Love

By: Toni Morrison

Narrated by: Toni Morrison

From the internationally acclaimed Nobel laureate comes a richly conceived novel that illuminates the full spectrum of desire.

May, Christine, Heed, Junior, Vida - even L: All women obsessed by Bill Cosey. More than the wealthy owner of the famous Cosey Hotel and Resort, he shapes their yearnings for father, husband, lover, guardian, friend, yearnings that dominate the lives of these women long after his death. Yet while he is both the void in, and the centre of, their stories, he himself is driven by secret forces - a troubled past and a spellbinding woman named Celestial.

This audacious vision of the nature of love - its appetite, its sublime possession, its dread - is rich in characters and striking scenes, and in its profound understanding of how alive the past can be.

A major addition to the canon of one of the world’s literary masters.

This is coast country, humid and God fearing, where female recklessness runs too deep for short shorts or thongs or cameras. But then or now, decent underwear or none, wild women never could hide their innocence - a kind of pitty-kitty hopefulness that their prince was on his way. Especially the tough ones with their box cutters and dirty language, or the glossy ones with two-seated cars and a pocketbook full of dope. Even the ones who wear scars like Presidential medals and stockings rolled at their ankles can’t hide the sugar-child, the winsome baby girl curled up somewhere inside, between the ribs, say, or under the heart.

©2005 Toni Morrison (P)2003 Random House, Inc. Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

"A dense, dark star of a novel...with Morrison writing at the top of her game." ( Newsweek)
"Haunting. In lyrical flashbacks, Morrison slowly, teasingly reveals the glories and horrors of the past. Morrison has crafted a gorgeous, stately novel." ( Publisher's Weekly)

Narration

I love Toni’s voice and had an easy time reading along with the audio. Due to the fluid perspective changes in certain parts of the text, I definitely recommend having the book to read along with it.

Brilliant

Where does Love rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is the best book I have read so far. It is a very close tie to Beloved.

What did you like best about this story?

Morrison's ability to steadily build a concept, both from the beginning of a story to the end, as well as from the end back to earlier places in the story is excellent. It has taken me a few tries to become accustomed to her writing style. It is definitely a labor of love. But this book as well as the others of hers that I have read, manage to hold my interest.

What does Toni Morrison bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The author's extremely fluid use of language make it, in my opinion, virtually impossible for anyone else to accurately narrate her writing. Often the true meaning of a phrase lies in the inflection with which it is read. And since the ability to express inflection in what the narrator reads aloud is so very limited, the only way to know Toni Morrison's true intention in saying one thing or another is to hear her read it.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

There were a few light chuckles, but no tears. I was however extremely excited to get back in the car to hear another 45 minutes of the juicy story on my way to or from work every day.

Any additional comments?

It will probably take me a 3rd or 4th read through this book to fully understand all the symbolism and subtlety. However, it is very much worth the effort.

Excellent

This novel takes you on ride of Language and the challenges of defining love during those decades. Some of what is defined as love in This book are relative and taboo today. Excellent Journey

Fan of Toni Morrison!!

I love this book!!! Started reading the hardcopy and never finished it. Loved the audio more!!!

her voice is like velvet or an old wise friend.

Toni's writings is smart and intelligence even though she rights about a time gone by.
cont...

hoes and uncles and hotels

I was deep in the book it wasn't long enough for me though but I will definitely listen to more of hers

Insightful poetic

Thank you, once again Toni Morrison, for offering new and better, deeper and richer ways of seeing the world.

She does it again!

Morrison knows how to hook a reader, fill them with questions and then put it all together in a way that makes you have to go back and read the book all over again! I love it!

Beautiful novel!

This novel is beautiful though I had to rewind it a couple of times only because Toni Morrison’s wording is so eloquent and elaborate. Overall, it was a great listen!

Ms Morrison never disappoints!

I am biased. I love everything Toni Morrison has written. And this was a great story.