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bashsbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Infidelity, Racism, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Violence, Domestic abuse, Grief, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Incest, Police brutality, Rape, Child abuse, Classism, Colonisation, and Alcohol
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Religious bigotry, Slavery, and Cultural appropriation
Minor: Death of parent, Drug abuse, Pregnancy, and Drug use
lilaceous's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
a work of art.
Graphic: Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Incest, Police brutality, Racism, Rape, and Sexual violence
mmoranag's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Racial slurs, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Gaslighting, Pregnancy, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Racism, Sexual violence, Sexism, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, and Incest
amandabethrose's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Writing this review during Banned Books week, I was curious as to the reasons given for banning this novel from libraries throughout the US. Reasons cited included: "religious objections, homosexuality, violence, African history, rape, incest, drug abuse, explicit language, and sexual scenes."
Yes, there is an abundance of violence. Yes, Celie does develop a romantic attraction to another woman. Yes, she does question and at points disagree with the existence of God. Yes - Alice Walker's novel shows dark, harsh realities that exist in the world and they are made even more impactful through a first person narrative. I don't disagree that it may be too overwhelming or too much, too soon for some readers but the beauty of having the freedom to read means a reader has the freedom to put down a book they aren't prepared to engage with and parents have the freedom to have these discussions with their high school aged children who may still be learning what is appropriate for their stage of development. By having the freedom to read, by not restricting access to works like "The Color Purple", readers are able to challenge themselves with what is often a dark, tragic story. They can pick their way through the chapters and in doing so, they can find the good of humanity that shines through the dark clouds in Celie's life. Not every moment of her existence is heartbreak and pain. There is strength, there is resilience, there is hope. There is courage.
Books that challenge our worldview and make us uncomfortable should not be seen as something to be afraid of. It may be that in that challenging, that discomfort, we may grow in empathy, we may become more convicted of our own beliefs, we may find comfort in realizing that with all the hardship in the world that we are not alone.
Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Incest, Racism, and Domestic abuse
lauren_t93's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Rape, Racism, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Sexism, Domestic abuse, Incest, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
jadonmorgs's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Slavery, Sexism, Hate crime, Incest, Rape, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, and Sexual assault
dragon_s_hoard's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
The epistolary style works well, but the fact that the plot is a “slice-of-life-over-a-lifetime” made it a little bit meandering for me.
Graphic: Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Abandonment, Racism, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Classism, Grief, Colonisation, Death, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Police brutality, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Incest, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
Minor: Gaslighting, Drug use, Alcoholism, and Addiction
nathelregel's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Misogyny, Colonisation, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Grief, Incest, Racism, and Sexual assault
hstcrow's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Incest, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Rape, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, and Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Racism, Classism, Slavery, Mental illness, Cursing, Death of parent, and Colonisation
valeriejael's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Racism, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Rape, Violence, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Misogyny, and Death of parent