Toni Morrison

I was lucky enough to get to hear Toni Morrison interviewed at the Masonic Auditorium in San Francisco last night. It was a packed house. It was to promote her new book, A Mercy but it really turned into a discussion about all her works and her methods and reasoning behind them. It was very low key and intimate in a way, like sitting around talking about her characters. She took questions from the audience but she had answered many of my questions just with her discussions of her creative process and her study of history. And I was lucky enough to come away with an autographed copy of A Mercy.

I just purchased A Mercy but haven't started it yet..I have never had the pleasure of hearing her in person. What a treat.

A Mercy is definitely on my list to read.

I've been following Morrison's series of interviews and readings on NPR here:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95961382.

Would anyone like to read and discuss her book in this group?

Yes, I would be interested to discuss her book in this group. I haven't bought it yet, but I would if I know there will be a discussion, which is always stimulating!

I borrowed the audiobook from the library and am up to disc 2. So far so good, but I think I am going to get the book version because it's told from various character points of view and gets confusing when just listening along. Plus, Morrison's words are best savored in print. So, if you all get the discussion going...I'm in!

I managed to borrow a copy from the library I only have a week so I've started reading. Hopefully we'll get some more to discuss but if not I don't see why we can't go ahead with a smaller group

I'm excited that there is some interest in discussing so let's start with something to get us thinking as we either prepare to read or prepare to talk with others about our reading.

What are you expecting from this book?

(How you respond is up to you! and please feel free to toss out your own discussion points)

It is my plan to read over the holidays so I will try to join in. Can we post spoilers warning if someone is going to post a revelation in the book that would spoil it for others that are not that far.
Thanks

I found a few discussion questions here:

http://www.litlovers.com/guide_mercy.html

There are 15 questions that appear to correlate with the book's progression. Maybe we can aim to read the book in 8 weeks, using 1-2 questions as discussion starters per week.

Shamefully, I've only read one book by Toni Morrison - The Bluest Eye. I was far too young (like, 12) and the book upset me so much that I've just recently acquired Beloved, and finally think I can actually read it.

CutestLilBookworm - I found those questions too and wanted to use them here but was afraid to read through them. Are there any spoilers?

I know what you mean ellevee, I read the bluest eye and beloved around the same time. Morrison's novels can be upsetting I think part of that is because they show us things that we're not yet ready to handle about characters that in some cases we can relate with. In some ways I expect a mercy to be the same.

Thanks for starting up this group noodlejet22! I have bought the book and I am looking forward reading it. The 15 questions seem to me a good idea, although I might read the book a first time before I look at the questions perhaps. 8 weeks is also fine with me.

I am reading her novel, "Beloved," right now. Toni Morrison is such a creative and intelligent author I'm blown away! I would LOVE to hear her speak about her work. Has anyone here read "Beloved?"