Group Read, January 2015: Sula

Happy New Year to all! Our first Group Read for 2015 is Toni Morrison's Sula. Please share your comments here, and enjoy the read.

I have just got a copy for my tablet. I look forward to starting it.

The writing in this book is amazing, so atmospheric and without feeling like it's trying. The story is woven like a tapestry. No wonder she won a Nobel prize.
The fire is... wow. Can't say anything without spoilers but it's very, er, startling.

I'll be reading this, but not for a week or so. I've loved everything I've read by Toni Morrison, though I usually find it challenging both in the writing style and the topic/themes.

>3 annamorphic: I completely agree. I read this book for my book club last month and her writing is like a painting by a Master. I know I've felt that about her other books as well, but this one seems even more so.

There is a wryness (I'm not sure that's a word, but I can't think of another one) to the story, hand in hand with a sobering, sad reality. The balance is perfect.

All her books are like this. I still remember The Bluest Eye and it's been more than 20 years since I last read it. I will have to double check on whether I read Sula already and if not, will join in.

I picked up a copy from the library today. I've enjoyed other books by Morrison, so I'm looking forward to this one.

Great storyline, great writing, I finished it today.
I can't say much about it without spoilers, but Morrison's writing is beautiful; she knows how to say so much with so little words. I only read Song of Solomon by her, which I didn't especially like, but now I am looking forward to her other works.

I finished this today. I agree with the comments about the economy of Morrison's style - a lot packed in to a relatively short book. Might have preferred more story about the peripheral characters many of whom are very interesting, but then it could have become a "sprawling" novel.

I also finished the novel today, and as I expected, really enjoyed it. Can't add much that hasn't already been said.... Morrison's writing style propelled this book along beautifully.

I started the book yesterday - I've got an audio version, read by the author. Obviously, she's not a professional reader, but once I became accustomed to her voice and cadence, I am enjoying the story. Not far into it yet, and hopefully I'll be able to come up with several long-ish errands in the next few days to keep me driving around in the car.

I started this book yesterday and am almost done - might finish it today. I am loving it as I've loved all of Morrison's books that I've read, but I don't find it quite as deep and complex as some of her other novels.

I read this quickly, as others have said, it draws you in. Yes, I also would like to hear more of some of the characters, but the book did deliver. I will track down her other 1001 books.

I finally finished this. I've enjoyed the other Morrison books I've read more than this one. I don't know why, exactly, but I think it was the audio production. It was read by the author, which should be nice, but she is not a professional reader, and does not project her voice very well. Sometimes she was nearly whispering - which is dramatic when the reader is right beside you and you have visual clues and even the vibrations in the air to derive meaning from. But over impersonal speakers from a digital recording, all that is lost. Another problem with the audio this time was that I wasn't able to listen consistently and days would go by in between chapters. There was nothing about the book that I disliked, but I had a hard time keeping the different characters straight in my mind and remembering details from earlier in the book. Besides the bits that I never even heard properly because of the volume issues in the recording - especially when coupled with traffic noise in the car.