This is another of Morrison’s works I’m returning to after years, and I can safely say I must not have processed a word of this book back in high school. Sula was difficult to get through for a few reasons, most of which being I didn’t “get it” a lot of the time. Reading some literary analysis and summaries on SparkNotes helped, but I largely felt too dumb to really comprehend the “point.” 

 

There are a lot of themes in this one: Friendship, womanhood, the power of personal choice, the fear of change, and the longing to be remembered. Sula lives ferociously—she takes what she wants and largely seems unconcerned with the consequences of her actions. In response, the town she lives in makes her a pariah. They blame their misfortunes on her and use her as a foil by which to better their own choices. While this was an interesting dynamic, I struggled to make full sense of it. I also felt myself wanting more of Nel. As an “opposite” of Sula in many ways, I didn’t think we got deep enough to truly appreciate her character and comparison. 

 

As always, Morrison’s prose is beautiful. Her writing is lyrical and full of meaning without being inaccessible. Unfortunately, something about this book didn’t land for me—especially compared to her other novels.