The Color Purple

2,75 stars

Wow. Just wow.

A book everyone should read at least once. Such a unique way of storytelling. The balance between heaviness and lightness is incredible. This book talks about some really hard topics, but also some really incredible ones as well.

Would absolutely recommend.

It was a much needed read, even if it was hard at times to do so. The way it was narrated was very unique and you could tell the development of the story and protagonist.

Incredible

FANTASTIC BOOK!

solid 4.5 stars. it was raw and blunt, emotional and hard to read at times but it was filled with so much passion and strength. highly recommend.

It feels weird to give this book a rating or even to condense my thoughts into a single review, but I want to atleast try.  The color purple is a really important piece of historical fiction. It earnestly shares the experience of black women, their dreams, their thoughts, their ideas and their battles and their understanding of their identities. I found reading about all the different perspectives through Celie fascinating. I think this book celebrates the resilience of these women and also the diversity of their thoughts. I'm found of all the female characters in this book, they are so unique and distinct in their own way.  While this is obviously a very sorrowful book, I think it's also a book that celebrates love, and power relationships hold. Reading it I reflected a lot upon how we as people can uplift and support each other. The discussion of faith is also one worth reading.  Overall I think this book deserves its spot as a modern classic, the language is accessible but none of the themes or ideas are simplified rather they are showcased in their full complexity. As the new movie comes out I hope people turn to the source material and experience this book for all it has to give.

** spoiler alert ** I got about 70-80% through this book and I couldn’t even continue… dude. I came into this thinking it’d be as good as the other classics I’ve read recently (Jane Eyre, animal farm, blind owl, etc.) but instead I was served something that had so much potential when it came to the topics it wanted to discuss. Black women. Specifically, the way black women are treated by others, whether it be by black men, white men, white women and even themselves. It’s about abuse upon abuse upon abuse, and while I do have a hard time reading about SA, I was willing to put that aside to read this book. Let’s make one thing straight, when I came into this book, I was expecting one of the two things, a lesson or to relate in some way. I didn’t get either. I don’t know if this is my fault, expecting something the author wasn’t trying to deliver in the first place but, in all honesty, the author is trying to say something. It may not be a lesson, it may not be teaching me something, it may not even be relatable, but there’s still a message. I, however, do not fully agree with some of the messages and, even with the bits of the messaging I do agree with, I feel like it was done sloppily. Let’s get the parts I agree with out of the way. I agreed with and found Celie's story, as an idea that is, very interesting and something I wanted to hear and read about. We’re always given the story of a black person harmed by white people but it’s also interesting to see how black people harm each other, how we’ve dealt harm to one another based off of other societal positions we are a part of (aka a black man may be black but he’s still a man, how does this affect the way he treats black women, especially if he’s taught to be abusive? And how much of what white society has taught us about black masculinity, it's supposed inherent rage, anger, and terror, how much of that affects black men? What happens when patriarchy mixes with racism?) the topic being about Celies abuse by her own people and how gender plays a part when it comes to Celies abuse is intriguing. Black women have been talking about this for ages! When I read it, I said, finally! Finally, there's a book about this but when I got to the book, I was left disappointed. The writing, though I want to make it known that I don't mind the dialect this was written in, was so lackluster. the characters would interact and then move on. plot points would happen, and I'd be left unmoved. I couldn't wrap my mind around it for a while, but I think, if I were to explain it, it's that I felt bad for the character but didn't care for the character all too much. Celie was a woman going through abuse upon abuse and her traits were that of an abused woman, but we barely see anything outside of that. when she slowly starts to discover Mister hiding the letters Nettie sent her, we see her change, but it isn't subtle. I was expecting a change in her with Shug Avery, seeing she's the love of Celies life (which baffles me). I understand her situation, having your sister be chased by the man you married, who abuses you left and right, right and left, saying she'll write, never writes, getting abused more by the man you married, then boom! the letters of her in Africa as a missionary worker come about! I'd be pissed too. but this isn't about whether or not I'd be pissed, it's more about narrative. A slow boiling of anger is what I expected with a book like this but there was just a switch turned on to Celie's anger, none boiling in the background. it could have been such a statement on anger, on black women's anger, their right to it, but it felt quick too quick. I did not hate everything though. 'Until you do right by me, everything you even dream of will fail' was a beautiful quote and when it came to the theme of the story hit well. Now, to the part of the story that irked me the most. The Africans. it baffles me that there aren't more comments speaking about how horribly they were written. I'll preface this by saying that I didn't finish the full book, I couldn't continue reading something I disliked so much. Again, I hit you with a "the ideas are interesting but the way it was done was off". The idea of moving farther and farther from the south, seeing the Harlem renaissance and its obvious connection to Africa was beyond intriguing. Nettie was a character who was naturally curious and inquisitive and so she acted as an extension of the reader in the book trying to figure out the themes of the story by quite literally living it. she then goes to England, different from white Americans because they find Africans interesting! but similar to white Americans because they look down on us. There's a clash in perspectives. the Harlem renaissance and it's light and hope with how it saw Africa (Ethiopia, Egypt) and Britain which has closer ties to these African countries but is ultimately exploiting them. Automatically the premise is interesting but then we enter Liberia. In simple terms, this books depictions of the fictional 'Olinka tribe' was bad. I have become one of the people who think this book does black people, particularly Africans, dirty. so, so dirty. I think constantly worrying about black people being perfect is stupid and is its own racist, double standard. however, this did black people so dirty. The story doesn't give depth or even care to give nuance to the African people they are talking about. Disagreeing with the way the men and woman reinforce their gender roles, ideas of education and who gains it (though the fact that the women pushed their girls towards education once their land was taken was really interesting and realistic to me) isn’t the same as making them so simple and one note. I disagree with plenty African cultures; I disagree with my own practices often (And what does African even mean btw? 54 countries and let's not even get into all the ethnic groups and more minute ways of describing yourself.) The only African character with the slightest bit of a personality was Tashi who is the one African who prefers western ways of thinking. She is also, so far, the only African with a name! so that's great. This western way of thinking, by the way, was brought to them via missionaries! so that’s ALSO great!!! (this is sarcasm if you couldn’t tell). We don’t see them fighting, they are at the mercy of the whites, and it seems like they are painted, so far, as backwards and hardheaded and if they only, only listened to Nettie. I am not saying you cannot disagree with them, the whole premise of this is the idea of Africa as a whole and how it is perceived by black Americans, the culture shock of it and the differing values people may have but you can acknowledge this and make people human. to also, walk your way into a culture and not find one thing that opens your eyes? I find that baffling and a little unbelievable. oh, and they sold some lady to slavery! SO YEAH!! If my research is correct, slavery ended at different times for different countries, but the shipment of slaves ended way before the book takes place. The historical inaccuracies don’t just end there though, if I’m correct, she gives Senegal a black president who rules the black people alongside the British. This never happened because the Senegalese were busy being oppressed by the French. It felt to me that she may have been writing Senegal from a mixture of a modern but also vintage perspective, a black leader who looks down on black people for the preference of whites is a problem today but there were also British colonizers, which was odd because Senegal was under French rule… it felt like a Mismash of multiple false timelines that made zero sense, prodding at you to try and say something deep and thoughtful but I was more worried about the inaccuracies and what it says about the authors understanding of Africa and how she thought colonization worked. It was concerning that we don't see, so far, rebellion, small or big. and when we see rebellion, it seems undermined from, so far, the stupidity of the Africans, “we’ll fight them with guns” “we don't have guns” “we’ll find a way” as if, at least from my understanding of Kenya and Somalia, guns weren't used by that time, aka the 1990’s to 1940’s. also, where are the other tribes, they helped each other out? It added to this sense of... stupidity to the tribe because we see them partake in a trade with another tribe and speak that tribe's language yet never contacts them to fight alongside them against the colonizers which as common in Africa at the time. Also, Liberia was not being colonized by European white folks at this time, it was under the American Colonization society who I’m pretty sure they were fighting back against since they were sending African Americans back on their land under U.S rule and trying to make them Christian. (though this may have been in the 1800s, I need to read on it more). From what I’ve seen, white people from the states did not treat the natives all too well and saw colonizing these people as a social justice and with all the people migrating to Liberia, there was a huge morality rate for African Americans (we see a little of this with a death of a character). so, to get a story like this, with missionaries, native folks and African Americans and then make it so the natives are all dumb and simple minded (sorry for the crude language) and to have Tashi return to the U.S… get married to an American man (though he is black), while acting like it’s pan-Africanist is beyond bizarre to me. I’m not saying Tashi shouldn't have left, it is realistic considering the circumstances she was in but with the lack of cultural depth for the fictional Olinka tribe I had this sense that Alice walker had such a deep-seated superiority or better put this feeling of aloofness for these fictional Africans. It felt like she felt for them because white people treated them bad and not because they were people, you cannot be pan-African and not see indigenous Africans as humans worthy of the simple respect of being fleshed out, and how can you be pan-African if you don't choose to highlight a specific tribe? Did I tell you they were fictional? they’re fictional. She couldn’t even tell you a specific type of ethnic group that lives in Liberia, whether it be to hold offense (though it is plenty offensive) or because she wasn’t interested. Or, if I'm correct, to make an amalgamation of 'African' cultures to act as a metaphor for Africa (a continent) itself. I hope you see why that would be a problem, making Africa into one big fictional tribe and commenting on it is too simple and, I lowkey couldn't take it seriously. As a whole this book could've been amazing, but it was... not even sloppy but cold and messy. all the right ingredients but left to rot in the fridge. it shocks me not many people talk about how meh this book is but what can do. 2 stars.

How did this not win the Nobel?

The Color Purple is one of those books I've been avoiding reading since it was first published (even though it earned the Pulitzer in 1983). I remember all the controversy surrounding it. As I was ten at the time, I felt the book wasn't for me. Although more than twenty years has passed, the negative feelings had remained. Through BookCrossing, I ended up with three copies of the book. I figured that the book muses were trying to tell me something and I decided to finally read it for the "Unread Authors Challenge." Celie's vernacular takes some getting used to. It is an epistletory novel in the letters between sisters Celie and Nettie. Celie recounts years of abuse and an unhappy marriage. Walker spares nothing, beginning with the first time Celie is raped by her father and goes on from there in very frank but not crude language. Were The Color Purple just Celie's roughly written diary (in the form of letters to God), it would have been a run of the mill coming of age story. Nettie though brings hope and the chance of escape for Celie. Celie's language and self esteem both improve with each letter to and from Nettie.

Popsugar Reading Challenge 2017 - A book where the main character is a different ethnicity than you. 5/52 The Color Purple is a wonderful portrayal of the struggle of black women during the 1930s. It is raw and does not hide from the cold truth, but embraces it. It is written in a series of letters, and the language is the one Celie uses, so it is a bit difficult to get into the story smoothly, but once you do you are trapped by the story of two sisters and the unfortunate paths they were given in life. It is compelling and inspirational at times, but it was also sad and harsh. But I think it is important to read and have a notion of what women went through. I really enjoyed it and think it is one of those books everyone should read at least once.

Livro lindo, encantador, educativo, e sofrido de ler. Deveria ser leitura obrigatória nas escolas. Nunca aprendi tanto sobre a vida, sobre história e sobre religião com um livro. O começo foi muito difícil de ser lido, a vida da mulher preta e pobre nunca foi fácil e a gente parece esquecer do quão difícil é até sermos confrontados com uma história assim. Que bate na nossa cara sem dó. Celie é maravilhosa. Shug também, e Nettie. Sofia e todas as mulheres tão fortes desse livro. Até o Albert ficou gente boa, e o Harpo. Eu aprendi tanto sobre cultura africana, sobre verdadeira história dos estados unidos e sobre Deus. A religião é tratada de uma maneira tão linda no final. Leitura muito comovente e necessária. Espero que um dia estórias sobre racismo e todo esse sofrimento não passem disso: estórias.

Life in its purest, most anguished and most vibrant, life in all its forms and love in and between every line. My favorite book of all time.

This is one of the most amazing books I've ever read.

“Hard times” is a phrase the English love to use, when speaking of Africa. And it is easy to forget that Africa's “hard times” were made harder by them. Millions and millions of Africans were captured and sold into slavery—you and me, Celie! And whole cities were destroyed by slave catching wars. Today the people of Africa—having murdered or sold into slavery their strongest folks— are riddled by disease and sunk in spiritual and physical confusion. They believe in the devil and worship the dead. Nor can they read or write. Why did they sell us? How could they have done it? And why do we still love them? I can't believe this book is finished I just can't. Alice Walker has created a masterpiece and it impressed me so deeply. When I read The Color Purple I laugh, I got upset, I cried and at last, I felt happy. However, I'm glad that this is my first novel about colored people since I feel like it's helping me to understand a bit of what they've been through. This is a warm story of a Cellie who is the heroine and the book will hook you up immediately. Cellie has nobody else but God to talk so she writes letters to God. In these letters, she shared her life journey with all honesty, and from the beginning, till the end, you'll see all the development. After some point, she starts to write and receive the letters from her sister since they fall apart.

** spoiler alert ** This book was incredible!! Her storytelling is so straightforward but so gripping, and the characters that were so alienated and simplified at first really blossomed towards the end of the book. I completely understand what the prologues meant about this being a book on faith; the tumultuous switches in the person Celie's letters were addressed to added so much to her inner conflict. This was a re-evaluation of the Christian church as we know it, and the ways it has desensitized us to its oppression and atrocities. I don't know, maybe I'm just saying words now, but I thought the book's transition from Celie grappling with the horrors of slavery and the patriarchy to a study on faith and relationships was so, so beautiful. This book showed the beauty of God through nature, the beauty of God through other people, and the beauty of God in being able to appreciate that which He (She? It?) has to offer. I also loved the way Walker wrote wlw love; I never see this representation in TV. Celie and Shug's relationship shatters every male-centric stereotype I've ever encountered; while their husbands form a little roadblock in their relationship, it is not their main struggle. I also loved the time gap between Celie's present and Nettie's letters. It created a tension that would not let me put the book down- I HAD to know what happened to them, and how they dealt with modern colonization. This was another book that I simply could not stop reading (so I neglected my other responsibilities instead. That's how you know it's good). I want to read this book over and over. The people in it and the way they love and support and care for and criticize each other feels so familiar and natural, yet so unattainable in their happiness. Don't get me wrong, I would never romanticize the life they lead under the tyrannical rule of Jim Crow and white supremacy. However, the relationships that thrived despite all this really shone through the novel as a testament to the importance of faith, love, and family- born and found. This book teaches to forgive, to change and grow. I can understand the love it gets and back it wholeheartedly. I know these characters will stay with me for a long, long time.

4 Stars The Color Purple is a beautiful, raw, and unique book. I will not go into too much detail in this review though, because it is best experienced for oneself. The writing is raw and at times remarkably crude. Literally from the page, it is clear that this book will not pull any punches about tough subjects. Although I usually avoid vulgarity, in this case if Walker had sugar coated anything the story would have immensely lost power. The story needed to jolt people into seeing the bad as well as the good. And while this technique is most often used as a gimmick, in this case I think it was used with genuine intentions and that the result was effective. Although at the beginning of the story, I feared this might end up as depressing as Tess of the D'Urbervilles. The dialogue is written in colloquial dialogue. It can be somewhat hard to read at times, the story would not have made sense if it had been adapted to "proper" English. But I did sometimes have to reread a section to fully grasp it. Still, I did not feel like that took away from the intensity of the story. What did lessen the experience for me however, was that the story makes many skips through time without explaining things completely. I often discuss that this is a common problem with stories that span many decades; out of necessity, the author has to skip material. It is often disorienting. While I felt that The Color Purple did a better job of bridging the important moments than other books do, I still felt lost at times. I probably could have read this book in a day, if I would not have had to flip back through chapters trying to see if I missed sometime. Time is not delineated or described in The Color Purple. The jumps between chapters could be a week, a month, or several years. But that is never called out. Characters disappeared without explanation. Sometimes that narrative loops back around much, much later to explain what happened to them, but I was often puzzled and convinced I had missed something. It got harder to follow when her sister's letters were introduced as they also covered a couple decades of time and were not time stamped. It was hard to mesh the two story lines together. (view spoiler)[I think the strongest example of this was Nettie's letter that mentions that the catalyst for her actions was seeing a prominent white woman with a disparaged black maid. Celie is convinced that this person was Sofia. But Sofia did not become the Mayor's maid until after being grown, married, and having five children. By my reckoning, that was about two decades after Nettie left. So either the person she saw was someone else and Celie presumed it was Sofie or else the timelines do not match up at all. If it had only been one passing mention, I would have shrugged it off, but it was mentioned repeatedly. I get frustrated when stories contradict themselves. (hide spoiler)] So although I found this to be an emotionally potent story overall, theses things kept it from being five stars to me. But it is still a wonderful story. The other thing that I wanted to mention that I greatly appreciated that Walker kept the story hopeful and uplifting even at the darkest times. She also did not resort to man hating. The story was prime for misandric rants against men. But despite the horrible things that happen to these characters, this is a story of love, of many types of love whether it be for a lover, family, or God. RATING FACTORS: Ease of Reading: 3 Stars Writing Style: 4 Stars Originality: 5 Stars Character Development: 5 Stars Plot Structure and Development: 3 Stars Use of Literary Devices: 5 Stars

“Everything want to be loved. Us sing and dance and holler, just trying to be loved.” This is a book I regret listening to on audiobook because I think if I had read it in print it would have had more impact. It's so beautifully written. So I may reread it at some point. That said, I really loved this and I can see why it's a classic. This is at its centre, a book about trying to be loved, trying to find place and community and connection. I loved the relationship between Shug and Celie as well as the one between Celie and Nettie and the final scene really tugged at my heart. this is one of those books everyone should pick up “The years have come and gone without a single word from you. Only the sky above us do we hold in common. I look at it often as if, somehow, reflected from its immensities, I will one day find myself gazing into your eyes.”

a bit hard to get into at the beggining because of the different writing but then it was a super interesting book and a very easy and fast read. Very good book with very important themes

I loved reading about a simpler time, a different culture, a place where people worked and talked and had children and bad marriages, no distractions from all the fancy stuff we have now. But even then, they could tell when something wasn’t right and they got up and tried to make it better. Very admirable. The story was very long though, and not a lot happened. The writing took some getting used to.

The women empowerment was a good plot line.

Life alternating … truly immaculate

** spoiler alert ** "But I don’t know how to fight. All I know how to do is stay alive." -Celie The writing style and the plot make a weaker force while I read. The stirring first half of the book really got me but when Celie started to move with Shug it become so dramatic and unrealistic. The story leads us to the Disney happily ever after ending and that's the problem with me. I like the part where Nettie (Celie's sister) went to the Africa for missionary and how the author portrays the culture and moving industrialization that overwhelmed and took controlled over the tribes. The main theme you can see in this book is how women are treated by men back then and Celie, herself, hated men (her rapist father, her abusive husband and men in general). But it all ended happily when the father died and also the husband repent and she forgave. It's too sweet for me. Other theme might also include that with rapid industrialization and transportation, some minor tribal society are being neglected and got no government support. How selfish American colonists took over all the land and left nothing for the Indians is speechless. And of course the Racism, although compared to other book with similar notion, this book can't really portary the scenery realistically. The title `Color Purple' might also represent the last happy ending where Celie decorated the room with all purple and red symbolize the flourishness and wealthiness of upper class African-Americans.