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Jazz
 

Jazz (Vintage International)

by Toni Morrison

In the winter of 1926, when everybody everywhere sees nothing but good things ahead, Joe Trace, middle-aged door-to-door salesman of Cleopatra beauty products, shoots his teenage lover to death. At the funeral, Joe’s wife, Violet, attacks the girl’s corpse. This passionate, profound story of love and obsession brings us back and forth in time, as a narrative is assembled from the... (read more)

Top tags: fiction,  african american,  toni morrison,  literature,  1001 books you must read before you die (all tags)

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Other Reviews

Amazon Reviews (4)
 

Most Helpful Reviews

Liked It

1 of 1 members found this review helpful.
Saff
  • Rated 5 stars

“This book was a slow starter for me but I was gripped from about half-way through and couldn't put it down. I think Toni Morrison brilliantly tells not only the personal story of her characters but also chronicles a unique moment in African American history as a whole. An intensely written novel about race, jealousy, gender, love and, above all, the human condition - definitely one of my favourites.”

Saff’s full review »
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Didn’t Like It

Kristin G
  • Rated 1 stars

“This book made me realize that I am NOT a Toni Morrison fan.”

Kristin G’s full review »
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Community:
  • Rated 3.673684 stars
Amazon:
  • Rated 4.05 stars
  

Newest Comments

  • uplandpoet

    uplandpoet said:

    “this book was such a letdown from her first tier books that i failed to find any redeeming value, maybe i should go back and reread the end, but as i recall, i found it ended silly to my mind. give me song of solomon, sula, paradise and tar baby!”

    posted Thursday, July 10 2008
  • Amanda R

    amanda r said:

    “The ending is exactly what makes this book! If it weren't for the ending you could believe that the husband and wife were always wrong for each other, that they were deceitful and hurtful and hated each other and that there was never any hope for them. It was the ending that made the entire book come together. It showed that there once was hope for these two, that they once loved and took care of one another, that there was once, even for just a moment, just one tiny act of tenderness, a kind of beauty in their lives.”

    posted Tuesday, March 11 2008 ( | view 1 reply )
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