denton reviewed The Colour Purple by Alice Walker
One of my favourite books ever
5 stars
The growth of Celie is one I won't ever get out of my mind.
Paperback, 245 pages
English language
Published July 30, 1987 by Woman's Press.
Dear God: I am fourteen years old. I have always been a good girl. Maybe you can give me a sign letting me know what is happening to me...
So begins Alice Walker's touching, complex and engrossing new novel, the story of two sisters in the harsh, segregated world of the Deep South between the wars. Celie has been raped by the man she calls her father; her two children are taken away from her; her beloved young sister Nettie has run away. She is given in marriage to Albert, to look after his children. She has no one to talk to but God.
Until Shug Avery the singer, the magic woman from Albert's past, re-enters his life. Through her, Celie discovers not the pain of rivalry but the love and support of women; she rediscovers Nettie, and hope. And The Color Purple becomes a celebration of liberation, joy and …
Dear God: I am fourteen years old. I have always been a good girl. Maybe you can give me a sign letting me know what is happening to me...
So begins Alice Walker's touching, complex and engrossing new novel, the story of two sisters in the harsh, segregated world of the Deep South between the wars. Celie has been raped by the man she calls her father; her two children are taken away from her; her beloved young sister Nettie has run away. She is given in marriage to Albert, to look after his children. She has no one to talk to but God.
Until Shug Avery the singer, the magic woman from Albert's past, re-enters his life. Through her, Celie discovers not the pain of rivalry but the love and support of women; she rediscovers Nettie, and hope. And The Color Purple becomes a celebration of liberation, joy and redemption. --back cover
The growth of Celie is one I won't ever get out of my mind.
I feel like I haven't processed the sheer power of this book enough to say I have read it
Set in the southern US in the early 1900s, two sisters separated as kids reach out in letters over 20 years covering Celie’s abuse and troubled marriage before she meets a singer, Shug Avery, a woman who helps Celie free herself from her past.
Probably well written but I couldn't be captivated by the story. Language/culture barrier too big for me.
Beautiful, legendary novel about finding your voice. 100% different than the Steven Spielberg adaptation. Late in finding it but glad I did.