The forward to this novel was fascinating in its own right. Toni Morrison describes how black fiction is unfairly judged on the basis of the morality and worthiness of its characters. In Sula, as in the two other Morrison books I've read, the characters are not pure; they are deeply flawed. Morrison doesn't appeal to the oppressor by showing the unworldly good of black communities. She shows the grit and the humanity they contain, the constant struggle. I love her books for that and try to do the same with my female characters in my own books - for me paragons of virtue are boring. Of the three books I've read so far my favourite was "Song of Solomon", and my second choice was "Beloved". That's not to say that Sula isn't a good read, but it didn't move me as profoundly as the other two. It's about the way women's choices are restricted by social condemnation. It's about the insular and protectionist stance of a poor black community in the US. It spans from the 1920s to the 1960s, and follows the childhoods and adulthoods of two female friends. One who has chosen marriage and the other who has chosen (to the chagrin of the Bottom community) a carefree life of freedom. There are touchstones about the way black women are viewed throughout the book. The scene on the train where Nel's mother smiles at the white guard and in doing so draws hatred to her and humiliates her daughter, who suddenly sees her as made of custard - a beautiful description in the context of the scene, is one of the most powerful and poignant in the book. The complexities of Nel's feelings for Sula are also beautifully described, but beyond that it feels too tiny a story especially when compared to the fabulous "Song of Solomon". It's bleak and it's painful, but it doesn't push the boundaries even of the small town that contains it. The story happens and life carries on (undocumented and perhaps unaffected) outside it.
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