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Paradise (Oprah's Book Club)
 

Paradise (Oprah's Book Club)

by Toni Morrison

Oprah Book Club® Selection, January 1998: Toni Morrison's Paradise takes place in the tiny farming community of Ruby, Oklahoma, which its residents proudly proclaim "the one all-black town worth the pain." Settled by nine African American clans during the 1940s, the town represents a small miracle of self-reliance and community spirit. Readers might be forgiven, in fact, for assuming that... (read more)

Top tags: fiction,  oprahs book club,  contemporary fiction,  african american,  literature (all tags)

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Other Reviews

Amazon Reviews (5)
 

Most Helpful Reviews

Liked It

1 of 1 members found this review helpful.
BellinghamBarbara
  • Rated 4 stars

“Toni Morrison is an amazingly skilled writer. The subject is deep and sometimes disturbing. What happens when righteousness gets out of control and takes on a life of its own? A heavy read, but worth the effort.”

BellinghamBarbara’s full review »
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Didn’t Like It

Shelly M
  • Rated 2 stars

“I did not like this book, I had a hard time following the story line, and found I had to force myself to pick it up and read it....and couldn't wait to finish it....not because I liked...because I couldn't wait to hide it!! The books opens with the Finish and works it way backwards to what led up to the opening. I think it tried to have a twist of black magic or evil...but your guess is good as mine, as I kept having to ask myself what just happened?? who is who???”

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Community:
  • Rated 3.710744 stars
Amazon:
  • Rated 3.5 stars
  

Newest Comments

  • uplandpoet

    uplandpoet said:

    “i thought this one of her best books, beginning middle and end, but even she seems to be a bit down on it now. i saw her in miami and she was dismissive of it”

    posted Monday, September 17 2007
  • uplandpoet

    uplandpoet said:

    “Funny, I heard Toni speak in Miami a few years ago, and even she dissed this book!! I love it, one of my favorites. I think Song of Solomon will always be very special to me. My least favorite TM books are least to less least favorite: Love, Jazz, Beloved. Bluest Eye, I hated and loved, great story, horribly depressing. Loved Song, Paradise and Sula, best of all, I think, actually find Glaria Naylor to be the better writer, or this niche (wouldnt really call it a genre, as it is mainstream literary fiction at its finest, but it is a subset because so much of both ladies books happen in the African-American culture. If you have not read Mama Day or Bailey's Cafe, and you like Morrison, you really owe it to yourself to read them. I also love Linden Hills, but it has such a power and sick understory, (not unlike some of Morrison) that my wife hated it, but I promise, you all will love the other Naylor. Stay away from her recent nonfic, I think my favorite writer has lost it, I'm serious.
    Anthony”

    posted Wednesday, July 18 2007 ( | view 1 reply )
  • melrag72

    melrag72 said:

    “I am finishing Atticus by Ron Hansen because I had to lay aside Gilead. I picked up some light reading (Mary Higgins Clark) from the library the other day to keep the brain juices pumping but relaxed! Hoipe your summer is going good!”

    posted Tuesday, July 17 2007
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