• Song of Solomon

  • A Novel
  • By: Toni Morrison
  • Narrated by: Toni Morrison
  • Length: 2 hrs and 57 mins
  • 3.6 out of 5 stars (437 ratings)

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Song of Solomon  By  cover art

Song of Solomon

By: Toni Morrison
Narrated by: Toni Morrison
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Publisher's summary

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • An official Oprah Winfrey’s “The Books That Help Me Through” selection • The acclaimed Nobel Prize winner transfigures the coming-of-age story with this brilliantly imagined novel. Includes a new foreword by the author.

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. As Morrison follows Milkman from his rustbelt city to the place of his family’s origins, she introduces an entire cast of strivers and seeresses, liars and assassins, the inhabitants of a fully realized Black world.

“Morrison moves easily in and out of the lives and thoughts of her characters, luxuriating in the diversity of circumstances and personality, and revelling in the sound of their voices and of her own, which echoes and elaborates theirs.” —The New Yorker

©2004 Toni Morrison (P)2009 Random House

Critic reviews

“A rich, full novel. . . . It lifts us up [and] impresses itself upon us like a love affair.” The New York Times Book Review

“Stunningly beautiful. . . . Full of magnificent people. . . . They are still haunting my house. I suspect they will be with me forever.” —Anne Tyler, The Washington Post

“If Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man went underground, Toni Morrison’s Milkman flies.” —John Leonard, The New York Times Book Review

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What listeners say about Song of Solomon

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    192
  • 4 Stars
    74
  • 3 Stars
    55
  • 2 Stars
    33
  • 1 Stars
    83
Performance
  • 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    158
  • 4 Stars
    65
  • 3 Stars
    52
  • 2 Stars
    24
  • 1 Stars
    61
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    194
  • 4 Stars
    54
  • 3 Stars
    42
  • 2 Stars
    20
  • 1 Stars
    47

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Poorly Edited

Years ago I read this story. Thought I would enjoy revisting an ABRIDGED version read by the Author. Ms Morrision's voice is so lovely. The edits on the story are horrible. Suddenly a man's voice interrupts the story and reads a few lines to bridge the cuts in the audio. I cannot even listen to it. Sentences don't even flow. Is there a way to get my money back on this one. Very poor Quality. Do not buy it.

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25 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

You CAN have too little of a good thing.

I will typically shy away from unabridged books (audio or otherwise). However, I was figuring this would be a good one to try (T. Morrison narrated) to see if my assumptions were false. I liked having Toni Morrison narrate, but it didn't overcome the uneven abridgement. You certainly can have too little of a good thing.

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22 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Not a full read Book...

This book is not read in full. It skips full paragraphs at a time, very hard to follow.

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14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Does a disservice to the book

Poorly edited, poor audio. This is more like a recap of Song of Solomon. A book this beautiful should never be offered in an abridged version. I purchased this in a rush as I was leaving on a road trip. I didn't realize that this was an abridged version. I have acute buyer's remorse.

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Disappointing Recording

What would have made Song of Solomon better?

The actual text of the book is great, but I cannot imagine a worse audiobook version.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Song of Solomon?

I would have kept reasonable order to it, and tried to make it as unabridged as possible.

Any additional comments?

It's so disappointing to see such an excellent piece of work have such a terrible edit and recording. It skips around pages at a time and is incredibly hard to follow. Despite Toni Morrison's powerful voice, the edit just doesn't make sense. They even had an automated voice read sections that were missing. Very poorly done. My advice: do not waste your money on it!

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Horrible audio, great story

What disappointed you about Song of Solomon?

The audio was horrible. It was incredibly abridged, to the point where the story barely made sense. A machine spoke to fill in the gaps, too frequently.

Would you be willing to try another one of Toni Morrison’s performances?

Yes.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Poor version

What disappointed you about Song of Solomon?

This version of Song of Solomon was not done well. It skips around. There seems to be two versions chopped up and put together. One is Toni Morrison reading and another is a man reading. It's a great book. I would have like to hear it unabridged, though.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Choppy

Would you try another book from Toni Morrison and/or Toni Morrison?

Yes, but never another abridged one

What could Toni Morrison have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

not abridged it. I ended up having to read it because being constantly cut off and cut up was so distracting

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

love it, but

there is a technical issue that must be fixed! please! the novel is very strong and brings you the best opportunity to open your imagination, vr experience, beautiful vr experience.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Abridged and disappointing

What disappointed you about Song of Solomon?

I downloaded this on my phone without realizing it was abridged. (This is abundantly clear on the website, but was not when I committed to the purchase.)
The abridged version is completely useless to me.
This was a waste of my $$

Has Song of Solomon turned you off from other books in this genre?

I am not at all turned off from books in this genre. I will, however, be VERY careful when purchasing future audio books from amazon audible.

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1 person found this helpful