On Morrison by Namwali Serpell review a landmark appraisal of the great novelist's work

"Despite her enormous contribution to American letters, Morrison's novels are still too often read for what they have to say about black life, rather than how they say it. Song of Solomon and Jazz are more likely to be found on African American studies syllabi than creative writing ones. In her introduction to On Morrison, Namwali Serpell identifies the reason: She is difficult to read. She is difficult to teach."

"Across the book's 12 essays, she identifies and critiques narrative strategies, puzzles over craft choices, compares formal techniques across novels, and chases edits and revisions in the archives. This journey through Morrison's oeuvre begins with The Bluest Eye. To tell the story of Pecola, the little black girl who wishes she had blue eyes, Morrison broke the narrative into parts, each filtered through a different character's perspective, forcing the reader to piece together the myriad overdetermined forces that have obliterated this young girl."

Biographical details of Chloe Anthony Wofford's life receive minimal attention. The emphasis lies on close formal analysis of Toni Morrison's novels, prioritizing how narratives convey meaning rather than sociopolitical content. The analysis diagnoses why Morrison's work is often labeled difficult, noting pedagogical challenges and formal density. Twelve essays trace narrative strategies, craft choices, formal techniques, and archival revisions across the oeuvre. The examination begins with The Bluest Eye, showing how the novel fragments perspective to reconstruct Pecola's annihilation. Pecola's abuse, including rape and pregnancy by her father, exemplifies the overdetermined forces the fragmented narration exposes.

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