Beloved: A Non-Fiction Novel?

I do not believe ghosts exist. I don't think there are such things as zombies, spirits, witches, or vampires. At one time or another, I have wanted these and many other creatures to be real, but have come to the disappointing conclusion they are not. Whatever your take on supernatural beings, there is no denying "Beloved" is meant to be fiction, or as it is categorized by its publishers, "Magical Realism." So why does a book that clearly is meant to be fiction, feel so real?

The historical background, the omniscient third person point of view, the emotional vulnerability of the characters s- these are just a few of the techniques Morrison uses to transport me to the world of Beloved. I have read many a book, however, that engages these approaches and still allows me to feel the fiction-ness of it all. I think the real transportive magic Morrison uses is her attention to details

"It is noon, quite light outside; inside it is not. A few cuts of sun break through the roof and walls but once there they are too weak to shift for themselves. Darkness if stronger and swallows them like minnows." (143) Within this single description, Morrison has used personification, metaphor, and simile, not to mention painted a picture of both the inside and outside perspective of the setting. It is phrases and paragraphs such as these that let me forget the outside world and become completely integrated with the world of Beloved.

I don't believe in ghosts, but I believe in Beloved. There is a magic that comes from Morrison's writing that allows me to leave my personal opinions at the cover page and become thoroughly intertwined with the world of Beloved.