On Morrison was a deeply annoying read: because now I want to read every single Toni Morrison novel, and I simply do not have the time. Infuriating! Namwali Serpell argues that Morrison's texts are difficult, that they often don't get the respect that they deserve, and that much of what are too-often reduced to representative and historical stories are intricately modernist novels working on levels that require multiple rereads to truly comprehend.
Serpell's analysis of Morrison's career, literary goals and methods, and techniques is deep and complex. I learned many literary terms I didn't know. From the use of negation in The Bluest Eye (defining things by what they aren't, what they don't do, can't be) to "signifying" (reading, as in reading someone down, insulting them from a viewpoint within the community, signifying on them in a way that has an inner kernel of love) in Song of Solomon to decontextualization (where are we, what is real, requiring the reader to constantly ask questions, rather than providing clear answers) and possession (what is displaced in ourselves when we love something too much) in Beloved, the analysis is fascinating. It's definitely academic at times—the essay on Tar Baby felt at times opaque, and there was a lot of pausing between chapters to try and process—but fans of Morrison and those interested in literary close-reading will get a lot out of this.
One very small critique is that seemingly to help support her expertise, Serpell sometimes dives into an example from one of her own books. I have nothing against the use of the "I" in criticism. But because she only does it rarely, it comes off as jarring and like a digression, and risks feeling self-centering. Still, the book is rich, educational, and a deep dive into an author who gets so much love, and yet somehow also not enough. I want to read all the Morrison, right this minute! What a love letter to this author and her work, and also a fascinating analysis of how Morrison has been treated, studied, and analyzed throughout her career.
