Summary:
As she reveals new depths of connection between them, Morrison brings these characters together to squabble over Bill Cosey and his estate, giving LOVE the tone of a soap opera --- "just another story made up to scare wicked females and correct unruly children, a story that shows how brazen women can take a good man down." And too often Morrison seems too willing to let LOVE descend to the level of "pointless malice," which infects her prose and her themes with soap-opera formulas.
Certain phrases stand out against the well-crafted mellifluousness of Morrison's otherwise remarkably restrained prose. Hackneyed clichés pop up and stand out, like "When Christine opened the door she found Ernie locked in the arms of the staff sergeant's wife." Elsewhere, Morrison painfully overstates the novel's meaning, such as when one character remarks, "it's like we started out being sold, got free of it, then sold ourselves to the highest bidder." It doesn't help that another character responds, "Who you mean 'we'? Black people? Women? You mean me and you?" This is certainly true and well observed, but already apparent to even a casual reader.
Such missteps reveal just how forcefully Morrison is straining to make LOVE work, to stretch a threadbare family saga to cover such large ideas about race and gender. That she does make it work at all, that her insights more often than not hit their targets, and that LOVE is readable and fascinating seem like an extreme act of will, and there is a certain purity in such literary labor. Morrison works so hard in LOVE, and her hard work pays off for her and for the reader --- mostly.
Quote:
"Correctional girls knew better than to trust a label" (Morrison 123)
Reaction:
My reaction is that the book all the way up to the end was a really good learning experience. it really was on love. i thought that the title was there just to attract attention. i love the book and would recommend it to anyone who likes short novels that are fictional with some informational background.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Beginning of LOVE ( first 100 pages )
Summary:
A novel about the past, LOVE begins closer to the present, with a young woman, Junior Viviane, long a resident of juvenile correctional halls, applying for a job in the big house at One Monarch Street, inhabited by two warring women: Heed Cosey, Bill's much younger second wife, now his widow, and Christine, his granddaughter.
"Each woman," Morrison writes, "lived in a spotlight separated --- or connected --- by the darkness between them." While Heed, the beneficiary of her husband's contested will, lives a lonely life in the house's richly appointed upper floors, Christine resides in the small, spare basement apartment near the kitchen. Confined to the same house, they still stay as far away from each other as possible, their silence erupting into violent arguments once every year or so.
As LOVE progresses, Morrison reveals the interconnectedness of their lives, the strange ways they are related and the strong bond they maintain despite their mutual hostility. In doing so she depicts a large cast of mostly compelling characters who haunt the novel's periphery: Christine's mother, May Cosey, whose husband died early and left her the thankless job of running her father-in-law's hotel; L, the gifted cook who provides a balanced commentary against the hysterical grievances of the main characters; and Sandler Gibbons, Bill's fishing buddy whose grandson, Romen, now works for the Cosey women and is Junior's lover.
Quote:
" I'm background -- the movie music that comes along when the sweetheart sees each other for the first time, or when the husband is walking the beachfront alone wondering if anybody saw him doing the bad thing he couldn't help. " (Morrison 4)
Reaction:
My reaction is that the first page of the novel is a soft introduction to a narrator who pulls you in with her way of seeing the ocean-side community of Up Beach, a once popular ocean resort. Its very confusing at first but gets to be more engaging and understanding after the first chapter.
A novel about the past, LOVE begins closer to the present, with a young woman, Junior Viviane, long a resident of juvenile correctional halls, applying for a job in the big house at One Monarch Street, inhabited by two warring women: Heed Cosey, Bill's much younger second wife, now his widow, and Christine, his granddaughter.
"Each woman," Morrison writes, "lived in a spotlight separated --- or connected --- by the darkness between them." While Heed, the beneficiary of her husband's contested will, lives a lonely life in the house's richly appointed upper floors, Christine resides in the small, spare basement apartment near the kitchen. Confined to the same house, they still stay as far away from each other as possible, their silence erupting into violent arguments once every year or so.
As LOVE progresses, Morrison reveals the interconnectedness of their lives, the strange ways they are related and the strong bond they maintain despite their mutual hostility. In doing so she depicts a large cast of mostly compelling characters who haunt the novel's periphery: Christine's mother, May Cosey, whose husband died early and left her the thankless job of running her father-in-law's hotel; L, the gifted cook who provides a balanced commentary against the hysterical grievances of the main characters; and Sandler Gibbons, Bill's fishing buddy whose grandson, Romen, now works for the Cosey women and is Junior's lover.
Quote:
" I'm background -- the movie music that comes along when the sweetheart sees each other for the first time, or when the husband is walking the beachfront alone wondering if anybody saw him doing the bad thing he couldn't help. " (Morrison 4)
Reaction:
My reaction is that the first page of the novel is a soft introduction to a narrator who pulls you in with her way of seeing the ocean-side community of Up Beach, a once popular ocean resort. Its very confusing at first but gets to be more engaging and understanding after the first chapter.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
pages 233-457
Summary:
The reading was on all of the reggae artist from back in the day, like around my parents time ( & thats old ). They were talking about an establishment that brought up big major stars such as Gregory Isaacs even though he died just last year, Dennis Brown, Junior Delgado, the Tamlins, Black Uhuru, Luciano, Beenie Man and Yami Bolo. They were big major hit reggae artist and was just trying to have some light shined on them before they had made it to be so successfull. They was also talking that when people hear that something nice is happening in Jamaica the first thing they think of is Kingston. It is the capitol, but its not the only main town that is used to help bring up jamaican artist, its just a more popular place. Kingston is so big they classify it by numbers. Its more of the connection to the movie Shottas where the movie was filmed in Kingston 10, waterhouse. well back then kingston didn't have numbers.
Quote:
" They're not working today; Sly's come in just to talk and nobody's quite sure where Robbie is." ( Bradley 356 )
- My feeling towards this quote is that it is untrue. I may have interpreted it wrong, but i think it isn't true. if you read the paragraph before this quote they call up reggae artist that are king of the dancehall right now and are still doing it big. Like for instance Beenie Man he recently just made a chune last week called " Hot after we " and he's still in the business and working today.
Reaction:
My reaction on the reading is basically that i had a very big connection with what i read. The connection was so big i had to go and show my parents.They had a lot of old school back in the day artist that they were talking about and it made my parents feel like they was apart of something. To their surprise i like some of the old school music they listen to, so it gave me a more broad understanding of what went on back in my parents time and not just from their perspective, but by others and the author himself.
The reading was on all of the reggae artist from back in the day, like around my parents time ( & thats old ). They were talking about an establishment that brought up big major stars such as Gregory Isaacs even though he died just last year, Dennis Brown, Junior Delgado, the Tamlins, Black Uhuru, Luciano, Beenie Man and Yami Bolo. They were big major hit reggae artist and was just trying to have some light shined on them before they had made it to be so successfull. They was also talking that when people hear that something nice is happening in Jamaica the first thing they think of is Kingston. It is the capitol, but its not the only main town that is used to help bring up jamaican artist, its just a more popular place. Kingston is so big they classify it by numbers. Its more of the connection to the movie Shottas where the movie was filmed in Kingston 10, waterhouse. well back then kingston didn't have numbers.
Quote:
" They're not working today; Sly's come in just to talk and nobody's quite sure where Robbie is." ( Bradley 356 )
- My feeling towards this quote is that it is untrue. I may have interpreted it wrong, but i think it isn't true. if you read the paragraph before this quote they call up reggae artist that are king of the dancehall right now and are still doing it big. Like for instance Beenie Man he recently just made a chune last week called " Hot after we " and he's still in the business and working today.
Reaction:
My reaction on the reading is basically that i had a very big connection with what i read. The connection was so big i had to go and show my parents.They had a lot of old school back in the day artist that they were talking about and it made my parents feel like they was apart of something. To their surprise i like some of the old school music they listen to, so it gave me a more broad understanding of what went on back in my parents time and not just from their perspective, but by others and the author himself.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Part two "Simmer Down": page 150- 232
Summary:
This reading was mainly on the new style of music. A lot of musicians were trying to make and keep up with the new styles. They were discussing how a thing called " riddims" came along, its the same thing as rythm its just because jamaicans don't pronounce their "th" or like to say rythm. It sounds weird to us. They also talked about Bob Marley and how at first it was Bob Marley and the Wailers. They also made a comparison because Jamaicans seem to love jeeps and BMW's so they were saying we loved it the most because of the acronym standing for " Bob Marley and the Wailers ". Also certain record shops were not entered on a Friday or Saturday because of the idlers and because of the new releases that came from the UK that most of the woman would take and bring down there.
Quote:
" Most importantly, the electric guitar chopped out upfront chords on the second and fourth, straight down with a crisp channk! . . . channk!: it wasnt unusual for guitarist to tune their lowest string in with the bass and augment what the bass player was doing."
- what really stood out to me about this quote was the way they expressed the noise of the guitar.
Reaction:
My reaction on this reading was more expanded. I learned more about the types of instruments the jamaicans played. All along i thought it was just the drums, i didnt know they played guitar, piano, and all them things. i thought they generated them when they were making the riddims. I also learned about the people and most of the music was recorded and what some woman's main purpose was out there as to the record production thing.
This reading was mainly on the new style of music. A lot of musicians were trying to make and keep up with the new styles. They were discussing how a thing called " riddims" came along, its the same thing as rythm its just because jamaicans don't pronounce their "th" or like to say rythm. It sounds weird to us. They also talked about Bob Marley and how at first it was Bob Marley and the Wailers. They also made a comparison because Jamaicans seem to love jeeps and BMW's so they were saying we loved it the most because of the acronym standing for " Bob Marley and the Wailers ". Also certain record shops were not entered on a Friday or Saturday because of the idlers and because of the new releases that came from the UK that most of the woman would take and bring down there.
Quote:
" Most importantly, the electric guitar chopped out upfront chords on the second and fourth, straight down with a crisp channk! . . . channk!: it wasnt unusual for guitarist to tune their lowest string in with the bass and augment what the bass player was doing."
- what really stood out to me about this quote was the way they expressed the noise of the guitar.
Reaction:
My reaction on this reading was more expanded. I learned more about the types of instruments the jamaicans played. All along i thought it was just the drums, i didnt know they played guitar, piano, and all them things. i thought they generated them when they were making the riddims. I also learned about the people and most of the music was recorded and what some woman's main purpose was out there as to the record production thing.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
page 89- 149
Summary:
The title of this section is called " The Train to Skaville " which I believe they got the title as a way to blend and mix in the genre "ska". With the contributions from the sound systems, which i believe i was talking about earlier, they were now being sold and promoted by radio station, and became a self-serving political motivation. They compared the sound systems to time now. Basically they say that in Kingston there is more Jerk spots than there is recording studios. Music is still an hype thing, its just select few places have them like back in the day. They will never die down in a sense, but people's interest are in other things. Another thing that seemed to be a conflicting issue was the fact that slavery was going on, and right after the white man no longer had control, the black people (jamaicans) didnt really have anyone else to have a smart mouth with so they started hating one another, and it came to the point jamaican made a new motto.
Quote:
"Out of many, one people", was the new Jamaica's motto" (Bradley 107)
-This quote really defines alot. it says how people should live. You'll always have many people around you, but only one will be the realest, only one will help you prosper, only one will be the last man standing.
Reaction:
My reaction on the reading was simply, i learned something i didnt really know before. I know that on the Jamaica coat of arms it says that motto, but i never really took the time to analyze it, i never really understood how it came about until i read this section. it makes me look forward to more things that are in the book. it just might actually explain more about jamaicans and why they act the way that they do,
The title of this section is called " The Train to Skaville " which I believe they got the title as a way to blend and mix in the genre "ska". With the contributions from the sound systems, which i believe i was talking about earlier, they were now being sold and promoted by radio station, and became a self-serving political motivation. They compared the sound systems to time now. Basically they say that in Kingston there is more Jerk spots than there is recording studios. Music is still an hype thing, its just select few places have them like back in the day. They will never die down in a sense, but people's interest are in other things. Another thing that seemed to be a conflicting issue was the fact that slavery was going on, and right after the white man no longer had control, the black people (jamaicans) didnt really have anyone else to have a smart mouth with so they started hating one another, and it came to the point jamaican made a new motto.
Quote:
"Out of many, one people", was the new Jamaica's motto" (Bradley 107)
-This quote really defines alot. it says how people should live. You'll always have many people around you, but only one will be the realest, only one will help you prosper, only one will be the last man standing.
Reaction:
My reaction on the reading was simply, i learned something i didnt really know before. I know that on the Jamaica coat of arms it says that motto, but i never really took the time to analyze it, i never really understood how it came about until i read this section. it makes me look forward to more things that are in the book. it just might actually explain more about jamaicans and why they act the way that they do,
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Part one - first session . pg 1- 88
Summary:
For the first 88 pages of the book, it was very good and interesting. I think its because i love the type of music, but also it was very educational. Its a book on Jamaican music well reggae music, because there is diufferent other types of genres. The first couple of chapters talked about types of music that I never heard of such as " ska ". Up till now I still don't understand what type of music it is, if i've ever heard of it. They were talking about the sound system, and the first one that was made and played in Kingston. They were saying that because of the music it brought out the beer industry, and it was founded to be said that the people who created the sound systems had very big connections to the rum companies. They were say that it was a better way to promote jamaica's famous beer and rum, appleton,, and red stripe. Back in them times though they didn't know a thing called dancehall yet, it was just straight reggae " ska" and all the other types.
Quote:
" Sales were made door to door, at commercial establishments and people's houses with the vendor talking up the record as Downbeat's latest killer tune - Yuh know, the one 'im mash up the dance wid last night- and the punters taking this on trust as there was no information printed on the label "
- I picked this quote because it had a little mixture of patois which so happened to be the title of the song. We as jamaicans type the way we talk. In translation its says you know the one that did the dance with him last night. We exaggerate and make things seem bad, but realistically that chune title is nice.
Reaction:
My reaction on the book is that i learned alot that i never really knew about my own cultures music. They explained to me the upbringing. I also thought that there was only two types of music and all that there was to have, but come to find out there was more, i was actually very shocked.
For the first 88 pages of the book, it was very good and interesting. I think its because i love the type of music, but also it was very educational. Its a book on Jamaican music well reggae music, because there is diufferent other types of genres. The first couple of chapters talked about types of music that I never heard of such as " ska ". Up till now I still don't understand what type of music it is, if i've ever heard of it. They were talking about the sound system, and the first one that was made and played in Kingston. They were saying that because of the music it brought out the beer industry, and it was founded to be said that the people who created the sound systems had very big connections to the rum companies. They were say that it was a better way to promote jamaica's famous beer and rum, appleton,, and red stripe. Back in them times though they didn't know a thing called dancehall yet, it was just straight reggae " ska" and all the other types.
Quote:
" Sales were made door to door, at commercial establishments and people's houses with the vendor talking up the record as Downbeat's latest killer tune - Yuh know, the one 'im mash up the dance wid last night- and the punters taking this on trust as there was no information printed on the label "
- I picked this quote because it had a little mixture of patois which so happened to be the title of the song. We as jamaicans type the way we talk. In translation its says you know the one that did the dance with him last night. We exaggerate and make things seem bad, but realistically that chune title is nice.
Reaction:
My reaction on the book is that i learned alot that i never really knew about my own cultures music. They explained to me the upbringing. I also thought that there was only two types of music and all that there was to have, but come to find out there was more, i was actually very shocked.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
EAT PRAY &' LOVE book ( pages 223-333 )
Summary:
She spent four months in Italy, eating and enjoying life. That's where the begining of the title "Eat" comes from. She later spent four months in India, finding her spirituality and what she wamted to do in a religious manner which was the "Pray" part. And she ended the year in Bali, Indonesia, looking for some type of balance of the two , eat and pray and ended up finding love in the form of a dashing Brazilian factory owner.
Quote:
" A few months after I'd left Indonesia, I returned to visit loved ones, and to celebrate the Christmas and New Year Holiday. "
- It shows her new understanding of her trip, and how it really had transformed her.
Reaction:
My reaction is that she deserves the best because she has worked hard enough to give up her time and try to make herself happy before she tried to make others. It was all in a way to save the grief from those men who made her feel the way she did.
She spent four months in Italy, eating and enjoying life. That's where the begining of the title "Eat" comes from. She later spent four months in India, finding her spirituality and what she wamted to do in a religious manner which was the "Pray" part. And she ended the year in Bali, Indonesia, looking for some type of balance of the two , eat and pray and ended up finding love in the form of a dashing Brazilian factory owner.
Quote:
" A few months after I'd left Indonesia, I returned to visit loved ones, and to celebrate the Christmas and New Year Holiday. "
- It shows her new understanding of her trip, and how it really had transformed her.
Reaction:
My reaction is that she deserves the best because she has worked hard enough to give up her time and try to make herself happy before she tried to make others. It was all in a way to save the grief from those men who made her feel the way she did.
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