Song of Solomon

first read of 2025! i just know this review won't do how i really feel justice but reading song of solomon was an experience i never want to forget. the masterful way morrison wove stories within stories is a testament to how incredible of a writer she is. i am so so taken with this read.

song of solomon is often considered a coming-of-age novel, but i feel it goes far beyond the traditional boundaries of the genre. macon “milkman” dead embarks on a transformative journey of self-discovery that shifts the course of the novel in profound ways.

the atmosphere and imagery felt almost suffocating—in the best way. morrison’s words carry serious weight, and this burden is one i gladly welcomed. with each chapter, each paragraph, i learned something new and was changed. the prose, the parallels, the allegories, the symbolism—nothing short of brilliant. i had so much fun annotating and dissecting this book.

i thoroughly enjoyed this read, and i’m so glad i started my year with it. 

Lots to unpack here

morrison never misses

“Now he knew why he loved her so. Without ever leaving the ground, she could fly. ‘There must be another one like you,’ he whispered to her. ‘There's got to be at least one more woman like you.’” *** Speechless. What a book. Definitely adding this to my absolutely god-tier list. I crammed reading this book for a major, but I did my best to bide my time because the world-building was amazing. Every character is fleshed out so well, and there are a lot of twists and turns. Some pages left me gasping in shock. I previously heard this was Morrison’s rendition of A Hundred Years of Solitude, and after reading the novel, I can definitely spot some parallels. Nevertheless, we would be doing an injustice to Morrison if we simply labelled the book’s selling point as comparable to Marquez’s work, as this novel deserves to be acknowledged and loved for its own grandeur and unparalleled wit. Overall, it’s one of those books that leave you in awe; knowing full well your life will never be the same again after having read it.

You got to have people.

Read this one in my English 101 class. Watching milkman grow and watch his life unravel around him while also seeing what it's like to grow up as a black man and the divisions within the black community. It's a very good read and plenty of surprises.

toni morrison u are a genius this was amazing

I had to read this in 11th grade English and vaguely remember liking it (and loving the project our teacher assigned during this unit) but I don't remember much else. I'm really eager to pick up another Toni Morrison book though.

This is a different kind of book for me, one that's not written in a style that I'm used to reading but I'm happy that I picked it up. Song of Solomon isn't you're usual book with any overarching plot, it's more of a collection of short stories about Macon "Milkman" Dead III's life. It's wonderfully written but if you're not used to Morrison's style it could take a while to get into.

This is one of those books that not only is brilliantly written, but has a brilliant message. I've learned a lot from this book, and I know that as I relect on and remember it more, and probably re-read it, I will learn new things. That is the beauty of this book.

GOOD SHIT, been planning to read morrison for a while and definitely plan to continue after this. i love pilate especially. and lena's angry spiel, definitely one of my favourite rants in literature. and wowow the family dynamics, milkman's character development, the way everything unravelled, and the ending. it was all incredible.

*4.5/5*

What can I say? Just a spectacular book. Full of the imagery, depth of character, and themes that you might expect from this Nobel Prize winner. The story is complicated yet down-home and it just barrels on until the end. Beautifully written.

This book felt unnecessarily weighty but it was still a wild trip

Such a unique story line.

Song of Solomon is the definition of a multicultural text, with elements of Native American culture being intertwined with African-American culture. The novel takes off, and finally comes back to earth, with an exhilarating leap of danger. The idea of “flight”—as an escape, or challenge—runs through the story of Milkman. It challenges the question of African-American identity and relationships among and between black and white individuals and communities. The main conflict of the novel is Milkman's search for independence, desire to gain self-realization, and answer the questions of who he is, how he lives, and why. The story loops and swoops, expressing a complex literary surface. However, Morrison does so through musical and often poetic language that’s infused with the rhythms of African American speech and song. Vastly different from traditional models of writing, Morrison conjures her tale from many voices and stories. The overall effect is a kaleidoscope, evocative of memory and history, and actualised through the compelling figure of Macon Dead.

Thoughtful and, like other Morrison novels, incredibly raw and not shy of the taboo. This definitely made me want a book all about Guitar, though.

3-3.5 I'm partly intrigued but mostly confused?

Toni Morrison has a way of immediately setting a captivating scene and infusing distinct identities into a diverse cast of characters. I was invested in this town and the people who inhabit it within the first few pages. This is one of Morrison's best.

*2.75