Sula Paperback – June 8, 2004

Ahead of it's time

Toni Morrison is a magician, a weaver of narrative, character, place, and feel. Simple and yet powerful. Amazing craft and style. A incredible writer.

Toni Morrison will always have a pretty special place in my heart based on her talent for writing alone. Written in 1973, but taking place in the 20s-40s, this novel has effortlessly become timeless. Other than the fact that there are no cell phones and there's several mentions of getting ice delivered, you wouldn't be able to place the time period if not for the dates. Morrison easily paints a picture of cultural perfection in the Black community by focusing on two women who grew up together in a place called "the Bottom," though it's in the hills above a valley town in Ohio. Medallion is the actual name of the town where Sula and her friend Nel grow up together.Morrison's introduction in this version of the book helps to set the stage a bit for us as readers. What she set out to accomplish is simple, but also, due to race relations, nearly impossible. She wanted to focus on the relationship between the two girls, Sula and Nel, one of which becomes an outcast and the other integrates herself deeply into the community. She also wanted to focus on the way the relationship between the two women, as they aged, changed and morphed but also remained the same as reflected in a community of Blacks. However, setting out to do this is no easy task as any Black writer, writing about their culture, often becomes pitted against the contrast of White writers and White culture. To simply write a story without politics and without the comparison is a tremendously tenuous task that is often not accomplished. Toni Morrison comes the closest, I think. Instead of a racially laden novel, it's one of feminism. It is one that pits gender ideals against one another as opposed to race, despite the fact that it's still an obviously dichotomized topic in the story itself.Well written with deep contexts, psychology, and beauty, Sula is a transformative novel that speaks with a poignant, beautiful tongue and unfolds a story as shocking as it is heartwarming as it is painful. It focuses on women, their struggles, and their relationships with each other, men, racial differences, and the everyday existence of just plain living. It delves deep into our souls and takes hold unapologetically and is worth every second of reading time.

Insightful and consistently riveting, if often deeply disturbing, at times graphic, generally saddening, overall testament to tenacity, humanity in all its curious dignity and frailty intermingled. Contributes many significant thoughts, questions, concerns to the continuing discourse on race, class, gender, faith, family community, and how the ideas of abolition can, should, must be applied to each institution, raising complexities and flaws no less pertinent and applicable to our own contentious times, this novel reminds how little things have changed in ways which matter and provides valuable perspectives any reader can benefit from walking a mile in each distinctive set of moccasins (or singular in one memorable case) to better appreciate how we arrived here and perhaps suggest a few ideas on how we may continue better directions while walking back dehumanizing, disruptive motions down harmful individualist paths which the imperfect but extraordinary citizens of the Bottom provide an inspiring, brave contrast to. Add this to your bucket reading list, the sooner you can get to the better.

Toni Morrison takes us on a journey inside the hearts and souls of black people; specifically the early 20th century rural community of Medallion, Ohio. Morrison is a master of her craft, as is displayed by her brilliant use of metaphors to compliment her eloquent use of the English language. Morrison sheds light on an array of topics, to include Racism, sexual deviance, pride, love, friendship, and even the gentrification of a black community. This story is presented in such a way as to get the intellectual juices flowing. I have read over a dozen books this year on various topics; but I now feel as if this is the only book I read this year. This book reminds me of what good writing looks like. I recommend this book for anyone who appreciates fine literature.

This book had me in an emotional chokehold! I should not have expected anything less from Toni Morrison. I thought I was in for a solid read about friendship… it was NOT that simple, at all!!!