky.
Candi wrote: "On a side note- happy to hear the sun has decided to make an appearance on your side! We've had our fair share over here!"Lucky you, Candi. The summer in England has been abysmal.
Lynne wrote: "Violet, I certainly didn't see a struggle with your review. It was up to your usual high standard.I've never read any of Tony Morrison's books - I don't know why - just one of those things.
As a..."
Thanks Lynne. How I envy you! I've forgotten what it's like to feel hot. Never thought I'd say this but I really miss the sweltering heat that rises up from the cobbles of Florence in August.
Loved you review, Violet! Your struggle certainly doesn't show in your words, beautiful. Congrats! L.
Lynne wrote: "Are you back in England then Violet?"Yep, I've been here for months, Lynne. I'm on daughter duty as my mum isn't well.
Lizzy wrote: "Loved you review, Violet! Your struggle certainly doesn't show in your words, beautiful. Congrats! L."Thanks Lizzy.
Thanks for reminding me of SULA, Violet. I must read:) Love the way you explain Morrison's deliciously weird and beautiful prose. (And I'm glad the sun came out:)
Nice review – hope your mum feels better.
Cheryl wrote: "Thanks for reminding me of SULA, Violet. I must read:) Love the way you explain Morrison's deliciously weird and beautiful prose. (And I'm glad the sun came out:)"Considering it was only her second novel it's a magnificent achievement, Cheryl, just not quite up to the standard of The Song of Solomon and especially Beloved which for me was one of the best novels written by anyone last century.
Warwick wrote: "Nice review – hope your mum feels better."Thanks Warwick.
Good review, Violet, despite your misgivings. All the best to your mum. And let me just say that I entirely echo your semi-depression re the English 'summer' - except I'm talking about the Danish ditto. Relentless rain about covers it. (And we've only just entered August!)
I know that feeling of having nothing to say about a book, Violet, and how it doesn't necessarily mean that there's anything wrong with the book just that it didn't inspire a rush to the keyboard after finishing, so I sympathise with you here - on all fronts. And yet you made something out of your 'nothing' in the end..
"I could say it’s a strange mix of poetic myth and grubby realism with perhaps an absence of narrative drive, of compelling storytelling."Well, I think you've done a pretty good job describing Morrison's jazzy style, Violet. I have always thought that rainy weather is a good compation to inspiration...
Helle wrote: "Good review, Violet, despite your misgivings. All the best to your mum. And let me just say that I entirely echo your semi-depression re the English 'summer' - except I'm talking about the Danish d..."Thanks Helle. Sorry to hear Denmark's no less shuttered by relentless rain than the UK. Fingers crossed for some hot sunshine today.
Fionnuala wrote: "I know that feeling of having nothing to say about a book, Violet, and how it doesn't necessarily mean that there's anything wrong with the book just that it didn't inspire a rush to the keyboard a..."I'm usually bursting with things to say, Fi. It's like i can't order my thoughts and feelings about a book until I've written them down. I think I would have written a better review had I composed it today instead of yesterday. But I always write my reviews as soon as i finish a book just as i always call my friend immediately after having been on a date. Or did, back in the days when I went on dates!
Dolors wrote: ""I could say it’s a strange mix of poetic myth and grubby realism with perhaps an absence of narrative drive, of compelling storytelling."Well, I think you've done a pretty good job describing Mo..."
Thanks Dolors. As a rule I rather like rain but not every day. I feel the same about extreme heat though whenever I spend August in Florence - every day just a carbon copy of the day before.
Violet wrote: "Dolors wrote: ""I could say it’s a strange mix of poetic myth and grubby realism with perhaps an absence of narrative drive, of compelling storytelling."Well, I think you've done a pretty good jo..."
Well, I guess a balanced climatic variety is desired everywhere. I am suffocating after weeks of scorching heat and humidity and dream of a cooler temperatures and overcast skies that might bring some purifying rain.
I love your review Violet. The way you express your struggle to review Sula conveys everything necessary.
Esil wrote: "I love your review Violet. The way you express your struggle to review Sula conveys everything necessary."Thanks Esil. I still feel the book deserved a better effort from me!
You've just described August in Florence perfectly, Dolors!
Smooth and elegant as ever, Violet - like a ballet dancer's, your audience cannot discern the struggle behind the moves or your words:). I've still to read Morrison, and am happy to have found another two recommendations in the comments thread - thank you! Wishing your mother and you well.
Ilse wrote: "Smooth and elegant as ever, Violet - like a ballet dancer's, your audience cannot discern the struggle behind the moves or your words:). I've still to read Morrison, and am happy to have found anot..."Ha ha! Thanks so much, Ilse. Whole-heartedly recommend Beloved
Perfect review, Violet, I so agree. Morrison's gifts are on full display though I did feel it falls a little short. So glad the sun came out!
Thanks for the review Violet. Now that I have an idea of Sula, maybe I'll start with another one. I have a photocopy of "Beloved", who some say is the best novel by Morrison. I'm going to start with that!
I share your difficulty with Morrison, Violet, but not that I have read this one. I find her brilliant books, like Beloved, very difficult, and the easier ones just a little blah. R.
DiegoCestrada wrote: "Thanks for the review Violet. Now that I have an idea of Sula, maybe I'll start with another one. I have a photocopy of "Beloved", who some say is the best novel by Morrison. I'm going to start wit..."Good move, Diego!
Fabulous summary, Violet! I am yet to read a Morrison :( But that would be remedied soon! May the sun keep shining :)
Roger wrote: "I share your difficulty with Morrison, Violet, but not that I have read this one. I find her brilliant books, like Beloved, very difficult, and the easier ones just a little blah. R."Not sure I have difficulty with her, Roger. At her best I love her to bits. But it's probably unfair to expect any writer to write more than two or, at the max, three truly inspired novels in her lifetime. For me, Woolf only wrote two, George Eliot only one; Dostoevsky is the only novelist I can think of who wrote three. Probably no other Morrison novel is on a par with Beloved just as no other Nabokov novel is quite on par with Lolita and Pale Fire but in both cases all the other novels by these authors are still more accomplished and exciting for me than virtually everything else being published nowadays.
Interesting concept, Violet. I think you can indeed think of peak creations, though often there are several I would call inspired. I regard Morrison as a special case: Beloved is amazing, it has something that none of the others has, and yet it may be the most difficult book I have ever read. Right up there with Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury. Talking of whom, I would say that Faulkner had at least four peak novels. I would include The Waves among Woolf's greatest, and put Daniel Deronda right up there with Middlemarch. And what about Austen? Three at least, surely (P&P, Emma, and Persuasion)? R.
Great review, although I did not find the story to be slow (but I also tend to be very forgiving of comparatively thin narratives). I find your theory of peak novels to be interesting--it makes very good sense, but was not one I had thought of (in detail) before. It's also interesting because, while I understand why Beloved could be called Morrison's best book, I do not know that it was my favorite of the three I have read.
The sun has come out?, really! this is the UK you are referring to? I can't wait to escape!, relocating to Paris soon although the weather there isn't exactly the Maldives.Nice review under the circumstances and best wishes to you and your mum.
I loved "The Bluest eye", your review for Sula is tempting, thanks.
Violet, I completely agree with you that the sentences Morrison comes up with are jaw dropping. The way she can take something as simple as grass and turn it into the deep context of what she is discussing is remarkable. This book had put forward much confusion and sorrow for me as I read. The characters being completely polar opposites added the friction and questioning of morals to be very inclusive. I agree that the ending was perfect for the series of events that occurred throughout the novel. It came full circle and concluded and reassured the reader of questions that were put forward in the novel. Nice review!
Absolutely love this review
