Morrison's earthy, poetic voice compliments perfectly the fantastical and mythical elements of Song Of Soloman. A world where fathers fly in clouds of rose petals, and women can cast spells. The text is perfectly suited for an audio rendition - as poetry, songs and the spoken word feature so heavily in the book.

Morrison narrates for three hours and lays out before us the complex lives and backgrounds of four generations of black family life in the south. Central is the character Milkman--an unfortunate nickname owed to his lengthy nursing period and delayed coming of age. Although a late starter, Milkman develops into a fundamentally strong person, who eventually learns to cherish his family and the importance of his roots.

The narrator breathes life into an intriguing and diverse set of characters--from violent criminals to devout parents. Through them Morrison explores complex social and racial issues using luscious lyrical language This text refers to the audiobook edition of this title.

Milkman Dead was born shortly after a neighborhood eccentric hurled himself off a rooftop in a vain attempt at flight. For the rest of his life he, too, will be trying to fly. With this brilliantly imagined novel, Toni Morrison transfigures the coming-of-age story as audaciously as Saul Bellow or Gabriel García Márquez. As she follows Milkman from his rustbelt city to the place of his family’s origins, Morrison introduces an entire cast of strivers and seeresses, liars and assassins, the inhabitants of a fully realized black world.

Other people have praised this book more effectively than I possibly can. It's a major work of American literature, the first American novel I recommend to friends from other countries, and my favorite of Morrison's altogether gorgeous body of work.

The language is inescapably lush and beautiful. The layers of storytelling are breath-taking. The emotional power is undeniable. This novel has humor, pathos, tragedy and hope. A joy from beginning to end.

So far my favorite by Toni Morrison who is just incredibly creative, original. There is really nobody who writes like her, able to convey multiple topics in such a magical way. Every page is filled with beauty, magic, history, and sharp observations on human psychology. The stories of the characters are unpredictable, but make perfect sense in the end. The writing is fluid, poetic, and mythical. Toni Morrison truly is one of the best writers of our time!

I can't believe that an artist like Toni Morrison would allow the book to be slashed and altered with this abridgment. The result of this Reader's Digest style alteration is a work that bears no relation to the novel. If you want to misunderstand the novel, use this recording. You'd be better off in Sparknotes than in listening to this. What a waste.

... pretty terrible. I had to read this book for a class in high school. It has the appearance of being deep and meaningful, but in reality, Toni Morrison just throws a bunch of symbols together and calls it a book.