Customer Reviews

Tar Baby

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

One of the things that's often hard in reading other readers' responses to an author that you absolutely adore (and I am an avid Morrison fan) is preparing for the types of reviews that often try to invalidate her or dismiss her because her writing demands so much from us. Yet, I believe her Nobel prize speaks for itself (even for all those who were "forced" into reading her for a class or seminar -or even because Oprah said so), so when others "trash" her, my disgust is not in their inability to appreciate her but in a recurring trend that continues to prove that our mass-media, TV-dominated culture has produced a generation of readers (and I use the term loosely) who no longer appreciate reading a book for the sheer pleasure of how the written language comes together and how an author like Morrison blends both oral culture and myths with written text.

And, folks, you really need that appreciation if you're going to get into a novel like Tar Baby. I believe some very basic knowledge needs to be in place. A) Some knowledge of the African American folktale of the tar baby and Brer Rabbit B.) Some knowledge of the biblical story of Adam and Eve and how religious doctrine has traditionally interpreted it. C.) Some understanding of the "trickster" (and this novel is filled with this figure) tradition in both American and African lore--who is tricked, who's doing the tricking and what is the overall "trick": colonialism? male-female relations? race relations?

I believe that once we recover much of the traditions that someone like Morrison has been exposed to (from the Bible to the blues to Faulkner to Zora Neale Hurston), her novels can be read with some appreciation and respect. . . and love.

I'm not one of those who believe that Morrison as a black woman author is too "marginal" to be appreciated by a "mainstream" reader, but a "true reader" is someone who can transcend their particular identities and trust a writer to take then onto any journey outside themselves and not even mind if there is a "trick" in store for them, or some profound pleasure...or horrific pain.

Reading is about trusting the author to reveal to us some new vision we did not know existed...But be prepared: Morrison is not the type of writer who will hold your hand!

Here's hoping that Amazon can inspire true love of reading and real thought and vision that comes from extensive readership! Only then, can user reviews be exciting and a pleasure to read!

"Tar Baby" may not be the most celebrated of Toni Morrison's many memorable novels, but, in my opinion, it's the most fun. Much of the story takes place at the Caribbean mansion of white millionaire Valerian Street. Morrison weaves a deliciously nasty psychodrama involving Street, his flaky wife, the Street's black servants, and Jadine, a young black woman who is niece to the servants and who has been educated thanks to Valerian's money. Into this mix Morrison tosses Son, a dreadlocked black man with a dangerous edge.

"Tar Baby" is a frequently outrageous satire of racial identity, sexual politics, consumer culture, class consciousness, and family dysfunctionality. Her cast of characters is colorfully warped in an almost Dickensian manner. Particularly interesting is the portrait of Jadine, the black wunderkind beloved by her wealthy white patrons; I think of her as a whorish postmodern parody of early African-American poet Phillis Wheatley.

As always, Morrison's writing is marked by passages of poetic power and grace. Check out, for example, this marvelous description of Son's hair: "Wild, aggressive, vicious hair that needed to be put in jail. Uncivilized, reform-school hair. Mau Mau, Attica, chain gang hair."

Ultimately, I read "Tar Baby" as a comic tragedy of people trapped in a complex web of racial, sexual, and economic mythologies. Profane, thought-provoking, ironic, and rich in scathing humor, this novel is ample proof of Toni Morrison's writerly talent.

This was the first time Morrison tried to deal with contemporary life (the second time was Paradise) and she fails, miserably. Insted of offering an intelligent critique of consumer culture, Morrison contrasts consumer culture (here identified, in all forms, as "white" and Eurocentric) against a mythical blackness, represented by the character Son and his podunk hometown, Eloe. Son escapes some ship and hides in the house of a wealthy white couple, who just happen to have paid for a young black model to go to the Sorbonne. Morrison carefully sets her stage: on one side, Jade (the model) who is as white as snow because she rejects her black heritage and is grateful that the white couple paid for her schooling; and on the other side is Son and mystical ghosts who visit him, or some nonsuch. Naturally, this being a Morrison novel, neither side wins, but the white people get a good spanking when Morrison reveals that the wife used to abuse her son and the man is more interest in classical music than his family. This couple was written about more memorably, many times over, by Edward Albee in VIRGINIA WOOLF. Is this the best critique Morrison has to offer? Against consumer culture she posits, what, ghosts? Myth? Myth is the very tool of capitalism. Again, Morrison has failed to show how real black people actually live (watching television and reading the paper, not listening to ghosts; living in multi-racial communities, not conveniently isolated all-black ones)in order to make some sort of point about the importance of not forgetting your heritage. When given the choice between two polar opposites -- mythic blackness or false whiteness -- why should either Son or Jade choose. Both strategies are complicit with the capitalist culture Morrison tries to undermine.

Each time I read this novel I appreciate it even more. The characters are carefully drawn, unveiling their idiosyncrasies layer by layer. Valerian's retreat into the greenhouse where he must learn how to get plants to bloom and ants to walk the other way is both amusing and pathetic. What I have found particularly enjoyable is Morrison's use of symbolism. The woman in the yellow dress, the tar pit, etc. all weave together to form a powerful novel. Perhaps not quite as arresting as "Beloved," "Tar Baby" certainly deserves high marks.

"Tar Baby" is among Morrison's best, and near the top of my list of American literature. Morrison's prose is angry here; perhaps that is why so many had a difficult time with this novel. I admit I do not agree with the racial philosophy of this book. The idea of a Black woman "selling out" is preposterous to me. But this does not lessen the impact of the statement, nor does it illegitimate the novel, allowing a reader to dismiss it as bigoted, or separatist. Rather, it exposes one to another point of view which, while disturbing, is nonetheless thought-provoking. Funny, but I always likened her writing style to Hemingway. Distinctly her own. While it is seldom easy to read a book of hers, she is an adept master of language, and crafts sentences filled with emotion and beauty.

It is too easy to say this book creates boundaries and contrasts- Black/White, Strong/Weak, Good/Bad. However, the point of the novel is identity. Toni Morrison's examination of this topic is, in my opinion, wonderful, and captivated me throughout.

The book may not be an easy read but it's also not a newspaper. Just like anything in life, what is worthwhile takes focus and time. I can whip through the works of Crichton and Grisham in a month and still would not get the knowledge and perspective that Tar Baby or almost any Morrison novel can offer.

If you want a light, airy read never take on the challenges of Morrison. If you want literature that has weight and an array of beautiful images and philosophies then "Tar Baby!" is worth the effort of resisting the quick read and delving into this text.

"No, a star star. In the sky. Keep your eyes closed, think about what it feels like to be one." He moved over to her and kissed her shoulder. "Imagine yourself in that dark, all alone in the sky at night. Nobody is around you. You are by yourself, just shining there. You know how a star is supposed to twinkle? We say twinkle because that is how it looks, but when a star feels itself, it's not a twinkle, it's more like a throb. Star throbs. Over and over and over. Like this. Stars just throb and throb and throb and sometimes, when they can't throb anymore, when they can't hold it anymore, they fall out of the sky." -Tony Morrison

A man jumps off a boat and finally makes it to shore on an island in the Caribbean -- an island filled with images, past and present, disturbing and haunting, myth and legend. He discovers and falls instantly in love with a spunky sophisticate named Jadine. The story weaves its way through the island, the love story, and winds itself around Jadine's hosts and adopted family -- a rich, old-moneyed, Philadelphia factory owner and his wife and servants. While waiting for Christmas guests and family members, a fragile string is unwound which uncovers a deeply buried secret. After this secret surfaces, nothing is ever the same. Everyone present is caught in the tar baby of that secret, and the ramifications of its discovery affect everyone's lives ever after.

This is much more than a love story, however, the love story is exquisitely passionate, memorable, enlightening and poignant. This author is a masterful storyteller, and she completely captivates with mesmerizingly beautiful prose. Want to know more? Read this beautiful and disturbing book. Highly recommended!

In Tar Baby, Valerian Street, a wealthy white candy mogul, suffers some devastating role reversals. This situation has nothing to do with "political correctness" but rather the truth of the fact that no one can mastermind and counterfeit a reality forever. Valerian cannot grow Pennsylvania plants in L'Isle de Chevaliers any more than he can recreate the racial, economic, and sexual hierarchy that existed there. This point is not "a rip-off from real life" as one amazon.com reviewer described it. Nor is it, to my mind, her most profound. I agree that _Beloved_ soars higher.

I think the "trick" to reading Morrison is reading at your own level. I read many of her books as a young teenager and enjoyed them merely for their plots. I liked them because the people were fascinating and the suspense was real. Morrison hadn't won the Nobel or been championed by Oprah Winfrey, so I didn't have her reputation to contend with. And I didn't feel that my intelligence or sophistication depended on understanding her every word. So if I couldn't understand something, I moved on with the story. Now that I am in college, and an English major, I understand much more of Morrison's art as I re-read the novels of my adolescence. However, if I don't understand the significance of some image or passage, I let it go. Then I talk to someone about it. One cannot read Morrison's academic and artistic novels any other way. Although it doesn't have to be drudgery, Morrison's books are meant to be "studied" (which is just a fancy way of saying "discussed"). If you are intimidated by the Morrison mystique, I recommend leaving one's ego at the door when entering Morrison's world. Then, I recommend talking to someone more familiar with Morrison's work before you cast her books aside.

Morrison is such a masterful author. Her novels always have a force behind it that draws the reader in and makes sure that you understand the various points of view. We first see Valerian's point of view, and we agree with him. Then we see Margaret's point of view and we agree with her also, although Valerian and Margaret are arguing with each other. This is how Morrison brings a story to life, using recursive narration to move forward and back in time regardless of the time period that the novel is currently in. One minute we are looking at Valerian and his past, the next we are looking at Margaret until it catches up to the present storyline and then advances further, which allows us to understand how and why each character acts the way that they do. Simply masterful.

What is even more masterful is Morrison's ability to articulate the struggle between races, but more importantly the struggle that black people go through. Should one embrace their past and their culture as Son does, even though it means living in squalor and primitive ways? Or should one educate themselves and try to make their lives better as Jadine does? The struggle is huge, and this is what adds the powerful flavor to the story. Ultimately, it is the side of Jadine that wins over, I believe, the side that no longer blames the white man and "his" culture, but rather embraces her culture and attempts to further herself, as a black woman, rather than let the past weigh her down and prevent her from bettering herself.

A poignant novel, of which I would expect nothing less from Morrison. A definite recommend, not only the book but any of her books.

5 stars.

When I began reading TarBaby I had no idea what it was about. I borrowed it from a high school classroom while I was student teaching and couldnt believe the difference between it and other Morrison novels while the language is beautiful and that is what makes it uniquely a Toni Morrison masterpiece. However, the love story between a black man and a woman who is black yet not, surprised me. Their love was so deep and so poignant - yet totally overwhelming and surprising at the same time.

The other story that is intertwined (that of Valerian Street and his dysfunctional upper-class white family) also startled me. I could not identify with the characters and found myself trying so hard to do so.

The ending of the novel left me wanting more. While it is not in Morrison's nature to write a sequel, I sincerely hope we find out what happens to Jadine, Son, and the Street's as their futures are left open-ended. Perhaps that is the point, and while I felt like the book could've gone on, I loved it nevertheless. Please read this book - it is one of Morrison's best!

Toni Morrison's fourth novel, published in 1981, between Song of Solomon (1997) and her Pulitzer Prize-winning Beloved (1987), experiments with some of the techniques and themes which make the latter novel such a powerful achievement. Set, unusually, on Isle des Chevaliers, a Caribbean island owned by a white man who made his money manufacturing candy, the novel uses the small population who live and work at his house as a microcosm which illustrates themes of racial identity and culture. Valerian Street, now retired, lives at his island estate with his wife Margaret, a former beauty queen from Maine who hates the isolated island and can hardly wait to return to her "real" home in Philadelphia.

Two house servants, Sydney and Ondine, who have traveled from Philadelphia with the Streets, are also anxious to return to their more comfortable surroundings in Philadelphia. Their niece Jadine, a Sorbonne-educated fashion model who is visiting the island from Paris, straddles black and white culture. Valerian Street has paid for her education, and she stays in a guest room at the house, not in the quarters occupied by Sydney and Ondine. Jadine's decision about whether to marry her white boyfriend in Paris becomes significantly more difficult when Son, a black renegade from Florida, is discovered hiding in their house after jumping ship.

The passionate affair between Jadine and Son complicates the island's domestic life and leads to the intense development of the racial themes. Valerian insists that Son sit for Christmas dinner with the family, since his own son does not arrive for the holiday. Margaret is frightened by Son's flagrant sexuality. Sydney and Ondine find him uneducated and "uncultured," at least by their standards. Other blacks with whom Sydney and Ondine must deal in their day to day life take the blame for some of Son's actions, and Valerian is often cruel in his "discipline." The conflicts between black and white, between blacks living in a white world and blacks living in a black world, and the economic dominance of whites who live among blacks take center stage. Jadine traverses both worlds, but she finds that she is bored when she is in an all-black community of people uneducated in the white world, whereas Son finds that he, from rural Florida, cannot relate to blacks who live in New York City.

Morrison's style takes on tones of magic realism, as ghosts of the chevaliers, for whom the island is named, and spirits known as "swamp women" all participate in the action. Her shifting points of view, the overlapping narrative, and swirling, sometimes impressionistic, action all presage the style of Beloved. Symbols, especially of the tar baby, emphasize the themes, with much of the story being told through (occasionally tedious) dialogue. The conclusion is enigmatic, as Morrison leave the reader to decide whether important decisions made by various characters are the "right" ones and whether they indicate triumph or failure in this powerful story of racial identity. n Mary Whipple

The Bluest Eye (Oprah's Book Club)

Jazz

Sula

Love

A Mercy

Tar Baby is the story of a young, successful, black model, who lives between the world of successful white people and her own black heritage. She continually struggles with the indebtedness that she feels towards her white benefactor and his wife. Jade's relationship with her benefactor is further complicated by the fact that her aunt and uncle, by whom she was raised, work as domestic help in the home of her benefactor Valerian Street.
The dynamics of the relationships between the members of the household keep you wondering from one moment to the next what will occur.
Margaret and Jade had a good relationship with their Aunt Ondine, but as the relationship between Margaret and Valerian continues, their relationship begins to decline. Sydney, Ondine's husband and his employer, Mr. Street get along very well. Sydney is very grateful for all the advantages that he has been given by Valerian.
Margaret who has befriended Jade, is less than emotionally stable. On several occasions Margaret has had episodes where she cannot remember how to do the most simple of tasks. She is also obsessed with an upcoming Christmas visit from her estranged son.
When a young black man is found hiding in the closet of Margaret Street, the whole mansion is thrown into chaos. The man is ragged and unclean. Margaret enters the dining room screaming about an intruder in her closet. Valerian, who sometimes tends to give little credence to his wife, ignores her. Sydney responds to the situation and goes to Margaret's aid. He brings the intruder to the dining room at gun point, where he is invited to join the dinner gathering by Valerian. This is Valerian's way of getting back at Margaret for her obsession with their estranged son.
The entire situation explodes and things are said by all members of the household and it is disclosed by Ondine that Margaret had physically abused her son when he was a child and that is the reason for her obsession with him, as well as her unstable emotional state.
To make matters even worse, Jade is attracted to this dangerous stranger and they run off together. She sees in him the side of her black heritage that she is out of touch with because of her success.
Throughout the entire book, you are treated to poetic, symbolic and descriptive writing by, Nobel Peace Prize winner, Toni Morrison. She explores the relationship of a black man true to his black heritage and a young woman who is molded by the white culture that has made her who she is.
The story explores relationships between blacks and whites, as well as the relationships between black people who have been given very different opportunities in life. It also examines how successful black people treat those less fortunate of their race.