Achronology

After reading Toni Morrison's Paradise, I am most struck by Edwidge Danticat's lack of chronology as I read her novel, The Dew Breaker. I cannot help but wonder if the two authors have a similar purpose in making such a choice. Knowing that both authors strive to alter deep-rooted opinions in society, it seems plausible that Morrison and Danticat purposefully strive to jar their readers by forcing them to make more connections between different time frames. In such an uncomfortable, unsure state of mind, it certainly became easier for me to let go of myself a little bit more and really consider what Morrison and Danticat have to say. Additionally, the slow unveiling of the past throughout the story truly highlights history, an important topic in both books. This quality really distinguishes Paradise and The Dew Breaker from "beach books" -- I could not simply sit back and read the story, leisurely enjoying the plot. Instead, slightly uncomfortable in the time frame and kept far from omniscient by the narrator(s), I was forced to truly think about the books' messages.

Could this be why Oprah's viewers didn't like Paradise? Is thinking just too uncomfortable?