A Mercy by Toni Morrison Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of A Mercy
Book Review: A compelling story but difficult to read
Summary: 3 Stars
Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison, best known for her mesmerizing "Beloved" has penned her most recent novel, "A Mercy," about the turbulent times surrounding the birth of our nation, through the eyes of several downtrodden characters.
Jacob Vaark owns a small farm in upstate New York. He abhors slavery but purchases a young Native American, Lina, who is the sole survivor of her village after a smallpox epidemic kills all around her. Jacob also purchases a wife, Rebekka, from England. At first, his wife and Lina don't get along, but with the harsh realities of life in the 1690s, they soon come to depend on and love each other. Sorrow, a slave girl who Jacob rescued from a bad situation, struggles to fit into this small, disjointed family. Florens, yet another young slave, is given to Jacob in exchange for a debt owed by a rich landholder.
"A Mercy" follows the internal struggles of each person. Jacob is clearly conflicted by his ownership of slaves, "God help me if this is not the most wretched business," yet it is thanks to slaves that he is able to stay above the financial fray. Florens, a tortured soul who is never able to come to terms with being given up by her mother feels betrayed.
The weaving together of these lives and how they survive on a daily basis in a world where almost all people are for sale, makes for a fascinating read. It is an absorbing look at our country in its infancy when rules were still being written, and landowners used and then discarded other people without a thought. The difficulty with "A Mercy" is in the way the story is told. It is disjointed with story lines starting and abruptly ending for no apparent reason, making it quite difficult to follow. For instance, the first chapter is a recounting by Florens of her "adoption" by Jacob, although he is referred to as "Sir" and never Jacob. The second chapter then jumps to the same event, but through Jacob's eyes. The reader has no idea who is telling the narrative, or that this is the same incident until quite late in the chapter.
Much of "A Mercy" is told in the third person and these sections are the easiest to follow while those told by Florens, the slave girl, require careful reading. Her sections are written in her voice and use language such as: "Or when a corn-husk doll sitting on a shelf is soon splaying in the corner of a room and the wicked of how it got there is plain," or "Night is thick no stars anyplace but sudden the moon moves. The chafe of needles is too much hurt and there is no resting there at all." You come to understand the cadence, but it takes work.
There is much to admire in this book, including the touching chapter recounting Rebekka's life. The choices she is faced with, "...her prospects were servant, prostitute, wife, and although horrible stories were told about each of those careers, the last one seemed safest," bring the stark realities of life in the 1690s to light. The final chapter concludes in such a chilling way, particularly for Florens, to make the struggle of staying with the difficult text, worthwhile.
Quill says: A compelling story that is very difficult to follow at times.
Book Review: A difficult read
Summary: 1 Stars
My precious husband purchased this book for me for Christmas. I saw Toni Morrison's interview on PBS and desired the book. As I began to read I remembered that I do not like Ms. Morrison's writing style. It is not to say that she is not an incredible writer but her style of writing, I find, is very hard to follow. There are many characters of whom I have difficulty figuring who is who. It is one of those books that if I was diligent, I would go back and reread each chapter to fully understand who is who and what is going on. I recommend definitely reading a preview of her writing before purchasing this or any of her books.Book Review: A kind of allegory rather than a conventional novel
Summary: 4 Stars
This concise novel is set in early colonial America when the concept of slavery was separated from race and where a few privileged landowners owned the labor of slaves and indentured servants of all races. The story examines what it means to be free and unfolds slowly in chapters told from the alternating viewpoints of several characters, including both landowners and their laborers. Among the most striking and attractive elements of this book are its descriptions of early, unspoiled America as it compared to the England the colonists left behind. From the perspective of one landowner:
"Rain itself became a brand-new thing: clean, sootless water falling from the sky. She clasped her hands under her chin gazing at trees taller than a cathedral, wood for warmth so plentiful it made her laugh, then weep, for her brothers and the children freezing in the city she had left behind."
Most characters get just one chapter in which to tell their stories, and the resulting patchwork effect leaves the reader to fill in the significant gaps. All of the action takes place within a couple days and only comes to a head at the very end of the book. Everything else leads up to this event, and this severe distillation and compression results in a kind of allegory rather than a conventional novel. Some of the characters even lack names and are meant to represent ideas. The minimalism of this novel is powerful but lacks emotion. A Mercy is a book of ideas, not people.
Morrison's prose is, at times, beautifully poetic:
"[The fog] was sun fired, turning the world into thick, hot gold. Penetrating it was like struggling through a dream."
At other times, the oblique language seems needlessly affected:
"How long will it take will he be there will she get lost will someone assault her will she return will he and is it already too late? For salvation."
A Mercy is stylistically and structurally interesting but the overall effect is a bit academic and sterile. Critics will like this book but readers may be disappointed by its inscrutability, which sometimes appears to elevate form over function.
Book Review: A literary muddle
Summary: 1 Stars
One thing is sure: Ms. Morrison didn't get her Nobel Prize for the clarity of her writing. If you read for prestige or if you believe that reading should be a hard labor, then you'll be well served. People who care about facts and history are in for a substantial disappointment. This book flew across the room after the first two pages and some leafing through.Book Review: A short, compelling read - but lacks the emotional gravity of Morrison's best work
Summary: 4 Stars
A Mercy is a good novel, although compared to Morrison's tour de force, Beloved, it lacks substance. A Mercy is a short novel, and while it doesn't have the complexity and emotional gravity of Beloved, it is still makes for a compelling read.
A bit of a caution: This is a novel that requires something of its reader. The reader can't just expect to open the book and be entertained. There's a certain amount of `work' involved. The narrative is, at times, intentionally obscure and it can be difficult to follow the shifting narratives, flashbacks, and imagery used by the author. There are times when you may find a need to re-read portions of the novel in order to fully grasp what's going on. This prospect may not appeal to all readers.
For some readers though, the extra effort is worth it. Morrison's prose is extraordinary. There are passages in the novel that are simply mesmerizing. At times I paused just to admire her use of language, the richness of her prose. There is a section of the novel, written in first person, where Florens injures a child that is absolutely spellbinding.
The themes of the novel are similar to Beloved, notably the difficult choice a mother faces in order to protect a child. In A Mercy, Morrison explores the issue of abandonment and the notion of slavery as a concept, something people impose upon themselves. The main characters in A Mercy are, either literally or figuratively, orphans. They find a sense of belonging for a period of time however the loose bond they share crumbles when their husband/master dies.
A Mercy is a quick read, thin on plot but rich in its exploration of themes. Morrison's writing is mesmerising, although, in the end, there isn't enough substance to the novel to really make a lasting impression on the reader. I found it to be a reasonably compelling read, but not nearly as provocative and thought provoking as Morrison's best work.