Blurb (as on Amazon):
The classic, PULITZER PRIZE-winning novel that made Alice Walker a household name. Set in the deep American South between the wars, THE COLOR PURPLE is the classic tale of Celie, a young black girl born into poverty and segregation. Raped repeatedly by the man she calls ‘father’, she has two children taken away from her, is separated from her beloved sister Nettie and is trapped into an ugly marriage. But then she meets the glamorous Shug Avery, singer and magic-maker – a woman who has taken charge of her own destiny. Gradually Celie discovers the power and joy of her own spirit, freeing her from her past and reuniting her with those she loves. ‘One of the most haunting books you could ever wish to read … it is stunning – moving, exciting, and wonderful’ Lenny Henry
Genre: Historical Fiction/Bipoc/LGBT/Epistolary
Pages: 288
Format: eBook/Paperback/Hardcover/Audiobook
Price (as on Amazon):
- Paperback: ₹261/$ 6.31
- Kindle eBook: ₹247/$ 5.27
My rating: 4.5/5
Celie, is a fourteen-year-old girl African-American girl. She pours her heart out into letters to God, a coping mechanism for the challenges she faces; which includes physical abuse by her father and later her husband, emotional torture by family, friends and the society at larger, and many racial discriminations.
What I liked about the book:
- The journey of Celia, along with many other women like her who are a part of the story, vividly portrays the traumas of the era and a profoundly moving narrative that lingers in the heart.
- Each woman has their own unique story, but they are all linked by the different forms of abuse, prejudice or oppression that they have suffered.
- The overarching theme of sisterhood is such a joy to revel in as we get to witness the journey towards self-realization that the enigmatic Shug Avery brings Celie on.
- The reading does seem a bit difficult because a lot of the words in the text are spelt the way that an African-American dwelling from the countryside would speak them. Certain idioms and expressions are also peculiar to that part of the world during that time period. This results in words that are written down phonetically and not the way that they are actually spelt. It must also be noted that this seems like a logical result of Celie’s lack of schooling. This might seem cumbersome at first, but after the first 30 pages or so, most readers should find their bearings while reading this unusual style.
Quotable quotes:
- I think it pisses God off
if you walk by the
color purple in a field
somewhere and
don’t notice it. - I think us here to wonder, myself. To wonder. To ask. And that in wondering bout the big things and asking bout the big things, you learn about the little ones, almost by accident. But you never know nothing more about the big things than you start out with. The more I wonder, the more I love.
- God is inside you and inside everybody else. You come into the world with God. But only them that search for it inside find it. And sometimes it just manifest itself even if you not looking, or don’t know what you looking for. Trouble do it for most folks.
Check out the book:
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This book review is a part of #ReadingWithMuffy challenge hosted by @kohleyedreads. I picked this book for its February prompt, ‘A book celebrating BIPOC’. You can check out my detailed post with the books I’ve picked for the challenge here. Do also check out my review for last month’s read for the challenge:
I’m participating in Blogchatter’s #TBRChallenge.
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Thank you for reading.
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