The World of Toni Morrison: A Guide to Characters and Places in Her Novels

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Description

Toni Morrison is one of the most popular and talented African American writers in history. Her thoroughness and universality draws from a wide range of mythic, biblical, and historical lore, as well as her illumination of the similarities between apparently unrelated people and places. Though her novels are often challenging, they richly reward the reader who explores their depths. This reference maps the terrain of Morrison's complex imaginary world. This convenient guide to her novels contains more than 800 brief entries, highlighting all of her characters and settings, both major and minor. The reference also provides information on her many allusions to figures such as Moses, Thoreau, and W.E.B. DuBois. For the novice, this volume fosters an understanding and appreciation of her works. For more experienced readers, it demonstrates how Morrison draws on a vast wealth of material and points to new directions for exploring her universe.

Reviews

[M]orrison's fiction is an excellent subject for an annotated concordance, particularly given her popularity within the literature classroom....[R]obertson's text will be a useful addition to undergraduate libraries.-Multicultural Review
This easy-to-use, clearly written reference resource will be valuable for public libraries that serve book discussion groups and provide homework help for book reports. Academic libraries will find it useful for assisting students and researchers who are interested in the works of Morrison.-Booklist/RBB
"Morrison's fiction is an excellent subject for an annotated concordance, particularly given her popularity within the literature classroom....Robertson's text will be a useful addition to undergraduate libraries."-Multicultural Review
"[M]orrison's fiction is an excellent subject for an annotated concordance, particularly given her popularity within the literature classroom....[R]obertson's text will be a useful addition to undergraduate libraries."-Multicultural Review
"This easy-to-use, clearly written reference resource will be valuable for public libraries that serve book discussion groups and provide homework help for book reports. Academic libraries will find it useful for assisting students and researchers who are interested in the works of Morrison."-Booklist/RBB

Author Bio

GLORIA GRANT ROBERSON is Associate Professor and Reference Librarian at Adelphia University and was the bibliographer for the Toni Morrison Society newsletter.