Not really a reader, but...

Submitted by SurroundAcceptable85 t3_yxuzr4 in books

Obviously, Toni Morrison's Beloved is nothing underground, I'm sure it's on top ten lists of greatest American literature everywhere, and, of course, it has the Pulitzer prize. However, I don't know if I maybe am not looking in the right places, but I have met so many people who have just never read it. No book is going to be read by everyone, but I think it's a shame because I genuinely believe Toni Morrison was one of the greatest writers out there, but because her books often focus on taboo/unpleasant themes, they're not as much in the general conversation of "great American literature", like To Kill a Mockingbird or The Great Gatsby.

At the same time, Toni Morrison always said she didn't write for a white audience, and she obviously is a black woman writing about black experiences. I guess what I mean to say is that just because Morrison had a specific focus on one racial identity in her books doesn't mean those books should be excluded from a more general, great literature conversation.

*As many have pointed out to me, my perception may be incorrect - which is good. I am glad Morrison does actually get the praise she deserves. Also, I don't mean to sound snobby like everyone should read Beloved - I just think it's a book that says a lot, which is why where I normally would say a book is too graphic for me, Beloved is not. Great book though, and I'm happy that I was wrong :)

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emisneko t1_iwqoxra wrote

putting zero indication of the post's content in the title means orders of magnitude fewer people will read your post

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AtraMikaDelia t1_iwqojsv wrote

I mean, there's got to be hundreds, probably thousands, of great books out there, you can hardly be surprised if someone hasn't read one particular book that you happen to like.

The only reason TKAM and Great Gatsby are even half as well known as they are is because they're required reading in most American schools. People don't read those because they want to, they read them because a teacher tells them to. If you look at more serious discussions for what the 'Great American Novel' is, then Beloved is up there pretty much every single time. Its just not as easy to teach high schoolers with.

Also, what universe do you live in where TKAM doesn't focus on unpleasant themes?

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SurroundAcceptable85 OP t1_iwqz2hv wrote

I don't think TKAM doesn't focus on unpleasant themes - it overlaps in many places with topics Morrison would cover. I do, however, think that Beloved is much more graphic than TKAM. The point I guess I was trying to make is that books that make people confront the cruelty of humanity in the past in such a visceral way are sometimes avoided for that reason. I also don't mean to say that everyone should have read this specific book because I like it, I more mean that I was surprised it may not be taught as much. But, to your point, there are reasons for that.

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AtraMikaDelia t1_iwrf6nx wrote

I mean, the books you brought up as examples are commonly required reading for high schoolers (and I actually had to read TKAM in middle school), it should be obvious why they're a little less graphic.

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wenwen1990 t1_iwqplss wrote

I’m not sure I fully grasp what point you’re trying to make. Morrison is not alone in being a phenomenal writer who many haven’t read - the points you make can be applied to many. Great writing is exactly that, great writing. But great writing and great writers can be very intimidating for some.

Shakespeare is potentially the greatest dramatist ever, yet plenty have never read his work. James Joyce’s Ulysses is one of the most important works in the English language but I just don’t think I will ever read it because, as I said, I find it intimidating.

Beloved is a personal favourite of mine, but while I love it, its narrative style is intimating to many. This doesn’t diminish Morrison’s greatest, however. Nor would I agree that she is “excluded” from general conversation on literature.

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mydarthkader t1_iwr5a73 wrote

I used to be a teacher and the amount of colleagues I have that never read Steinbeck is astonishing. A lot school curriculums just prioritize different texts. Generally people are not going to read texts, particularly older texts if they are not forced to.

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SurroundAcceptable85 OP t1_iwul6lp wrote

That's so interesting - I was forced to read Steinbeck (not that I didn't enjoy his writing). But my English teacher this year stated he felt many books (specifically in my school district) are introduced too early. I read Song of Solomon my sophomore year, and he said he believed this was too early to grasp the book fully. I wonder if my school system is an outlier in the books they choose for us to read. Maybe they just love Toni Morrison.

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Secty t1_iwrcwob wrote

I adored Beloved. It took a number of reads to understand but I loved it. I studied it for A Level English at school. Had I not studied it, chances are I wouldn’t have picked it up of my own volition. But now you bring it up I feel compelled to read it again… despite knowing how horrific aspects of it are. We shall see.

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AsymptoticSpatula t1_iwrdh3r wrote

I read The Bluest Eye in February and it was amazing. It was very disturbing/intense and at the time I almost saw it as a negative, so that even though the quality of writing was insanely good, it was hard to read because it was graphic. But looking back I can’t justify my opinion of the book because it made a 42 year old white man uncomfortable. I’m sure it’s supposed to. It’s a perfect book and an A+ from me, and I give very few of those. I initially “only” gave it an A. I bought a box set of her first six novels recently and can’t wait to read them. She is 100% one of the best writers out there.

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skullfullofbooks t1_iws1wdr wrote

Most US high schools teach The Great Gatsby and To Kill a Mockingbird. That's where I read them anyways. I read beloved many years later as an adult. It is likely shied away from by high schools for the content it covers. I can imagine the reactions in some areas of the country if this were to be proposed as a book. It's a great book, though.

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ferchalurch t1_iwth8nc wrote

I think to preface first off, Morrison is often considered one of, if not the greatest American writers of the late 20th century—her work is very frequently held up as being as important to American literature as the examples you mention. I struggle to think of any of her contemporaries that are uniquely American that will be held up as much in the canon. The closest from her relative time period would be Salman Rushdie, but I would consider him to be an Indian Diaspora writer and not an American writer.

But there won’t be as many sources claiming it to be ‘the great American novel’ or ‘greatest American work.’ Part of this comes from recency. Beloved is still considered to be contemporary fiction—or at least was while I was in college and studying literature. It came out in 1987. Contemporary works are a bit harder to judge since we don’t know what staying power they’ll have. There just hasn’t been as much time as the examples you mentioned that came out in 1960 and 1925.

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Stf2393 t1_iwv1m72 wrote

Currently reading Song of Solomon by her, never really have actively tried to read books by POC or women, but enjoying it so far! It’s different from what I usually read, but it’s refreshing to try literature that I never given a thought about before!

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minimalist_coach t1_iwqv5hf wrote

I'm not sure they are intentionally excluded. I don't think I would have found the book if I wasn't actively reading books by women of color. So much of the media is dominated by white men or white women, they are less likely to read books on uncomfortable topics unless they intentionally seek them out.

Hopefully, we are shifting to a more inclusive media, but it will take intentional action by individuals or corporations to get there. Much of what drives corporations and the media is hot-button issues that often fade away over time. To make lasting change we as individuals need to speak up to let the people in power know what we expect.

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