I’ve been slowly working my way through Toni Morrison’s books and with each one I am more in awe of her writing ability. My boyfriend gave me this one for my birthday because of the title (satisfying the February prompt for the #unreadshelfproject2020) and I went into it not knowing much. What I found was a gorgeous piece of work.

Set in Harlem in the 1920s, Jazz tells the story of a relationship, torn apart by an affair that ends in the husband shooting his teenage mistress at a party — not a spoiler, I promise. But instead of being a linear exploration of the fallout, Morrison gives us a non-linear look at the events leading up to and following the murder. The POV of the story changes, between minor and major characters and jumps between timelines from the present to the past, as far back as the mid-nineteenth century. It’s confusing, yes, but if you just go with it, it is beautifully done. Morrison tackles many themes that are common in her other work, such as race and relationships. But really, you need to read this and just experience the lyricism of her words.

“Don’t ever think I fell for you, or fell over you. I didn’t fall in love, I rose in it. I saw you and made up my mind. My mind. And I made up my mind to follow you too.”