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Song of Solomon

3.94 of 5 stars 3.94 · rating details · 34,729 ratings · 1,326 reviews

Milkman Dead was born shortly after a neighborhood eccentric hurled himself off a rooftop in a vain attempt at flight. For the rest of his life he, too, will be trying to fly. With this brilliantly imagined novel, Toni Morrison transfigures the coming-of-age story as audaciously as Saul Bellow or Gabriel García Márquez. As she follows Milkman from his rustbelt city to the...more

ebook, 352 pages

Published July 24th 2007 by Vintage (first published 1977)

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Jan 13, 2009 brian rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to brian by: michelle, mindy, sandi, jessica treat, dfj, yvette, ruth, alisa,

my second toni morrison. and, again... wow. song of solomon. kind of impossible to do an all-encompassing book report, so i’ll keep it limited to this: while reading i returned, again and again, to the recent genocide in the former yugoslavia. to the first time rape had been charged as a war crime; to rape as a means of ethnic cleansing. now, think about this: to cast such shame on the women who were raped and the men who were powerless to act so as to prevent the continuation of the family. to...more my second toni morrison. and, again... wow. song of solomon. kind of impossible to do an all-encompassing book report, so i’ll keep it limited to this: while reading i returned, again and again, to the recent genocide in the former yugoslavia. to the first time rape had been charged as a war crime; to rape as a means of ethnic cleansing. now, think about this: to cast such shame on the women who were raped and the men who were powerless to act so as to prevent the continuation of the family. to leave behind a legacy of tragedy and brutality so deep it'd trump the biological and natural imperative. and, in many cases, to introduce a new member into the family, a product of rape, a child with the blood of a rapist, of the enemy, running through his/her veins.

now imagine a common and relatively benign scene in which a young black girl in 19th century america is lawfully taken from her family and sold off. the girl’s family is destroyed: the heartbreak, the powerlessness and impotence, after much self-hatred, is inevitably directed outwards -- at one’s family, at god, at country, at society, at life itself. but let’s focus on the girl: imagine a girl in our time ripped from her parents and placed in a hostile environment. whatever pop-psych scenario one tosses out, it ain’t too good. but back then? as a familyless commodity to be worked and fucked and discarded and sold at one’s whim? and now imagine her children. and theirs. and theirs.

although morrison never explicitly describes the aforementioned lineage, the characters in song of solomon (set in the early 1960s) are the descendants of any one of a number of girls such as the one described above. which doesn’t mean that morrison simply reduces a person to a walking manifestation of his/her people’s history. but a person is undeniably shaped by this, as is the very family that shapes the individual. and this is where morrison’s interest lies, this is what she more ably and tragically depicts than any other novelist.

oh. and yeah. i almost laugh to myself that one of my chief complaints is that morrison is almost too much of a good storyteller... at times the accumulation tales and backstories and myths and explanations that zig-zag through this strange book are almost a bit too much. but, shit. ruth and her father’s corpse? the 'seven days' (OMFG! THE SEVEN DAYS!)?, the origins of milkman’s name? jake’s flight over the cotton fields? goddamn, woman. space it out. really. you’re making everyone else look bad.

okay. on to #3. jazz.

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Apr 30, 2013 Aubrey rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 1001-06-12, nobel-prize-people, 1000-guardian, reality-check, on-hand, 4-star, reviewed, barthelme

4.5/5

There's something to be said for stories. Beyond all the talk of clichés, the bemoaning of stereotypes, the intricate and obsessive breakdown of the latest wave of hyped-up mass media extravaganza that has managed to aggressively worm its way into the mob conscience. Beyond the deep-seated resignation at puzzle-piece popularity.

I don't have anything against the forthright advocates of analysis at all levels of fiction. Far from it. I simply believe that there is a time when one is able to p...more 4.5/5

There's something to be said for stories. Beyond all the talk of clichés, the bemoaning of stereotypes, the intricate and obsessive breakdown of the latest wave of hyped-up mass media extravaganza that has managed to aggressively worm its way into the mob conscience. Beyond the deep-seated resignation at puzzle-piece popularity.

I don't have anything against the forthright advocates of analysis at all levels of fiction. Far from it. I simply believe that there is a time when one is able to put the microscope back in the drawer and the fine-toothed comb on the top shelf, sit back, and say, Yes. Here is a story.

It is a story of oppression, of hatred, of justified rage and passionate fury fighting against discrimination both big and small, both intentional and otherwise. If you come away from this review with one thing, know that large scale oppression, this horrible racism in the "land of the free" depicted in this book has existed, does exist, and will most certainly exist for a long, long while. Slavery. Martin Luther King, Jr. Trayvon Martin. Facts and faces that may be forgotten or even denied, but the ideology that connects them all will always be rooted out by the plain evidence of its existence.

Every character has some measure of this rage, and every character is given their say in some fashion, fashions that often clash and bite and break the others around them. If the road to hell is paved with Good Intentions, the road to hell on earth is a yellow bricked road bounded on both sides by long sparkling walls of Indifference. Indifference is neither black nor white, neither good nor evil, and each of the characters illustrate this innate resistance to quick and easy pigeon-holing. At first you will love them, or you will hate them, and then the tables will switch, and you will be left with the unsatisfying satisfaction of reading about human beings.

Unsatisfied satisfaction. Feeling that one is straddling two worlds due to the color of one's skin, when in reality just stuck in one really fucked up one that makes progress a constant battle. Us versus them. The only guarantee is that a single step out of line will explode into violence.

What can you do with this? What is a human being expected to do with this horrible paradox that is real life?

This story poses the question to a boy-child who reaches and then passes the age of thirty in a safe, contained bubble, his head filled with safe, contained problems. He has no awareness of the context of his life, the family that surrounds him, the history that follows him, the society that defines him. He has long forgotten his dreams of flying.

We've all forgotten our dreams of flying, you say.

Perhaps, I say. Would you like to be reminded?(less)

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Jun 01, 2007 Jeffrey rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everyone

Toni Morrison is perhaps the most important writer living today and Song of Solomon is perhaps the best novel of the last 50 years of American life. Despite the high standing of both novel and author, there are many that chide both for delving too far into the world of African American mythology. The book, according to a reviewer on this very website, bitterly states that Song of Solomon is more fable than novel. Attempting to paint the novel as fable undercuts its central mission: to highlight...more Toni Morrison is perhaps the most important writer living today and Song of Solomon is perhaps the best novel of the last 50 years of American life. Despite the high standing of both novel and author, there are many that chide both for delving too far into the world of African American mythology. The book, according to a reviewer on this very website, bitterly states that Song of Solomon is more fable than novel. Attempting to paint the novel as fable undercuts its central mission: to highlight the important role of mythology in linking African Americans to their past by creating narratives for those that were lost during slavery, Jim Crow, and black peril. The novel is not fable, but the recreation and reconnection of Milkman, symbolic of his own community, reconnecting with a lost past. The gaffe by the reviewers is understandable, however, as mythology has lost credibility due to the ferocious rise of science.

Morrison, quite rightly, attempts to delve into mythology to try to answer pertient questions about Black history. Much of the mythology in Song of Solomon revolves around flight. For hundreds of years, there has been a belief among the Black community that people of color could fly; that is was one their gifts. While for residents of the scientific age people flying seems trite, for Morrison and other people of color the ability to fly seems only natural. The difference in the thought processes is derived from educational differences. European education has tended to focus on empirical science while African education has tended to focus on familial values and cultural learning. African education seeks to reunite the learner with the etymology of self while European education seeks some broad sort of social literacy engulfed in intimately knowing "other."

The language of Song of Solomon might not be accessible to all readers who fail to understand its broader context, which is perfectly understandable. indeed, even Milkman, the story's protagonist, doesn't understand the language of his community for the first half of the book. It is only when he begins to seek out, understand, and embrace the mythology of his race and the roots planted by previous generations that he is able to connect, for the first time, with his community and experience that sort of bond that mythology can bring. This connection with the past and the necessity of finding one's own story is as important a theme as one could imagine, especially in an era where sameness, conformity, and the idea of the ethnic "mutt" have won some sort of cultural acceptance.

It is that theme--one of a resurrected connection with the past--that makes Morrison's novel of the utmost importance. We must all connect back to our mythology and begin to understand the language of previous generations in order to benefit ourselves.
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Jul 22, 2007 Rich rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I would like to have given a lower rating because I simply did not enjoy the read, but there is a value to this book that I cannot deny. Powerfully written, and has great cultural insight and thought. But really, I couldn't relate very well -- perhaps that is the point in many cases. I can't explain it much better without spending more time looking at it again than I'd like to, so I'll leave it at this:

I felt enlightened. I felt like shit. All without feeling very invested.

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Apr 21, 2012 Gorfo rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Gorfo by: school

Shelves: school-forced-me-to-read-it, historical-fiction, books-that-changed-my-life, banned-challenged

The fathers may soar
And the children may know their names

When I learned that school would be forcing me to read Song of Solomon I whined and groaned and cursed the name of Toni Morrison to the high heavens. I had already entered the strange and mysteriously poetic world of Toni Morrison to no avail, and I didn't believe that this book would be any better. However, I was WRONG, and now that I have finished the novel I find myself forced to bite my tongue and retract all previous negative statemen...more

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Apr 24, 2007 Dan rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Toni Morrison is an absolute master of prose rhythms and this book is beautifully written. It reads like great literature and one can see why she's deserving of her nobel prize. But I had a serious problem with this book (which I read over ten years ago so forgive me if my memory of it is vague). The first three quarters of the book are terrific. Written in a realistic style and capturing the modern lives of its characters. The final section of the book suddenly turns into a fable, and the main...more

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Feb 20, 2008 Ash rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

'When Hansel and Gretel stood in the forest and saw the house in the clearing before them, the little hairs at the nape of their necks must have shivered. Their knees must have felt so weak that blinding hunger alone could have propelled them forward. No one was there to warn or hold them; their parents, chastened and grieving, were far away. So they ran as fast as they could to the house where a woman older than death lived, and they ignored the shivering nape hair and the softness in their kne...more

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Nov 15, 2007 Katie Abbott Harris rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have read a couple of Toni Morrison's other novels, but this is the by far the best I have read. This is a stunning tale of self-discovery that follows the lives of a black family living in Michigan. The majority of the narrative revolves around Milkman, the first black child born at Mercy Hospital, and the son of a prominant and wealthy businessman. To escape the town and threat of death by the hand of his scorned lover and cousin, Hagar, he goes on a quest for treasure. He may not find what...more

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Mar 12, 2010 Kristen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own, fiction, michigan, favorites

Great book. Morrison's writing sometimes borders on poetry and there are some rather profound ideas in her wotk that one could easily miss.

The novel is set in Michigan, my home state, and I know it's fiction and the unnamed town is completely fictitious, but for the life of me I can't stop trying to figure out where this imaginary town would be. I've put way too much thought into this but I just can't help myself and I decided that they lived either in the thumb area or on the westside of the st...more

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Jun 28, 2007 Jen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

One of my absolute favorites, partly for the following:

"You can't own a human being. You can't lose what you don't own. Suppose you did own him. Could you really love somebody who was absolutely nobody without you? You really want somebody like that? Somebody who falls apart when you walk out the door? You don't, do you? And neither does he. You're turning over your whole life to him. Your whole life, girl. And if it means so little to you that you can just give it away, hand it to him, then why...more

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Jul 25, 2007 Josh rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: could_not_finish

I love Toni Morrison, I really do, but this book reads like a standard lemon of a workshop story: every character has both an eccentric name and some striking characteristic. This one has no navel, and this one is supernaturally lucky, and this one jumps off of buildings. And there is none of the assured economy of either Beloved or my personal favorite, Jazz. Here, we have to get every detail about every damned thing until I feel like I'm choking on the stuff of the book.

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Mar 05, 2013 Gabe rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Upon reading the very first chapter, I predicted that this story was one of flight. Why else would it start with something as odd as a man jumping off the roof of a hospital. Sure enough, the book ended with the protagonist, who struggles with rising up and flying away throughout the whole book, escaping through the act of flight. Not only does he fly, but he does it from the same place Solomon dropped his grandfather. This shows how everything is tied together. Part of what allows Milkman to fl...more

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Dec 29, 2008 Jennifer (aka EM) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book deserves a Masters thesis, and not the paltry little Goodreads review that I can give it.

I feel as though I've just taken a walk late at night in an unfamiliar neighbourhood, where I've peeked into windows and glimpsed intimacies--not quite secrets, rather private moments--between people who are like me but unlike me.

I'm certain I've only understood the top layer of what Morrison is saying here, since the images and characters are so rich and complex and since her work is new to me. I...more This book deserves a Masters thesis, and not the paltry little Goodreads review that I can give it.

I feel as though I've just taken a walk late at night in an unfamiliar neighbourhood, where I've peeked into windows and glimpsed intimacies--not quite secrets, rather private moments--between people who are like me but unlike me.

I'm certain I've only understood the top layer of what Morrison is saying here, since the images and characters are so rich and complex and since her work is new to me. I can tell that some of it will remain elusive, as I do not have the knowledge that will allow me to understand these characters in their contexts and as part of a very specific cultural history. It's more than knowing the facts of history; it's having been shaped by that history so that the following, among much else, makes deeper sense:

- Milkman's selfishness, and Pilate's and Ruth's sacrifices for him ("From the beginning, his mother and Pilate had fought for his life, and he had never so much as made either of them a cup of tea.")

- Hagar's and Ryna's descent into madness after being abandoned by what they considered their only loves (or was it, as Susan Byrd suggested, simply that Ryna was left with 21 children)

- Guitar's violence, which I understand in general, but which I don't quite grasp toward Milkman in particular ("Would you save my life or would you take it? Guitar was exceptional. To both questions he could answer yes.")

I love how the themes of sacrifice and self-centredness play off each other in such a delicate balance here. Also, the theme of parental entanglement (why are all these 30- and 40-something "children" still at home?) contrasted with the dislocation from family and history is so beautifully rendered, with such rich symbolism: Ruth's breastfeeding of Milkman "until his feet touched the floor" and her own complicated and odd connection to her father; Pilate's carrying around the bones of her father ("her inheritance"--although she didn't know how literal that was); Corinthians' mid-life affair with Porter--"a pair of middle-aged lovers who behaved like teenagers."

This is a community that is so multi-layered, with real and mythological events so nuanced, that one reading of their story won't do. I need now to see if these themes pervade the rest of Morrison's work, or how they do. I wish I had first found this book in a formal academic setting; this is the kind of novel that needs to be studied carefully to wring every shred of meaning from it. In retrospect, my studies were too focused on a whole bunch of dead British authors, and the live American ones slipped by me. So I will now make up lost time, putting this one back on my shelf to be re-read and next picking up Beloved and A Mercy.

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Aug 13, 2007 Kimberly rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I absolutely loved this book. An Afican American, trying to trace his history to find the real name of his father, and he comes to find that his history (and he does have one! He is not "Dead") is preserved in a children's song. The relationships between the characters are of the greatest importance as well, between friends, families, community members, strangers. Toni Morrison, whether by some natural talent or incredible perceptiveness manages to include such truthful descriptions of people. O...more

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Jun 06, 2008 Tiffany rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Janette--this is the author whose name I couldn't remember the other night, but she didn't write Color Purple, that was Alice Walker, I haven't read any of her books.

This was definitely my favorite Toni Morrison book, once again, so poetic, it's like reading music. This book has a lot of mythology in it as well(people actually fly) but it's very interesting. It's been a long time since I first read it, I need to go back and read it again, but I remember being in awe of her writing, and loving th...more

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Aug 13, 2007 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: alltimefavorites

this is one of those books i REFERENCE...all the time, in my head, during conversations, as in 'oh like when milkman said...' or 'that reminds me of how mason dead got his name...' also i have a lifelong fascination crush on pilate. i read the book in highschool so it's been a loooong time but i still have vivid visual memories of pilate peeling an orange on the porch in a black dress, and of the description of her voice being like pebbles knocking together. classic, epic, surprising, and beauti...more

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Dec 01, 2009 Chandler added it · review of another edition Recommends it for: older high school students

Recommended to Chandler by: It was assigned by my teacher

Book Title: Songs of Solomon
Author: Toni Morrison
Reviewed By: Chandler LaFee

Songs of Solomon begins with an end. The ending of a life, in the first 5 pages an insurance agent Robert Smith jumps off the roof of Mercy Hospital declaring he can fly. He is obviously wrong and plummets to his death. The next day, Ruth Foster Dead gives birth to the first black child born in Mercy Hospital, Milkman Dead. The story then follows Milkman Dead also known at Macon Dead III and his life. He is born into a v...more Book Title: Songs of Solomon
Author: Toni Morrison
Reviewed By: Chandler LaFee

Songs of Solomon begins with an end. The ending of a life, in the first 5 pages an insurance agent Robert Smith jumps off the roof of Mercy Hospital declaring he can fly. He is obviously wrong and plummets to his death. The next day, Ruth Foster Dead gives birth to the first black child born in Mercy Hospital, Milkman Dead. The story then follows Milkman Dead also known at Macon Dead III and his life. He is born into a very sheltered and privileged life, but grows up to be unappreciative and lacks compassion for the ones for the ones that loved and cared for him.
By the time Milkman is in his early thirties he is still living with his parents and wants to escape so he makes a plan with Macom Jr. his uncle to steal from Pilate, his aunt who supposedly has millions of dollars in gold hidden in her house. They rob Pilate but only find rocks and a human Skelton.
Thinking that the gold might be in a cave near Macon’s old Pennsylvania farm, Milkman leaves his hometown in Michigan and heads south. He then goes on a very long and fascinating journey on were Milkman learns about his long lost family history. The story picks up when it turns out Milkman is being stalked by one of his friends Guitar, who was promised a share of the gold. Guitar thinks that Milkman has taken the gold and it keeping it all but in reality there was no gold to be found. Guitar tries to kill Milkman on numerous occasions but fails. The book ends on a bittersweet note with some heartbreaking deaths but Milkman becoming a completely changed man.
I though this book had a lot of potential. The story was great but execution of that story wasn’t so great. It was extremely confusing because there were a lot of flashbacks while Milkman was learning about his family and I had trouble following along what was going on.
Milkman’s character was very complex which made him a lot more interesting but his attitude bugged me, which for the most part made me dislike him. That also affected my opinion on the book because when you don’t like the main character its hard to care what happens to him throughout the book.
One thing I thought was interested was the connection between the death in the beginning of the book and Milkmans life. At first it wasn’t clear to me what the purpose of the death was and I think that it is open for interpretation. Robert Smith thinks he can fly and jumps of a building. I think that flight was used as a metaphor for escape. Milkman is escaping the constraints of his family and is flying away in a sense. Also in the book Milkman notes that Pilate is able to fly without lifting her feet from the ground. She has managed to be free of subjugation with leaving anyone behind.
I would recommend this book to someone a bit older then I am so maybe juniors or seniors in high school. I am a avid reading and I hate to admit this but this book did confuse me. I got lost in the sub plots and flashbacks and had to re-read a lot of sections. I would like to say I enjoyed this book but that would be lying. I thought that the characters and their relationship with each other were interesting, but that is the only really positive thing I can say about it. Overall this book was in my personal opinion, poorly constructed and thought out. It lacked excitement and action, which is not needed in a lot of books but would have helped moved the story along in this one.
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Dec 01, 2009 Chris Mendoza added it · review of another edition

Song of Solomon
By: Toni Morrison
Review by:Chris Mendoza

Jumping out off the top of the Mercey’s Hospital or as other people may see it as “No Mercey Hospital” because there has not been a black patient treated at the hospital. Robert smith wearing two silk wings jumps off believing that he can fly and dies. I think that it was interesting in how the author Toni Morrison tells the reader how other people in the book don’t call Mercey’s Hospital by that name but in what they believe that it was...more Song of Solomon
By: Toni Morrison
Review by:Chris Mendoza

Jumping out off the top of the Mercey’s Hospital or as other people may see it as “No Mercey Hospital” because there has not been a black patient treated at the hospital. Robert smith wearing two silk wings jumps off believing that he can fly and dies. I think that it was interesting in how the author Toni Morrison tells the reader how other people in the book don’t call Mercey’s Hospital by that name but in what they believe that it was “No Mercey’s Hospital” because they didn’t treat any people of Afican American Decent at the hospital. So by that you can tell that the book takes place in a time where there was much racism. After that incident the first African American was treated at the hospital and there name was Ruth Foster Dead. The day after she went in the hospital she gave gave to her son named Macon Dead II.

Macon dead at age for found out that only birds and airplanes can fly and he losses all interest in himself in becoming “peculiar”. Macon and his mother Ruth live in Dr. Fosters emourmus house. Ruth who trys to escape her husband she does things to pleasure herself by polishing a watermark on her dining room table and breast feeding her son who is old past infancy. Until one day the janitor named Freddie observers one of Ruth breast feeding sessions he gives her son the nickname of Milkman and then after that day that is what he gets called. Milkman starts resembling his father as a landlord who is only interested in wealth. Eventually Macon Jr’s father Macon Dead dies. Macon Jr and Pilate who were Macons children where scarred because they wittnessed the murder of their father. Pilate later than became a poor but yet a strong women carrying on and helping her family such as her daughter Reba and her grandaughter Hagar. In the other hand tho Milkman went off in becoming and presuing wealth. When Milkman reaches the age of thirty two he is tired of living with his family and went off somewhere else. Macon Jr tell Milkman the Pilate has millions of dollars and then Milkman wanted to steal it from Pilate. With the help of Milkmans friend Gutair Bains they go off and try to find a plan on how to steal the loot.

Well overall I thought that this book was kind of good at first because of how it started and how the author described the book and what was going on. Then later on in the book I started to lose interest because it was kind of hard to follow along all of the new characters that were coming in and finding their importance in the book. What also was confusing was the names because they all had uncommen names and it just made it even harder to follow. Overall the plot of the book was good and I would recommend this book to people who like to read some nice book.
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Apr 14, 2013 Bill rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Great Writing, Weak Story (2012)

Morrison, Toni (1977). Song of Solomon. New York: Knopf.

This 1977 novel, Toni Morrison’s third, vaulted her to national attention. It follows the life of a black male protagonist, Milkman Dead, from late childhood to adulthood. Along the way, she creates the world of ordinary black communities, in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, from some time in the 1950’s to the 1970’s.

Milkman is an aimless boy and young man, with no particular drive or values, but his fat...more Great Writing, Weak Story (2012)

Morrison, Toni (1977). Song of Solomon. New York: Knopf.

This 1977 novel, Toni Morrison’s third, vaulted her to national attention. It follows the life of a black male protagonist, Milkman Dead, from late childhood to adulthood. Along the way, she creates the world of ordinary black communities, in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, from some time in the 1950’s to the 1970’s.

Milkman is an aimless boy and young man, with no particular drive or values, but his father is a relatively prosperous landlord so he is not driven to work or strive. He eventually works for his father as a rent collector but is unenthusiastic about the work. In the last third of the novel, he comes to believe in the existence of a hidden cache of gold and goes in earnest pursuit of it, only to discover the “real gold,” his place in the larger community of his people. Aaaaaw! So moving!

As an ardent anti-sentimentalist, I didn’t find the character’s motivations or emotions convincing or compelling, but maybe that’s just me. The novel is extremely well written however, so the pages keep turning, even if “nothing happens.” Morrison’s sentences are marvels of precision. Her imagination is amazing. Her sense of humor ranges from sarcasm to tongue-in-cheek. Her use of symbolism, especially Biblical, was a bit heavy-handed for my taste. So the book is an enjoyable read, but only as an example of good writing, not as an example of good storytelling, in my opinion.

I am not much interested in genealogy, so-called dark family secrets, and ongoing intra-family feuds. Granted, Morrison’s characters are inventive, unusual, interesting, and not stereotypes. That's a huge literary plus. But they don’t do anything but worry about their family secrets and family history. When they do act, their behavior can be so bizarre and so poorly motivated, it’s often not believable and seems arbitrary.

There are some insights into black culture, as distinguished from mainstream white, but only in small, charming details. It’s easy to forget that these characters are black. Milkman’s best friend joins some kind of radical vigilante group that kills white folks in retaliation for injustice to blacks, or at least he says; we never see him do anything like that. His rationale is supposed to make some kind of political point about race, but the reasoning is illogical and he comes across as a nutcase.

Toni Morrison is a national icon, of course, having won the Pulitzer Prize, the Nobel Prize, the National Book Award, and about every other literary award there is. So I realize I am going straight to hell for criticizing this book, one of her most famous and popular. But I don’t criticize her. I love her writing craft. I just don’t like her storytelling.(less)

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Mar 06, 2013 Sonia rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Song of Solomon is the most unique novel I have ever read. What I love about Morrison is how despite the fact that I’m not black and living in Michigan in the early 1930's, I can relate to the plight of the protagonist. We are introduced to the protagonist Macon Dead Jr., and then told of the origin of his nickname, Milkman. The town crier caught Macon Jr.’s mother breast-feeding Macon Jr. at the age of four and the nickname has stuck ever since. This one incident foreshadows numerous event...more The Song of Solomon is the most unique novel I have ever read. What I love about Morrison is how despite the fact that I’m not black and living in Michigan in the early 1930's, I can relate to the plight of the protagonist. We are introduced to the protagonist Macon Dead Jr., and then told of the origin of his nickname, Milkman. The town crier caught Macon Jr.’s mother breast-feeding Macon Jr. at the age of four and the nickname has stuck ever since. This one incident foreshadows numerous events throughout the novel where we see the slightly inappropriate relationship between Macon Jr. and his mother. Morrison shows us the growth of Milkman from an arrogant boy to a compassionate man. The reader has the opportunity to witness Milkman’s relationship with his mother, father, sister, and friends change and adapt to the changing social climate. Reading this novel was like watching a bird hatch from an egg and eventually learn how to fly.

Morrison’s style makes me feel as though I am there experiencing every little thing along with characters. This is because of her frank, descriptive detail. Morrison writes, “The blood was not pulsing out any longer and there was something black and bubbly in her mouth. Yet when she moved her head a little to gaze at something behind his shoulder, it took a while for him to realize that she was dead. And when he did, he could not stop the worn old words from coming, louder and louder as though sheer volume would wake her. He woke only the birds, who shuddered off into the air. Milkman laid her head down on the rock. Two of the birds circled round them. One dived into the new grave and scooped something shiny in its beak before it flew away.” This scene would probably last no more than a minute during a play, but Morrison touches on every aspect of the environment extending the event and allowing the reader to be there.

Ambiguity is mysterious, and while I love the challenge, the direction that Morrison provides the reader is comforting and keeps me interested. She walks us through the hardships Milkman’s relationships face over the years, whether it’s to do with his break-up with Hagar or his father’s revelation about Milkman’s mother’s sexual relationship with her father. These difficulties make Milkman question his identity, but his journey to find treasure inevitably tells him about his heritage. He learns of his grandparents and their voyage North after the Civil War.

I gave this novel a 5/5 because Morrison’s style and theme appealed to me in that they gave me a context or a storyline to work with in terms of gender issues and racism during the mid-1900’s. This book forced me to question a women’s role in a household where she has made mistakes as well as to what extent society is responsible for the plight of African Americans.

The Song of Solomon will confuse you. You will be lost at times, and you’ll have to re-read words, paragraphs and pages. It’s worth it. If you feel like the novel is becoming a bit slow, turn the page and you’ll wish you could slow down the pace of the events. But, you can’t. You’re there, in Michigan, as Milkman’s shadow. Keep your eyes open because every detail, although it may seem insignificant, matters. That’s the best way to get the most out of this novel.

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Jan 04, 2013 Paula rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Toni Morrison is amazing. The characters in this book are well-drawn and fascinating.

Explores tracing ones roots, and who are we and what does it mean to be free. Many women want to own Milkman - his mother, his woman, his best friend. Who is he outside of his intimate relationships - how much does he owe those close to him -his soul? What is the cost of unconditional love?

Author note - the terms fly and mercy are central - flight as escape or confrontation - mercy the unspoken wish of all

Few...more

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Dec 20, 2012 Patti rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I know this is a renowned book by a renowned author - but I would not likely have read it had I not been enrolled in an American Literature course. For this reason, I was forced to read in a different way than I ordinarily might. I was expected to find signs, meanings, and symbols - all of which seemed present, but none of which added to the overall quality of the story.

Morrison wrote for a specific audience - and was unapologetic about doing so. If the reader had to look up a reference, it was...more

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Aug 09, 2012 pattrice rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is my favorite of Morrison's novels. I've read it I-don't-know-how-many times, the last time more than a decade ago. Someone I know mentioned that she was reading it in preparation for writing about it, and I decided to read along, to be able to discuss it with her more cogently and also to see whether it would still have such a powerful effect on me and whether I would see new things in it after so many readings. Yes and yes. Even more so. More things than ever. If I weren't going to be ta...more

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Apr 16, 2012 Ofterdingen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I want to begin with the positive:
Her voice is strong and forceful, and that's shown in my favorite paragraph of the book:
"Solid, rumbling, likely to erupt without prior notice, Macon kept each member of his family awkward with fear. His hatred of his wife glittered and sparkled in every word he spoke to her. The disappointment he felt in his daughters sifted down on them like ash, dulling their buttery complexions and choking the lilt out of what should have been girlish voices. Under the froze...more

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Feb 25, 2012 Monica Chin rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 11th-grade-advisory

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 04, 2011 Debra rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Macon Dead, III, aka "Milkman" is not actively in search of himself. He works in his father's business, forms no serious romantic attachments, and spends his leisure time drinking beer and smoking cigarettes. Concerned with only his personal pleasure, he feels little connection to his parents, his sisters, or his race. That all changes on the evening that he interferes with his parents' routine of domestic violence - suddenly, both his father and mother wish to share their truths, and though Mil...more

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Sep 29, 2011 Jen Alrutz rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Read this one a long time ago... one of my favorite books. Woke up to read it's banned book week (also realizing most of my favorite book are considered 'banned' books), got this post this morning on Facebook, figured I would share:

Toni Morrison
In honor of Banned Book Week (September 24 - October 1, 2011) so this week check out and read SONG OF SOLOMON by Toni Morrison. Challenged, but retained, in the Columbus, OH schools (1993). The complainant believed that the book contains language degradin...more

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Aug 03, 2011 Yasmin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Of a family that was lost and found, lost again and maybe you could ssay found once more. Macon Dead (father to Milkman)never found all of himself to forgive Pilate or love Ruth. No one but Milkman found Susan Byrd or Circe; Guitar and Hagar were lost. Had Magdelene known as Lena been lost or found-was she ever either? What does it mean to find your people-know where they come from? Are the people important or the place they came from more important? Does it matter if fanyone remembers them or y...more

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Jun 29, 2011 Maria rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"Song of Solomon" requires rapt attention and close analysis, but is ultimately very rewarding. It is stuffed with symbolism, imagery, and biblical allusions that take forever to unpack, but every time you think you've turned over every literary stone, there is always another to be found. For that, it is rewarding, even if it seems over the top at first. The "magical realism" component requires a mild suspension of disbelief, but if you're aware of what she's doing, you won't be unnerved by it....more

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Jun 19, 2011 Mason rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Ideologically dense, emotionally complex, confusing as hell--in other words, it's vintage Morrison. Awesomely epic without succumbing to gassy, self-absorbed grandeur (hello there, "Beloved" and "Paradise"), "Solomon" is nothing less than a literary magic trick, conjuring up a mythic all-black phantasmagoria of magicians, assassins, and explorers, and then holding up a cracked mirror and showing us that it's nothing more than a distorted reflection of our own world. As Milkman Dead searches for...more

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About Toni Morrison

Toni Morrison (born Chloe Anthony Wofford), is an American author, editor, and professor who won the 1993 Nobel Prize in Literature for being an author "who in novels characterized by visionary force and poetic import, gives life to an essential aspect of American reality."
Her novels are known for their epic themes, vivid dialogue, and richly detailed African American characters; among the best k...more

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“You wanna fly, you got to give up the shit that weighs you down.” — 1,417 people liked it

“She was the third beer. Not the first one, which the throat receives with almost tearful gratitude; nor the second, that confirms and extends the pleasure of the first. But the third, the one you drink because it's there, because it can't hurt, and because what difference does it make?” — 147 people liked it

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