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Title: Not a success. Book sinks under its own weight, doesn't mov
Review: Morrison's obvious fluency does not serve her well in this novel. Paradise is a quagmire that sucks into itself all that could make it rock: movement, action, a forward-going narration, dramatic tension, tight plotting. Morrison seems to have been too much in love with the book's "epic" format and her own ability to write expressive, descriptive prose to pay attention to the above requirements. Paradise is full of ideas and themes; unfortunately it quickly becomes an inert mass that eludes our desire to give it our full concentration and praise. Is it perhaps several novels mistakenly entwined in one binding? A huge effort, not a success.
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