Paradise is Morrison's seventh novel, and the third in an informal trilogy, which consists of Beloved (1987) and Jazz (1992). This trilogy, sometimes referred to as the Beloved trilogy, examines African American history, love, and sense of self.
At the time of its publication, Morrison was already highly regarded as a great author, having won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1993. Paradise was Morrison's first novel after winning the Nobel Prize, and critics were divided, some saying it was her best work yet, others saying it did not compare to her earlier work.
Paradise, amongst Morrison's other work, is considered one of many great works conveying the variety of black experience in...