Jazz

March 29, 1993
Morrison's authoritative novel--a BOMC main selection and a 17-week PW bestseller in cloth--tells the story of three intersecting tragic lives, and adroitly uses the motif of jazz to make palpable the feel and excitement of Harlem in the 1920s.

A welcome addition to unabridged recordings is this reading of new Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison's latest book, an evocation of black urban life in the early twentieth century. Excellent narration by actress Lynne Thigpen enhances the story of Joe and Violet Trace, the people whose lives they touch, and the people who touch their lives. The rhythms of the language match the rhythms of the age, with jazz riffs punctuating the story of loss and redemption. The narrator ably translates the riffs into speech, which adds to the production. While not all can read print and hear its music, most can hear music in an aural work. In some ways, this makes an audio presentation that much more enjoyable. E.F. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine