3.5 stars

I embarked on reading this book as part of a project that was inspired by and meant to be carried out in tandem with a friend. The objective was to read the Toni Morrison novels that we hadn't yet read by the end of this year. For me, this included A Mercy and Home, and I decided to read them in chronological order (as listed here).

Love is, in some respects, one of Morrison's best books, yet in others, one of her most imperfect. It reminds me of Sula in its exploration of friendship and Tar Baby in its examination of relationships between older and younger generations.

Heed and Christine were playmates and the best of friends, but their relationship was shattered by the abusive actions of an old wealthy man, Bill Cosey, who happened to be Christine's grandfather. Bill Cosey, who looms large throughout the novel, mainly in the thoughts of other characters, is a symbol of socioeconomic upward mobility for Black American people just before the civil rights era. He builds a resort where music and entertainment attract Black clients who are excluded from white places due to segregation. This success allows him to mingle with the white powerful men of the town, including the sheriff. He earns the admiration of the Black people in the town for his wealth and social standing, and the women in his life envision him as a paterfamilias. However, both kinds of admiration are unearned and dangerous, as they insulate powerful figures from criticism and consequences, often leading admirers to blame the victims instead, as seen in this tale. In a way, this book explores the meaning of material possession, especially for those who had little hope of attaining it due to the systemic conditions of their circumstances.

The Bill Cosey Hotel and Resort was successful because it was a glamorous place for Black people during segregation. However, desegregation threatens and ultimately contributes to its financial downfall. May, Christine's mother and Bill Cosey's daughter, fears that Black militants will take away their property, and the women left after Bill Cosey's death, mainly Christine and Heed, fight over the property as well. Material wealth, or the lack thereof, and its impact on relationships is one of the clear themes in this book.

Morrison employs several interesting writing techniques here, which is typical of her novels. She can handle multiple themes adeptly without disrupting the narrative. However, I think the interesting style of this novel, an unfurling narrative where details of the central events are revealed slowly as the story progresses and the core is fully disclosed at the very end, ends up obscuring some aspects in a way. It's like observing a beautiful landscape veiled by fog at dawn before sunrise, and gradually seeing the vapour dissipate and the light filter in, giving definition and shape to the landscape's features. That's how it felt to read this book. It took some time to finally see the complete picture, and I'm not entirely sure it measures up to the other landscapes painted by this outstanding writer, which may be unfair to this book. But overall, I enjoyed it and would recommend it.

Amor — O Bacalhau da Arte

Love has been painted, recited, sung, declaimed, sculpted, filmed, and romanticized. It seems to be to art what the codfish is to Portuguese cuisine.

This time, the approach was up to Toni Morrison. In a poetic and enigmatic prose, she conceived pictures in tones of hatred, eroticism, and obsession, where history combines with fiction.

"Love" is yet another work that presents us with the literary genius of a writer who was recently lost. It is a testament to her remarkable talent and the profound impact she had on the world of literature.

We are left to wonder what other masterpieces she might have created if she had more time. Nevertheless, her works will continue to inspire and touch the hearts of readers for generations to come.

Onvan: Love
Nevisande: Toni Morrison
ISBN: 1400078474
ISBN13: 9781400078479
Dar 224 Safhe
Saal e Chap: 2002

"Love" by Toni Morrison is a profound and captivating work. With its unique ISBN and ISBN13 numbers, it stands out in the literary world. The book consists of 224 pages, published in 2002. Morrison's writing style is masterful, drawing readers in from the very beginning.

She explores the complex and often tumultuous nature of love in all its forms. Through her vivid characters and engaging storylines, she delves into the depths of human emotions,揭示了爱与恨、欲望与背叛、痛苦与救赎之间的微妙关系.

"Love" is not just a story, but a reflection on the human condition. It makes readers question their own understanding of love and forces them to confront the harsh realities that often accompany it. Morrison's ability to create such a powerful and thought-provoking novel is a testament to her talent as a writer.

This book is a must-read for anyone interested in exploring the themes of love and relationships. It will leave a lasting impression and stay with you long after you have turned the final page.

Nowadays, silence is regarded as strange.

Most of my race has forgotten the charm of conveying a lot with few words.

Now, tongues seem to operate on their own all day long, without any assistance from the mind.

Hate has such an effect.

It burns away everything except itself, so regardless of what your grievance is, your face ends up looking just like that of your enemy.

Just like friendship, hatred requires more than just physical closeness; it demands creativity and hard work to maintain itself.

Silence, once a source of profound meaning, has been overshadowed by the constant chatter.

People are so eager to speak that they forget the power of listening and the beauty of expressing oneself succinctly.

Hate, on the other hand, is a destructive force that can consume a person from within.

It blinds us to the humanity of our opponents and makes us resemble them in our anger and bitterness.

Both friendship and hatred are complex emotions that require effort and attention to cultivate.

We must learn to balance our words with silence and our hatred with love if we are to live in a harmonious and meaningful world.

I discovered that this book was somewhat disjointed.

It was truly arduous for me to establish a connection with any of the characters.

The reason why they were all vying for the same (terrible) man completely eludes me.

I mean, what could possibly be so appealing about this particular individual that would cause all these characters to engage in such intense competition?

It makes the story seem rather convoluted and hard to follow.

Maybe if the author had developed the characters more fully or provided a more rational explanation for their actions, I would have been able to get more invested in the story.

As it stands, however, I'm left feeling rather confused and uninterested.

Hopefully, future works by this author will be more engaging and easier to understand.

The writing in this piece was truly remarkable, and the dialogue was spot-on.

However, unfortunately, I found myself rather confused for the majority of the time. I'm not certain if this was a deliberate choice by the author, but regardless, I was unable to fully immerse myself in the story. Although I felt a sense of empathy towards Heed and Christine, I couldn't establish a personal connection with them because I was constantly confused. I had no clue what was actually going on.

And then, just when some aspects started to click for me, the writing style became extremely abstract, and I lost track of the narrative once again. I had to resort to looking at summaries online in order to piece things together. Only then did certain elements begin to make some sense, and only then did the story manage to touch my heart.

Overall, while the writing had its strengths, the confusion and abstract nature at times detracted from my overall experience of the story.

I've been pondering over what to pen for a whole month ever since I completed reading "Love". I've been waiting patiently to have a clear understanding of what it is that I truly want to convey.

However, that moment of absolute clarity might never arrive. So, here I am, diving right in, and I'll surely come back later to add more.

It wasn't until I reached the conclusion of the book that I began to fathom the complexity of the title in its entirety.

It seems as if Morrison is delving into the various ways in which love can be distorted, contaminated, and warped. Here, it mostly culminates in hurt and hatred. The sole exception to this is the small family unit consisting of the grandparents and their grandson Romen. They are kind and upright individuals, perhaps presented as a tiny glimmer of light in what is otherwise a very dark narrative. It's interesting that I find myself having to use "light" and "dark" as descriptors here, considering how closely they are often associated with skin color, race, and racism.

The emotional landscape of this book was so harrowing that I had great difficulty in reading it. I constantly had to put it down and walk away. Since it was a Book Club read, I knew I had to persevere. Moreover, I was eager to understand more about the reasons why Morrison had written it. A brief search in the University Library catalogue led me to a series of titles such as these: (and here I will now have to locate my notes).

This book was truly spectacular. It incorporated so many elements that I have loved in other Toni Morrison books.

Just like in Sula, there was a strong emphasis on female friendship. The bond between the female characters was explored in-depth, showing both the joys and the challenges.

The supernatural elements, similar to those in Beloved, added an extra layer of mystery and intrigue. They made the story more captivating and left the reader with a sense of wonder.

The presence of cunning women who escape and build new lives, as in Paradise, was another fascinating aspect. These women were strong and resourceful, defying the odds and creating their own paths.

Moreover, like Tar Baby, there was a great emphasis on dialogue and the relationships between characters. The conversations were rich and meaningful, revealing the characters' thoughts, feelings, and motives.

The final 30 pages of this book were absolute perfection. They tied up all the loose ends and provided a satisfying conclusion. It was a masterful piece of writing that left a lasting impression on me.

Toni Morrison, in my opinion, is the James Joyce of the second half of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century. She belongs to that rarefied stratosphere of artists who have risen far above the clouds and shine like one of the brightest stars in the universe.

Ms. Morrison's "Love," published in 2005, is yet another brilliant and captivating work of artistry that left this reader both mystified and in total awe. Her use of words, the development of characters and story, and the composition of the entire novel are simply astonishing and, in the end, heart-wrenching.

The novel follows three generations of black women living in a once-thriving beach town that gradually dissolves into a near ghost town. It is through these women and their selective memories of Bill Cosey, the flamboyant and successful hotel and club owner, that we relive the glory days of this once-prosperous resort town and its slow and inevitable decline. His hold on their lives extends far beyond the grave, and the revelations about his character and behavior are both horrifying and complex, and in many ways awe-inspiring, set against a backdrop of racial prejudice, poverty, injustice, and the power of money.

The ocean is a source of life, yet at the same time, it is a source of death. Money provides, but at the same time, it takes away the most precious of all gifts... family and friends and the comfort of each other's love.

"Love" is simply an amazing piece of art that delves deep into the human condition, exploring themes of love, loss, power, and identity. Morrison's masterful storytelling and beautiful prose make this novel a must-read for anyone interested in literature and the human experience.

This is an amazingly and brilliantly written book... It's hard to believe that in just over two hundred pages, you can experience such complex relationships and that it's not inappropriate. I would call it a family saga.

One of those classics that is not the easiest to read in the sense that it requires serious concentration due to constant time jumps and moments of tense, non-linear, fragmented storytelling (although not like what I find in Faulkner - and I see that such parallels are mostly drawn). However, the writing style is so beautiful and I don't know what I could compare it to now. The feeling is like I've read a book of poetry and now my soul will be at peace for a while.

The biggest paradox in the whole story is that it consists of horrible parts and leaves a really bitter taste. The same thing happened to me with "The Chosen", a book that evokes sadness and horror, and yet, is there anything more beautiful?

The backbone of the plot is Bill Cosey, the owner of a resort and the associated prosperous African American middle class. Even though he has been dead for 25 years, he is still the main driver of the plot and all the Gothic, disturbed relationships among the characters... It's a study of love and dedication to hatred, loneliness and forgiveness.

Over 9 chapters, the story of Cosey unfolds through the eyes of different narrators. On the one hand, he employs the locals and is really the employer to be desired. On the other hand, he inherited his wealth from his grandfather who exploited African Americans... He marries an eleven-year-old girl for completely perfidious, malicious and degenerate reasons. He destroys the friendship between his eleven-year-old wife, Opey, and his granddaughter, Christine, by predatorily exploiting the children's tendency to feel guilty. That little friendship turns into a lifelong, pathological hatred... After his death, he leaves a hotel that turns from a luxurious place into almost a theatrical ruin and the backdrop for scenes that even Henry James would not have been ashamed of. The other characters serve to depict the circumstances in which the African American population found itself, and a special place is occupied by the character of Mlada, who appears in some version as a servant (as in all Southern novels, the servant is usually the central character who is the narrator of the family history), and here she is a symbol of something demonic and a direct medium and connection between the dead Cosey and the world of the living. But it's a story that could be called larger than life, partly because of the mysterious narrator L, and partly because it's a perfectly stylistically written novel. It's no wonder the woman has a Nobel Prize...

I think the nicest thing is that I was repeating the same passage to myself on the first page because it just sounded so wonderful. The same thing happened to me dozens of times while reading, and yet I had no idea that it would be such an extremely brilliantly written novel. I rarely come across such a gradation in that sense, that I am overcome by an amazing crescendo, and that each chapter literally prepares the ground for the next nuance, and then at the very end something so great and beautiful comes out.

This is my first Morrison novel, so I'm extremely impressed:) I know that geographically she really doesn't belong to the beloved South, but it feels like it's there, and that's enough for me to be charmed <3

Nothing I pen down here will be sufficient to depict the delicate power of Morrison's writing. This is the third novel of hers that I have delved into, and I firmly believe that she is incapable of creating one-dimensional characters.

This novel, Love, is highly atmospheric and utterly gripping. It seamlessly shifts between different timelines and characters, enabling the conclusion to unfold gradually. The characters within are all sorts of morally ambiguous and complex. Arguably, there are no clear-cut heroes or villains.

It is truly a remarkable piece of literature that keeps the reader engaged from start to finish. I would rate it 4.75 out of 5 stars. Morrison's ability to craft such a rich and intricate story is truly commendable. Her writing style is unique and captivating, making it a pleasure to read her works. I look forward to exploring more of her novels in the future.

This book truly took a completely unexpected and messed up turn around the halfway mark. I was completely caught off guard and truly shook. This revelation took the content and context to an extremely dark and disturbing place. I really needed a moment to process it all. I had to completely change my mindset and reevaluate everything I had read beforehand.

"Love" is indeed as non-linear as can be. One must have patience as the puzzle pieces gradually start to come together by the end. It is a story about multiple women fighting over the same (rather awful) man, each for different reasons and/or agendas. These women are complex and truly forces to be reckoned with.

The narrative in this book isn't as tightly constructed as in some of Morrison's other novels, but it is just as thought-provoking and twisted. It makes you question and wonder about the nature of love, relationships, and the actions and motives of the characters. It keeps you engaged and on the edge of your seat, even as it takes you on a wild and unpredictable journey.