I first came across this book during my high school days, and I truly relished it. Then, in 2007, I decided to pick it up again and found that I enjoyed it just as much the second time around.

Let me start by saying that if you have an aversion to frank discussions about sexuality and strong language in general, then this book may not be for you. The themes explored within its pages are extremely real and can be quite shocking. However, if you are able to look beyond that, you will discover that the story contains some truly touching moments.

In a nutshell, the story follows Celie, a poor black girl residing in Georgia. She manages to overcome poverty, sexual oppression, racial oppression, and the separation from her sister. She endures multiple lifetimes' worth of pain and hurt, but ultimately emerges as a strong woman.

The entire book is presented through a series of diary entries, which I believe adds a great deal of interest. It gives the story a slant towards the perspectives of those doing the writing, but of course, these are the characters we are meant to trust in the novel.

My favorite part of the book is the ending. After reading all that preceded it, it truly tugged at my heartstrings. And my favorite character is Albert. He is by no means a good man, yet he undergoes significant transformation throughout the book. His story makes me believe that there is hope for just about anyone, no matter how low they may seem.

Overall, this book is a powerful and thought-provoking read that I would highly recommend to others.

Cuando comencé este libro, mi primer pensamiento fue "este libro quiere hacerme llorar". Y en efecto, en un principio, la historia es bastante triste. Nos muestra los abusos que Celie sufre durante su vida, en el hogar materno, paterno y conyugal. Su único apoyo y felicidad es su hermana pequeña, Nettie.

Contada en forma de cartas, la escritura no es suave ni demasiado decorada. Las condiciones de vida y educación de Celie y Nettie quedan expuestas, pero dan la sensación de ser personales. A medida que Celie evoluciona, la escritura se vuelve más prolija, pero no en el estilo de una persona educada, sino de alguien que está aprendiendo. Esto hace que puedas sentir cariño por Celie y la consideres tu amiga.

Celie no es la única protagonista. En su viaje de crecimiento, conocemos a otras dos mujeres, Sofia y Shug Avery. Ellas le enseñarán no sólo el valor de la amistad, sino también el valor que ella misma tiene. Son mujeres que sufren el dolor de ser mujeres en una época de machismo y de ser negras en un lugar donde el racismo es la norma.

Un libro que está escrito de manera intencionadamente brusca se siente excelente. Presenta un trasfondo bien construido, una maravillosa construcción de personajes y protagonistas admirables que no son perfectas. Con un final conmovedor que deja una sensación de plenitud y felicidad, es difícil ponerle pegas. Sin embargo, al tocar temas polémicos, es fácil sentirse ofendido o molestarse. Así que antes de comenzar a leerlo, se debe saber que la historia trata de mujeres que sufren a causa de los hombres.

Lectura con el grupo PopSugar Reading Challenge en Español

I am truly in awe of the magnificent depths that lie within "The Color Purple." It has the power to debunk other so-called Great American Novel contenders such as "The Great Gatsby," "On the Road," or "Huckleberry Finn. This is a Definitive American classic novel.

The steel-strong bonds of family, the global importance of friendship, and the ever-mystical soul-defining actions of sisterhood are all immortal themes that are vividly drawn in lush, exquisite, and sometimes brutal hues. Just like the purple of a field of violets or the purple of a deepening bruise.

In terms of the epistolary novel, which are my personal favorites including "Dracula" and "Where'd You Go, Bernadette" and now this one, the frailty of letters and the lost art of letter writing carry implicit feelings. They ground the novel and, in a contradiction, make it an ethereal work of art. The writer is a true magician who even out-Faulkners Faulkner in her book filled with light and grace.

P.S. The film tries its hardest to keep up with Walker's unique characters and their respective vernacular. For me, the line uttered by Adam at the end of the movie, "I want to know you, mama," never fails to make me bawl.

\\n  

“Everything want to be loved. Us sing and dance and holler, just trying to be loved.”

\\n

This is a book that I deeply regret listening to only in audiobook format. I firmly believe that if I had read it in print, it would have had a far more profound impact on me. The writing is simply exquisite, filled with a beauty that is both captivating and moving. As a result, I fully intend to reread it at some point in the future. That being said, I truly adored this book and can clearly understand why it has achieved classic status. At its core, it is a story about the universal human longing to be loved, to find a place in the world, to belong to a community, and to form deep connections with others. I was particularly touched by the relationships between Shug and Celie, as well as the bond between Celie and Nettie. The final scene was especially poignant and tugged at my heartstrings. In conclusion, this is one of those rare books that everyone should take the time to pick up and experience for themselves.

\\n  “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.”\\n

# Banned Book

I was overjoyed to be reading this on Right To Read Day, April 8th, 2024. "The Color Purple" is an unforgettable and well-rounded classic that everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime. It is a symbol of black womanhood, feminine ascension against oppression, and awakening. However, it's important to note that there are multiple trigger warnings. TW: Rape, incest, violence, sexism.

The story, told through a series of letters, follows Celie as she endures the tragic circumstances of her life. Forced to marry Mister (Albert), she is separated from her sister Nettie, the one thing that matters most to her. Celie is a real character with strong and believable development. As the story progresses, we see her endurance of lifelong abuse, awareness of her sexual identity, and challenges to her religious mindset.

She starts by writing letters to God, but a pivotal moment comes when she stops and begins to question her beliefs. Shug Avery, seen as a sinner by many, plays a crucial role in opening Celie's eyes to other interpretations of God. The book beautifully explores themes of spirituality and healing as the characters break free from the confinements imposed on them. I especially loved the acceptance of open-minded interpretations of God.

The author's preface is also very meaningful. It expresses a new spiritual awareness and a rebirth into feelings of Oneness. One of my favorite scenes is when Celie finally stands up to Albert. Despite the tough moments, the book handles the lows well, with many crying and cheering moments. There are so many important characters, like Sofia, who always wins my heart.
Growing up loving the 1985 film adaptation, I was excited to read the book and get more details, especially about Shug and Celie's relationship. I also listened to the audiobook read by the author herself, which was a wonderful experience. I'll end with a sad quote from the book: "And I try to teach my heart not to want nothing it can't have." ~ Celie

I'm truly glad that I was able to encounter this before it was part of my school curriculum. Because if it had been otherwise, instead of Celie, Shug, and Nettie, all I would have had was Miss Eleanor Jane, perhaps 70 to 80 years old, prancing in front of the classroom. Full of pity and with the best of intentions, yet still not seeing the despicableness of using the N word, despite all the evidence to the contrary.

Sure, I'm glad that the professor didn't shaft this woman of color writer like she had with others near the beginning. But I can't help but wonder about those students for whom this class assignment was their first reading of this work. Did they love it despite the professor's best attempts at academia? Or did they hate it because of those very attempts? You'd never really know, given the limited space they're given in class to express their own thoughts, feelings, and opinions about why this particular book exists in the world. The teacher may know how to spell feminism, womanism, and patriarchy, but all that only matters if the students have been allowed to care.

I can't keep track of how many times someone has said that they're not an expert as an excuse to shut down a conversation since I returned to college. It makes me wonder if there's some sort of actual legal threat in the back of their minds, saying things like "no, that's not what you were hired for," "no, that's not what we're allowing you to make a living off of," or "no, you haven't taken the requisite courses in theology and gender, or gone through the path of learning about socially prescribed biological sex at birth, to become a priest or a teacher or anyone who can say anything against the weight of the institutionalized norm." Every so often, I can push them past that and into more interesting realms of epistemology and pedagogy, the fancy words for knowledge of knowledge and teaching of teaching. But I can't be too frustrated. It took Celie, who was nowhere near the safety of the middle class making a living off the university, decades of not killing others or herself to understand what it means to be quiet about certain things, not think about them, not strip them down to the bare bones of their structure and find the cornerstone lacking. In the long run, it's all about what that's worth.

I won't say that I'll be modifying my tune about this in a decade or so. Because that's what living without the stable brain chemistry that millions take for granted until another white male shooter murders another classroom full of children requires as an option. But still. If there are certain things that you refuse to say to yourself, even in the dead of night, simply because you think you're unworthy of questioning them, why? The world is not what it used to be. The economy has tanked, the Internet is forcing practically everything into the light, and USA fascism seems to be leading the most accurate replay of WWII with Muslim populations and Syrian immigrants that the world has ever seen. The label "expert" is just a gimmick, a scam, a signifier for being a certain way and paying a certain amount of money that allows you to get a proportionate amount of money in return and the right to be called such by the Wikipedia article that I will be copy-pasting into your GR author profile. You don't want to end up like my Miss Eleanor Jane of a professor, do you? That's all I ask.

---

2/28/2014

Purple is for pride, didn't you know? Purple is the royal pride to boot, the kind that can afford full protection and wears its self-assumed precious state on its sleeve. There are some who are in love, some who are in hate, and some, perhaps the most, who are in the calm reserve that takes what it gets and builds itself a home. For purple is also piety, and the potential of the purpling palimpsest is truly breathtaking.

If you look up "purpling," you will find both a transformation and an act of love. The latter is grounded in gendered stereotypes, but for our purposes, it will be pruned of its connotations and left as a simple affection. No lust, no obsession, nothing of the usual pride of desiring and feeling oneself more than worthy of receiving reciprocation. That was stripped away before the pages even began, a summary of rape, pain, and separations all along the spectrum of self and self-worth.

It is not a mark of the author, but of the reader, if this beginning is more believed in than the final ending. They say it's too pat and contrived, that it's too much to think that a being who is both a woman and black would take thirty years to find peace of mind. Or perhaps it's the duality that's so hard to swallow, two sisters in such disparate circumstances each discovering a measure of resolve upon which to thrive. Perhaps it's the lack of fight and final "success" on each and every frontier that the readers object to, the concept that you can't always get what you want and yet. And yet.

And yet, in the face of all the hate and straightened circumstances, two girls become wizened lovers of life. Through the weaving of cloth and of thought, each discovers their methodology of creation, remembering where they came from and going forward nevertheless. They forgive, they relish, they come to grips with the facts of sexism, racism, and colonialism and deconstruct their God accordingly. They are not even the only ones, as myriad family and friends inspire and are inspired by these two souls, traversing their own ways in the sorrow and joy that always accompanies the search for personal truth. A time for anger, a time for acceptance, and the prodigal others all along the path.

What matters here is not the means by which they achieve their ends, or that they achieved them at all. What matters is the thought enabled by fruitful discovery, the meanderings of the mind over what it means to find value in existence day in, day out. The majority of literature was penned by those blessed by all varieties of sociocultural windfalls, so it should be no surprise when characters find their philosophical footing as a result of fortuitous regeneration. Decry the believability all you like, but if that little was enough for you to forget the life-affirming themes galore, grown through every slow and subtle machination of time and circumstance, be sure to treat the rest of your readings accordingly. I guarantee a sharp decrease in once favored pieces if you're honest, or objective, if that's the vernacular with which you appease yourself.

\\n  I think us here to wonder, myself. To wonder. To ast. And that in wondering bout the big things and asting 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, he say, the more I love.\\n

There are no name drops or modes of thought approved by academia here, but if you're truly open-minded, you will recognize the mixing and melding of universal experience without any need for labels. This is as fine a contemplation of small winners in the midst of brutal reality as any, a flowering of humanity with full knowledge of every level of high and low, all the more worthy of attention for its status as a rare breed of literature. The latter has no affect on quality, but in terms of building a common humanity on the backs of pride and piety, on the steps of believing the self worth having and finding the others worth cherishing, in the color purple, it is worth everything.

The Color Purple wasn't bad.

I understand its significance, especially at the time it was published. However, I didn't feel much and was rather indifferent towards the characters, perhaps except for Nettie.

The writing style definitely affected my experience, at least initially. Since I'm not a native English speaker, reading the heavily accented words was a bit challenging at first. But it got better once I got used to it.

This doesn't mean it's not a good book by any means. I understand why it's beloved by many and is considered "women empowering". It has a powerful message and tackles many social issues. But I kind of expected more.

I don't regret reading it, but sadly, it didn't mean much to me. After finishing it, I realized it didn't leave any lasting impression and I'll probably forget it eventually.

Given the mostly positive reviews, I think everyone should read it and make up their own minds. But I wouldn't personally recommend it to someone looking for a "feminist" and enjoyable book. I understand why it's objectively beloved, but subjectively speaking, it was just okay.

Mel

"You are black, poor, and ugly. You are a woman. A curse. You are nothing at all.." This is a novel about feminism, about the oppression that women face because of their skin color and gender, about how they are humiliated and treated as servants and as commodities to be bought and sold. The novel also shines a light on a woman's emotions and even her sexual desires, about the strong bond of sisterhood and how it can give hope in life and be the reason to live one's life.

The first half of the book was good and beautifully written, but the second half was dull with unnecessary details, uninteresting events, and characters that added nothing to the story. The ending was also illogical and it felt like the author was forcing a happy ending in any way!

The novel achieved worldwide fame upon its release in 1982 and the author, Alice Walker, won the prestigious "Pulitzer" Prize. It was also made into a movie of the same name directed by Steven Spielberg in 1985.

The book has nice ideas and surely it was an important book at the time of its release in the eighties. But at the moment, I didn't feel that I read any new ideas, not even an exciting story, nor a unique writing style!! I have a big problem with American literature. It is hugely overrated! Rating: 2.5

I'm an extremely fast reader. Generally speaking, I have the ability to devour books that consist of 200 - 300 pages or even more within just a day or two. I truly detest lingering over stories that I could otherwise complete at a much quicker pace.

However, this particular book took me nearly two whole weeks to finish. It was an absolute rollercoaster of emotions. At times, it was heart-wrenchingly sad, making my heart ache. It also opened my eyes to many new perspectives and ideas, which was truly eye-opening. There were certain points that were so nerve-wrecking that it had me on the edge of my seat. And yet, despite all of this, it was just so freaking good.

If you happen to be reading this and you still haven't picked up this literary masterpiece, I implore you. PLEASE. DO. READ. IT.

There were an abundance of crucial issues brought to the forefront in this book, and it is quite evident why it has amassed such a large following and is so well-loved.

Yet, despite all its merits, it simply failed to grip me on an emotional level in the manner that I had hoped. Additionally, I didn't develop that deep affection for the characters as I had anticipated.

I do understand the reasoning behind the writing style employed, and I highly applaud Alice Walker for choosing to write from the perspective of an uneducated woman. I firmly believe that this aspect adds a great deal of power to the book.

Nevertheless, it just didn't resonate with me. I found the reading experience rather frustrating and had difficulties visualizing the scenes. Although one does gradually get accustomed to the language used, I think that perhaps an audiobook might be a more suitable option if one doesn't desire such a demanding read.

Overall, while I can appreciate the significance and quality of the book, it simply didn't meet my personal expectations in terms of emotional engagement and character connection.

A Masterpiece!

“I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it.”
― Alice Walker, The Color Purple

From the moment I first laid eyes on this book (and I have read it numerous times), it has held a special place in my heart as a favorite. Walker has masterfully brought to life the captivating story of two sisters. One sister is a missionary in Africa, while the other is a young and abused wife living in the south. Despite the physical distance that separates them, their bond is characterized by great love, unwavering devotion, and profound compassion. The book spans over the years, allowing us to witness the unfolding of their lives in all its complexity.

Celie, the central character, writes letters to God and her sister. She has endured a lifetime of abuse. First at the hands of her own father, who not only abused and raped her but also gave away her babies. Then, she is given to a man who continues to mistreat her. This is not an easy book to read. It contains elements of rape, abuse, and sexism that can be deeply saddening and heartbreaking. However, it also offers glimmers of hope, strength, resilience, love, and yes, even happiness.

Celie's journey of self-discovery begins when she is introduced to a couple of strong women. Through their influence, she gradually finds her inner voice and discovers her true self and strength. But the path to achieving this is long and arduous, filled with numerous obstacles, some of which lie within Celie herself. As she navigates this path, she finally experiences the joys of loving and being loved, of finding a sense of belonging, of encountering God, of having the capacity to forgive, and of holding onto hope and cherishing it. In Celie, we see the triumph of the human spirit. Against all odds, she manages to be strong and overcome the many challenges that come her way.

Walker's writing is truly haunting, powerful, and beautiful. Her words have the ability to transport readers into the lives of her characters and make them feel as if they are a part of the story. The dialect used in the book may seem difficult at first, but with perseverance, readers will quickly get the hang of it. This book is well worth the effort, as it offers a profound and moving exploration of love, loss, and the human condition.

Highly Recommend.

See more of my reviews at www.openbookpost.com