“In this lavish yet clear-eyed study, Serpell shows how Morrison breathed new life into the novel. This is literary criticism at its finest.”—TIME
“If you’re looking for a primer on Toni Morrison, you’re in capable hands with Serpell, who normally reserves such scholarship for her students at Harvard. In this survey, she walks readers through Morrison’s robust oeuvre, from the fiction that made her famous to her less well-known criticism, plays, and poetry.”—The New York Times
“I can’t think of a better reader to conduct this study of Toni Morrison . . . Serpell’s inquiry weighs the consuming mythos around Morrison against the real woman’s complex and thorny output.”—Literary Hub, “Most Anticipated Books of 2026”
“This is a book that rises to the challenge of extending and expanding a legacy by giving the person at the heart of that legacy time, rigor, and care.”—Hanif Abdurraqib, New York Times bestselling author of There’s Always This Year
“Filled with unique analyses, deep dives, and an intellectual playfulness that Morrison herself so valued, this book will stand as one of the most important twenty-first-century works on the great American writer.”—Imani Perry, author of South to America, winner of the National Book Award
“While On Morrison provides a lucid and revelatory close read of all of her work, it’s also a love letter to reading itself; to the virtues of difficulty; to Black literary inheritance; and to Morrison’s uncompromising vision in always bringing the center to the margins. Serpell has alchemized her scholarly erudition with her novelistʼs eyes and ears for pacing and detail.”—Cathy Park Hong, author of Minor Feelings
“On Morrison is a dazzling work of criticism. Namwali Serpell uses intellectual rigor alongside inventive flair to tackle Toni Morrison’s writing in ways that feel both fresh and deeply expanding. This book is an illuminating guide to understanding how best to read, understand, and admire one of American literature’s greatest voices.”—Isaac Fitzgerald, TODAY
“Graceful, exhilarating . . . Serpell deserves consideration for a major prize. Mostly she deserves our gratitude and admiration: On Morrison gives us, in precise yet supple prose, a close reading in action and an exemplar of literary criticism. . . . This book will spur you to pour over the master’s achievements.”—On the Seawall
“On Morrison is not simply a literary miracle; it is a cultural feat, a damn near perfect concoction made maybe once in a generation. It is what happens when a mind as curious as it is expansive explores the work of the greatest maker of novels in American history.”—Kiese Laymon, author of Heavy
“In On Morrison, Namwali Serpell offers a thrilling, candid, and immersive study of one extraordinary mind by another, and a critical reappraisal of a body of work that readers of Morrison will find enlightening for years to come.”—Preti Taneja, author of We That Are Young
“A compelling elucidation of Toni Morrison’s notably challenging fiction, criticism, plays, and poetry . . . An impressive, nuanced work of scholarship.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“An insightful and stimulating exploration of the work of Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison. Through exceptional close readings and sharp analyses, Serpell puts Morrison’s genius on full display. This will enthrall Morrison fans and cultivate new ones.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review
“Illuminating and fascinating . . . [On Morrison] offers insight and fresh perspectives and will appeal to readers new to and deeply familiar with Morrison’s vital body of work.”—Booklist, starred review
“Serpell is a superlative essayist, and On Morrison a high-flying, fantastically erudite rendition of how Morrison wanted to be read, blending the scholarly and the personal response to her work with seamless flair and conviction.”—Diana Evans, author of A House for Alice
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