¿Está seguro?
This action might not be possible to undo. Are you sure you want to continue?
Song of Solomon
Resumen
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 place of his family's origins, Morrison introduces an entire cast of strivers and seeresses, liars and assassins, the inhabitants of a fully realized black world.
Leer en la aplicación Scribd móvil
Descargar la aplicación móvil Scribd gratis para leer en cualquier momento y lugar.
Reseñas
This is the story of a family whose last name is "Dead." Macon Dead is the father, married to Ruth who was the daughter of a locally famous Black doctor. Macon despises Ruth and Macon is caught somewhere between. Ruth lives in the past with her father, Macon lives to accumulate wealth. Their son, Macon, soon earns the nickname "Milkman" due to Ruth's nursing of him well past the time of toddlerhood.Macon is estranged from his sister Pilate who lives with her daughter Reba and her granddaughter Hagar. Pilate wears an earring made of a tiny brass box carrying her name as written by her father who picked it out of the Bible. Milkman and Hagar eventually carry on an affair but Milkman leaves her leaving her angry and out to kill him.There are so many family situations, most not good. Milkman eventually returns to where the family originated as slaves and finds out much of his family history. This is a book about the importance of family names and history; however, there is just too much weirdness for my taste.
Very well written, I look forward to reading more by Toni Morrison.
I read this book for a Lit class, and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I had heard horror stories about Beloved, and assumed that Song of Solomon would be the same way. Either Song of Solomon was better, or I just have a taste for the darkness of Toni Morrison that my friends don't, because I really liked it. The writing was wonderful and the characters were interesting. It's a strange book, and some weird things happen, but they seem to make sense in the context of the book. I'd recommended to anyone who wants to read something very different.
Read in March 2001. There were different reactions to this book. This was the first Toni Morrison read for most of us, though some have read Beloved and The Bluest Eye. Beautifully written dealing with complex family issues ..... this book took us to a different place altogether and generated an interesting discussion.
I took a Toni Morrison seminar, and had to read nearly all of her books. Many of them were entirely too depressing, had predominantly female characters, and involved themes of child molestation as well as race hostilities. Song of Solomon has some characteristics of other Toni Morrison books, but the primary characters are male, and it is at least not the same kind of depressing. I found this to be a beautiful story, and would recommend it to anybody.
Song of Solomon is an absolutely brilliant synthesis of a mythic journey, family drama and story of origin. There are strong echos of James Baldwin, and probably many other authors of whom I am ignorant. Morrison juggles a lot of ideas without looking like she's trying too hard. The characters are compelling and real, and they grow and learn in a bumpy real-world way. Milkman, who chafes at his father's attitudes about life, waits until he is in his thirties to take his voyage of self-discovery. My favorite up-ended traditional character is Pilates, who is an earth-mothery root worker who ends up being just plain wrong about the dominant spirit in her life.It's worth reading the book just for the names, which provide the kind of humor that one character describes as being vital to living life as a black woman. An ancestor of the main character, being illiterate, unintentionally accepts a post-slavery surname of "Dead" and names his children by pointing at the Bible, resulting in some of the best names in English-language literature.
One of my favorites - and my favorite of Morrison's books. I was introduced to this book in 1978 in a college lit class. I've read it many times since and own too many copies to count because I get a craving to read it and need it now!I love the beauty of Toni Morrison's words and the terribly complicated but simply human characters of this novel. The plot takes me to places and worlds I would never know without this book. I want to know Pilate and Circe as strongly as my own grandmothers.
Another one of my favorites. In my opinion, this is Morrison's best book.
Song of Solomon is a well written book that helps you learn from the main character Milkman of who he really is. You feel sorry for him even though he is a jerk towards others, but learn to love him as he becomes more aware of his own life. There are many twist, and turns in the book that build up to the plot, and the ending will be unsuspecting. This is a must read book if you love to learn about African-American liturature.
This may be Morrison's best novel. It's a great story about a quest to find one's people and learn to fly. This is also a good book for someone reading Toni Morrison for the first time since the style is a lot more accessible than her other books.
This was really an amazing book. It is the only Morrison book other than Beloved that I have read, and, while this one does not quite compare to Beloved, it was still excellent.The only negative that I can come up with is that there is a bit too much plot. I feel like Morrison's writing is at a high enough level that she can forgo some of the plot and just write. She gives the reader a feeling of deep, deep roots and a beautiful melancholy that is enough without the overwrought plot. Her writing is reminiscent of Faulkner, which is for me, a very high compliment.
African/indigenous spirituality at its deepest and finest. Sister Morrison channeled this story as a gift for those of us who innerstand.
This is one of the most chilling tales from author Toni Morrison.
Like many of Morrison’s works, the setting is created with black people in mind. Morrison uses this to share history both factual and some loosely true. The themes of family, secrecy, roots, linage, love and death show themselves throughout this work.
The audiobook itself is not read completely by the author. For some reason there are bits throughout that were read by a man. (Not clear explanation as to why) this can be distracting but is manageable.
Like many of Morrison’s works, the setting is created with black people in mind. Morrison uses this to share history both factual and some loosely true. The themes of family, secrecy, roots, linage, love and death show themselves throughout this work.
The audiobook itself is not read completely by the author. For some reason there are bits throughout that were read by a man. (Not clear explanation as to why) this can be distracting but is manageable.
Morrison kan een stukje schrijven, dat maakt dit boekje wel duidelijk. Maar ze vergt toch ook wel wat haar lezer: soms neemt ze haar tijd om situaties uitgebreid te beschrijven, soms (vooral in het laatste deel) neemt het verhaal een rotvaart, en heel dikwijls loopt ze vooruit op de gebeurtenissen, zodat pas na enkele tientallen pagina's de puzzelstukjes in elkaar vallen. Het thema van deze roman: de identiteit van een man, in dit geval de zwarte Milkman Dead, eigenlijk een rijkeluiszoontje dat zich van niemand iets aantrekt, maar zich eens voorbij de 30 realiseert dat hij eigenlijk een "man zonder eigenschappen" is, die volledig afhankelijk is van zijn vader. Milkman raakt in de war door de zeer tegenstrijdige verhalen die hij hoort van zijn familieleden. De zucht naar een vermeende goudschat en het verlangen om duidelijkheid te krijgen over de afkomst naar zijn familie trekt hij naar het zuiden. De raadsels vinden (gedeeltelijk) hun oplossing in een kinderliedje.Dit is een rijke roman, met vele lagen: de zwarte problematiek komt aan bod, maar staat zeker niet centraal; dat geldt ook voor de positie van vrouwen; uiteindelijk is het de zoektocht van een man naar zijn sociale achtergrond die primeert; je bent getekend door je voorouders, lijkt de boodschap van Morrison.
Completely awesome.
Like a lot of great literature or art in general, Toni Morrison’s ‘Song of Solomon’ is not a tidy little story where everything is easily comprehensible, and that may put some readers off. It’s also not a book that depicts African-American characters as downtrodden victims, as successive men in generations of the Macon Dead family succeed at farming, being a doctor, and in real estate. Within its long and winding story it does describe elements of the African-American experience that seem so alive today, 40 years after the book was written: the police using profiling and stopping people just for being black, the justice system not caring about black people getting killed, and the excessive, random, and arbitrary violence of white people towards blacks, and for that alone it’s well worth reading.Morrison’s style is unique, as she writes at times with magical realism and poetically weaves her way through the story, and at others with dialogue and events that are so direct and real that they sear on the page. You may shudder at the ‘Seven Days’ club’s desire for vengeance, but Morrison does not flinch in describing this. Her writing seems very honest in so many ways: in the banter in her characters’ dialogue, the relationships between men and woman particularly when there is sexual obsession, and in the observations she makes, such as at one point expressing the criticism that there is sometimes a tendency for blacks to excuse themselves from doing better because everything is “The Man’s fault”. One of the central themes of the book is the hope of transcending difficult conditions, and also to know one’s past, one’s people. Most have lost their real names and sometimes get the ridiculous names out of white hubris, or because “White people name Negroes like race horses”, and indeed, the dedication to the book reads “The fathers may soar, and the children may know their names”. The book is ambitious in its scope and in how the story was told. Maybe too ambitious for an even higher rating from me. Parts of the plot don’t seem plausible, such as Guitar’s actions towards Milkman towards the end, though perhaps they are also symbolic. Regardless, all in all, a good read.
Morrison kan een stukje schrijven, dat maakt dit boekje wel duidelijk. Maar ze vergt toch ook wel wat haar lezer: soms neemt ze haar tijd om situaties uitgebreid te beschrijven, soms (vooral in het laatste deel) neemt het verhaal een rotvaart, en heel dikwijls loopt ze vooruit op de gebeurtenissen, zodat pas na enkele tientallen pagina's de puzzelstukjes in elkaar vallen. Het thema van deze roman: de identiteit van een man, in dit geval de zwarte Milkman Dead, eigenlijk een rijkeluiszoontje dat zich van niemand iets aantrekt, maar zich eens voorbij de 30 realiseert dat hij eigenlijk een "man zonder eigenschappen" is, die volledig afhankelijk is van zijn vader. Milkman raakt in de war door de zeer tegenstrijdige verhalen die hij hoort van zijn familieleden. De zucht naar een vermeende goudschat en het verlangen om duidelijkheid te krijgen over de afkomst naar zijn familie trekt hij naar het zuiden. De raadsels vinden (gedeeltelijk) hun oplossing in een kinderliedje.Dit is een rijke roman, met vele lagen: de zwarte problematiek komt aan bod, maar staat zeker niet centraal; dat geldt ook voor de positie van vrouwen; uiteindelijk is het de zoektocht van een man naar zijn sociale achtergrond die primeert; je bent getekend door je voorouders, lijkt de boodschap van Morrison.
One of the passages that struck me most was that of several African American men talking about the murder of Emmett Till. It could be a contemporary discussion of the murder of Trayvon Martin. "They say Till had a knife," Freddie said. "They always say that. He could of had a wad of bubble gum, they'd swear it was a hand grenade."
Macon Dead, III, is coming of age in the Southside of Chicago (you know, the "baddest part of town"), where his father is a prosperous and respected man of property (read "landlord"), his mother is the daughter of the first black physician in the city, and his two older sisters make velvet roses to sell to department stores while drifting into terminal spinsterhood. His parents' loveless marriage occasionally erupts into low-level violence. None of this seems to matter much to Macon (who is known in the community as "Milkman", for reasons unknown to him), until one night at the dinner table, when without forethought, he decks his father for hitting his mother. From that moment on, spurred partly by his father's peculiar version of the "she had it coming" speech, Milkman becomes more interested in his family, his identity, his life. He learns bits and pieces of his family history from various individuals; sometimes the pieces fit, but often they contradict one another and raise more questions than they answer. As Milkman grows older he becomes more and more determined to sort out his place in his "tribe", to learn why names are so important, and what Life and Love are really worth. His roots-journeys to his family's former homes in Danville, PA, and Shalimar, VA, as well as into his own head and heart, make for a captivating and beautiful story. This doesn't happen often, but I am tempted to turn back to the beginning of this marvelous novel and re-read the whole thing right now.Review written April 2014
Interesting book about black relations. Read almost like a fairy tale with allusions to flying and a children's song abou the main charachter "Milkman's" family. All the names of the charachters were indicative of something. Lots of refrences to the Bible. I felt like I understood a lot but that there was a lot hidden in the book I didn't get.
To me this novel is about not being limited by your history and circumstance, but learning to understand, transcend and even love it. I was struck most when I read it about Pilate Dead's ability to love others and propel Milkman to transcendence over self and sense of place in the world.
The character names were brilliant. The novel has many layers of meaning and contexts in which it might be appreciated, and the names are just the beginning to unraveling them.
The character names were brilliant. The novel has many layers of meaning and contexts in which it might be appreciated, and the names are just the beginning to unraveling them.
A brilliant work whether read as an allegory of identity and origin or as a straight tale. The complex relationships between Milkman and his family, Milkman and Guitar, Macon and his wife, Macon and Pilate gave the book layers of meaning. Milkman's coming of age at a late time in life rang very true. His final realization that the world did not revolve around him, though long in coming, redeemed him as a truly heroic character.
I don't even know how long it would have taken me to finally read this book had not my resolution to read more of the Bookslut 100 converged with book bingo: A book from the bottom of your to-read pile. Not that I have a pile,but if my list were prioritized, it would be near the bottom. I've owned it for years and years. I once picked it up and read about three pages before I gave up and put it back on the shelf. This book was not going anywhere soon.
Sometimes, I am a bit of an idiot.
Okay, so still, the first few pages were a bit bewildering and I had to kind of slog through them. But not much further in and I was hooked. I mean, it's not like it's a revelation to say that Toni Morrison is a great writer. I think that has pretty much been covered. But it's still a revelation to discover it for oneself.
What is the power of names? What is the value of knowing your heritage? The overlapping of stories and myths and meaning-making. The work of unravelling all of that. I don't know how it can be so foreign and yet so familiar all at the same time. If ever a book made you feel like you'd really walked that mile in a stranger's shoes, this book is on that shelf.
I'm grateful I finally read it.
Sometimes, I am a bit of an idiot.
Okay, so still, the first few pages were a bit bewildering and I had to kind of slog through them. But not much further in and I was hooked. I mean, it's not like it's a revelation to say that Toni Morrison is a great writer. I think that has pretty much been covered. But it's still a revelation to discover it for oneself.
What is the power of names? What is the value of knowing your heritage? The overlapping of stories and myths and meaning-making. The work of unravelling all of that. I don't know how it can be so foreign and yet so familiar all at the same time. If ever a book made you feel like you'd really walked that mile in a stranger's shoes, this book is on that shelf.
I'm grateful I finally read it.
One of my favorites. A bold coming of age story threaded with a complex understanding of black culture. Milkman's birth is signified by a man's vain attempt to fly, symbolizing Milkman's continued efforts to fly throughout the rest of the novel. Worth the read, requires work to understand.
I really had no idea what this book was going into reading it--other than knowing Morrison is a Pulitzer recipient (although not for this book) and otherwise well-acclaimed author.
I found the storyline to move very similar to that of Gabriel Garcia Marquez in 100 Years of Solitude: in that, the story jumps around a bit, there are some fantastic elements to it, to be quite honest, if I don't know Morrison's ethnicity, I would have thought this book qualified as magic realism of the Hispanic literature genre.
All of the characters had pretty fantastic names (mostly pulled from the Bible)...and the plot was one that made me feel as if I were wandering through the lives of this family.
It was an interesting read, although once I reached the end, I am still not sure if or how the book is related to King Solomon mentioned in the Bible?
I found the storyline to move very similar to that of Gabriel Garcia Marquez in 100 Years of Solitude: in that, the story jumps around a bit, there are some fantastic elements to it, to be quite honest, if I don't know Morrison's ethnicity, I would have thought this book qualified as magic realism of the Hispanic literature genre.
All of the characters had pretty fantastic names (mostly pulled from the Bible)...and the plot was one that made me feel as if I were wandering through the lives of this family.
It was an interesting read, although once I reached the end, I am still not sure if or how the book is related to King Solomon mentioned in the Bible?
Badly abridged. Do not waste your time.
This is a rich and rewarding book. The characters and images are well-drawn and memorable, and like all of Morrison's best work, it stands up to multiple interpretations. I think this book is an essential, especially as part of a careful reading of Morrison's oeuvre.
It’s been too many years since I’ve read Toni Morrison (“Paradise,” which was wonderful and “Sula,” which I don’t remember much about at all). This one brought back to the fore everything that I loved about “Paradise” all over again. “Song of Solomon” tells the story of Macon (“Milkman”) Dead (far from the only peculiar name you’ll see encounter in this book), the son of a loveless marriage and an overbearing, despotic father, also named Macon. Morrison presents the reader with a wide cast of characters early in the novel, all fully drawn out, but refuses to hint at which ones you should be following most closely. There’s Macon Sr.’s sister, Pilate; her daughter, Rebecca; and Rebecca’s daughter, Hagar, all of whose names point directly to the kind of mythical, grand storytelling that Morrison is so invested in. Not even the Nobel Committee could escape the language of myth when mentioning her in their citation: “The Solomon of the title, the southern ancestor, was to be found in the songs of childhood games. His inner intensity had borne him back, like Icarus, through the air to the Africa of his roots. This insight finally becomes Milkman’s too.”The action is centered around Milkman’s coming of age, and slightly resembles a Bildungsroman, though it’s so much richer and fuller than anything that word could connote. The novel is full of disintegrating, rotting relationships – between Ruth and Macon Sr., Pilate and Macon Sr., Milkman and his erstwhile best friend Guitar, and Milkman and his girlfriend Hagar. Without giving away too much, Milkman’s journey sets him on a path where he ends up learning about the circumstances of his own birth and his ancestors.This was a spectacular novel, convincing me still again that Toni Morrison is a kind of American Homer, full of allegory and origins, an undiluted rhapsode always pushing for a deeper and more expansive and prophetic evaluation of our roots, our identities, and our borders. As often as she’s called a black writer, an African-American writer, a woman writer (that especially grating nineteenth-century appellation that rings of male condescension), she seems like none of these to me. She is American – as widely and deeply American as any of the other novelists who come before her. This is a truly impressive piece of work, and a wonderful place to start if you’re unfamiliar with Morrison’s oeuvre.
16. Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison (1977, 341 pages, read Mar 30 – Apr 13)There is something fun in the curious way Morrison presents this. Things happen that make us wonder. Every character seems to have a name that is clearly meaningful, and yet it’s never clear what they mean. And, actually, we never seem to be fully in reality. Even the location, somewhere near a not-inspiring Flint, MI and yet where one can look over Lake Superior, is impossible. But why?Names do come about in a wonderful variety of forms, including three Macom Deads, the second naming his daughters Magdalena and First Corinthians, and a having an estranged sister named Pilate. Pilate, a somewhat goddess like character without a navel, is unmarried with an unmarried daughter and granddaughter, that later one named Hagar. The third Macom Dead, the book’s main character, acquires the name Milkman initially because his mother nursed him too long (till he was about 8?), but Milkman grows up unaware of the origin of his name. His best friend is Guitar. And so on.The story is a coming of age of sorts, even if Milkman’s coming of age takes place in his thirties. He must somehow be driven to leave his comfortable and stifled middle class life (funded by his father’s success as a slumlord), and travel through his family's past, ending up in a dirt-poor black community somewhere in Virginia. He finds mythical and real roots, perspective, and a very different view of life. But he leaves a kind of wreckage behind along the way. And the ending is a most precarious one. There are many things going on through out this novel. Some seem to be clear, such as the racially conscious tone and the criticism of middle-class blacks as rootless, soulless imitations of white people. The mythological links to the Odyssey in Milkman’s travels. And again in the opening Icarus-like scene where salesman Robert Smith dives off a tall building intending to fly, leaving behind a note that says something simply like, “I love you all,” and very powerfully illustrating the black glass ceiling, where black professional prospects cannot exceed. But this only touches the surface. The reader is left to ponder, and ponder widely as there is simply no easy take. This books goes many places, and the tracks are obscured. When I put it down, I simply had no response. A good book, but how good? And what was the point? After much thinking and reading a Bloom’s collection of essays on it, I still can’t clearly answer that second question, although I can say this is a pretty good book. Enjoyed it.
An amazing book. The characters are with me still.