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avocadotoastbee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
It brings attention to so many incredibly important issues: sexual violence, poverty, inequality, and so much more. At the same time, it beautifully shows how women can stick together, grow with our pain, and still love and be loved after all our traumatic experiences.
The deep love Celie and Nettie have for each other as sisters reminded me of my sibling and me.
I'm so glad the story had a happy ending, I couldn't have handled anything else.
The Color Purple by Alice Walker is such an important classic and definitely a must-read!
Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Racism, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Classism, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Infertility, Pedophilia, Abandonment, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Incest, and Trafficking
Moderate: Confinement and War
bookaholic_kp's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Pedophilia, Incest, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Abortion, Addiction, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse
leavesandsky's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Sexual violence and Sexual content
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, and Slavery
carolinalopezwatt's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Rape, Racism, Sexual violence, and Domestic abuse
kaylamoran's review against another edition
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, and Sexual content
studiouspoppy'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? No
5.0
Will be rereading it, and I will definitely recommend it.
Graphic: Abandonment, Alcohol, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Slavery
Moderate: Religious bigotry, Suicidal thoughts, and War
criticalgayze's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This novel was really powerful, especially the first half. It does that thing that all marginalized people's fiction feels like it has to do where it is simultaneously a history/anthropology lesson while being a deeply felt character study. Walker does some truly interesting things with language here, and I really appreciate the form, which is justified from the novel's start. I also am thankful for a modern classic that is so unabashedly Queer, and I don't think that aspect of the story is talked about enough. You can feel the authors that Walker is in conversation with here, most notably Hurston, and you can tell the authors who have been in conversation with her since, Whitehead is springing most quickly to mind.
But about halfway through the novel I took a trip over to Walker's Wikipedia page where I read some truly troubling things she's said in support of antisemitic creators. While she has tried to underplay the antisemitism in these works she supports, it does not come across as being very absolving of what one has to make the leap to assume are her own personal beliefs to some extent.
About the same time, the book dipped in interest for me. While we may try to push the separation of art from artist, I don't know that this is an achievable feat for me as a person, especially when Walker is a living author who has made these comments at least as recently as 2017. I don't know if the dip in my personal connection to the story can truly be said to be on the story's merit or on this disagreement with Walker's personal beliefs.
I do feel like I can say confidently that there is some extent to which the novel doesn't quite stick the landing to me as the novel's fade to black ending does feel a little overly sentimental and rosy in what up to that point has been a fairly searing tough hang of a novel.
Maybe one day I'll come back to try to review this more objectively, or maybe I'll just stick with the people who are having similar conversation in their works that don't come loaded with public baggage. Only time will tell.
Quotes:
She got my eyes just like they is today. Like everything I seen, she seen, and she pondering it. (pg. 13)
He try to give her a compliment, she pass it on to me. After while I git to feeling pretty cute. (pg. 17)
Oh Celie, unbelief is a terrible thing. And so is the hurt we cause others unknowingly. (pg. 184)
Let 'im hear me, I say. If he ever listened to poor colored women the world would be a different place, I can tell you. (pg. 191)
But it ain't easy, trying to do without God. Even if you know he ain't there, trying to do without him is a strain. (p. 192)
It hard enough to get by without being a fool. (pg. 219)
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Violence, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Misogyny, Death of parent, Child abuse, and Police brutality
cali'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? No
4.25
Graphic: Incest, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Gaslighting, Adult/minor relationship, Racism, Rape, and Violence
bookedbyelizabeth's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Sexual assault, Child abuse, Incest, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Violence, Sexism, Rape, Domestic abuse, Racism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Pedophilia
icarus_has_risen'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? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Racial slurs, Classism, Colonisation, Death of parent, Incest, Pregnancy, Racism, Religious bigotry, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Rape