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Paradise (Abridged) Audiobook
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(3.00) - 11,481 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
"They shoot the white girl first. With the others they can take their time."
Toni Morrison's first novel since she was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature opens with a horrifying scene of mob violence then chronicles its genesis in a small all-black town in rural Oklahoma. Founded by descendants of free slaves as intent on isolating themselves from the outside world as it once was on rejecting them, the patriarchal community of Ruby is built on righteousness, rigidly enforced moral law, and fear. But seventeen miles away, another group of exiles has gathered in a promised land of their own. And it is upon these women in flight from death and despair that nine male citizens of Ruby will lay their pain, their terror, and their murderous rage …
Paradise is a tour de force of storytelling power, richly imagined and elegantly composed. Morrison challenges our most fiercely held beliefs as she weaves folklore and history, memory and myth, into an unforgettable meditation on race, religion, gender, and the way a society can turn on itself until it is forced to explode.
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"One of my favorite books! I enjoyed going back to reread the story with the new information I had discovered. Needless to say, it took me a while to actually finish. I could see that some people might have difficulty getting through it. Although I didn't find it slow in the least bit, I could see that being an issue."
— Beth (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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Toni Morrison is an extraordinarily good writer. Two pages into anything she writes one feels the power of her language and the emotional authority behind that language.
— The Village Voice -
Everything is resonant here: the most casual gestures are informed by the facts and myths of genders and race, by our notions of civilization and lawlessness, body and spirit, Christianity and witchcraft. Morrison’s lyrical prose displays great confidence in her readers’ intelligence, demands their unflagging attention, and rewards them generously—with a memorable work of epic range and monumental ambition.
— People -
Morrison [is] a master storyteller. . . . She is at the height of her imaginative powers.
— New York Daily News -
A fascinating story, wonderfully detailed. . . . The town is the stage for a profound and provocative debate.
— Los Angeles Times -
Morrison dazzles.
— The Nation -
Stunning. . . . Morrison at her novelistic best.
— The New Yorker -
Morrison has brought it all together: the poetry, the emotion, the broad symbolic plan.
— The New York Times Book Review -
“Morrison has brought it all together: the poetry, the emotion, the broad symbolic plan.”
— New York Times Book Review -
[A] triumph. . . . The individual stories of both the women and the townspeople reveal Morrison at her best.
— Publishers Weekly (starred) -
A breathtaking, risk-taking major work that will have readers feverishly, and fearfully turning the pages.
— Kirkus Reviews -
Morrison is a terrific storyteller. . . . Her writing evokes the joyful richness of life.
— Newsday -
Morrison is at the top of her form. . . . Impressive, eloquent, and powerfully imagined.
— The Baltimore Sun
Awards
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A 1998 New York Times Notable Book for Fiction
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An Oprah’s Book Club Selection
Paradise Listener Reviews
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" quit a 2nd time. done trying. did not like this book. "
— Lora, 2/6/2014 -
" Pretty good. Not really sure why "Oprah's Book Club" is in the TITLE. I'm not a member of her club. I swear. "
— Dana, 1/27/2014 -
" Weird book but really good "
— Jennie, 1/25/2014 -
" Paradise is probably toni morrison's weakest book. The tone of the book was way too didactic. In this novel, Morrison attempts to explore the concept of paradise and what it means to different people. However, in accomplishing this goal, Morrison sacrifices subtlety for making a point. For example, the novel opens with a group of men from an all-black town attacking a convent of sorts (i.e. female autonomy is a threat to a male paradise, etc.) Majorly disappointing. "
— Sarah, 1/22/2014 -
" I read Beloved many years ago and don't recall enjoying it as much as this one. I may pick up another Morrison novel now... "
— Suzq, 1/19/2014 -
" The story is, by far, the most complex of all Morrison's books. it is awesome, though it is frustrating to understand. "
— Adi, 1/17/2014 -
" One of my favorite books. Ever. "
— kot, 12/29/2013 -
" Incredibly written and intriguing. Unforgettable but disturbing characters. "
— K, 12/28/2013 -
" Probably the worst book I ever read, although I did finish it. "
— Lyn, 12/11/2013 -
" Reading this book was a profound religious experience. "
— Kellyann, 12/10/2013 -
" Her writing is so beautiful. "
— Nan, 12/3/2013 -
" I've read it three times through, and I still don't have it all figured out. A complex read to keep all the characters straight, but worthwhile. A story unlike others I've read. "
— Jessica, 10/27/2013 -
" I did not like this at all. "
— Carla, 3/27/2013 -
" Her other books are better. "
— Heather, 3/16/2013 -
" Favorite book by her. From the first sentence of the book, it hooks you. Love all the characters and where they all end up, how they end up together. Love the setting. "
— DuBois, 2/26/2013 -
" "They shoot the white girl first." Such a powerful book. "
— Maia, 12/31/2012 -
" Absolutely beautifully written, but still hard to read. "
— Vanessa, 6/16/2012 -
" Had some trouble with this book. "
— Molly, 1/29/2012 -
" Such beautiful writing, so suspenseful, and yet I would have liked the ending to be a bit clearer and more satisfying. "
— Eric, 11/28/2011 -
" Fantastic. I really should read it again, because it's so complex. From the first sentence, you're hooked. "
— Michael, 10/18/2011 -
" Started this but couldn't find enough in it to keep me engaged. Since I'm such a slow reader thought it best I dump it, even though I know she suc h a good writer. Oh well.... "
— Kerry, 9/30/2011 -
" Every book of Morrison's I've read is unforgettable. "
— Angie, 5/18/2011 -
" My favorite Toni Morrison book, I read it in undergrad and I still remember it clearly. Maybe I'll read it again too! "
— Angel, 5/4/2011 -
" Lovely; Morrison never seems to disappoint me. "
— Terra, 4/5/2011 -
" I can't get into this one, too spooky and it's making me lose sleep. "
— Genevieve, 3/25/2011 -
" I need crib notes to figure it all out! "
— Amy, 2/6/2011 -
" One of the best first lines ever...'they shoot the white girl first' I think Morrison deserves something for that. I also like the woven narrative style; the threads dipping in and out and peeking through the surface just when you've decided on another focus. "
— Ginny, 1/12/2011 -
" I took me at least two readings to "get" this book. But once I did, I loved it. "
— Laya, 1/10/2011 -
" An amazing novel. I remember reading it as it was released along with Oprah's Book Club for a class at CSUSM with Dr. Cassel. "
— Jodie, 12/27/2010 -
" This is another one that takes a bit of getting into, but then once you do, you are easily captivated by these people and their stories, particularly the women of The Convent. "
— Alisa, 12/11/2010
About Toni Morrison
Toni Morrison (1931–2019) was an American novelist, poet, essayist, editor, teacher, and professor. In 2012, President Barack Obama presented her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She also received the Nobel Prize for Literature, the National Book Critics Circle Award, a Pulitzer Prize for literature, an American Book Award, the Norman Mailer Prize, the PEN/Saul Bellow Award, the Condorcet Medal, the Thomas Jefferson Medal, and the Anisfield Wolf Book Award, among others. She wrote twelve novels, including Beloved, which won the 1988 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and was made into a major motion picture starring Oprah Winfrey and Danny Glover.