Reviews tagging 'Colonisation'

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

106 reviews

lauren625's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Pregnancy and Colonisation

Minor: Racial slurs

kiantet's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Colonisation and Domestic abuse

Minor: Death of parent, Rape, and Abandonment

tahsintries's review against another edition

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Domestic abuse, Rape, Child abuse, Misogyny, and Racism

Moderate: Colonisation and Homophobia

sarasreading's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• 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

This book grabbed me from page one and did not let go until I finished. I am very ill right now but I put off much needed rest to read this. Even my sick-addled brain couldn't stop me from reading this. 

I had no idea it was told in letters, and I found many of the devices used in these letters so well done. I had all the feelings while reading this and I was a total mess at the end. I've seen the movie, but it's been a very long time. I had no idea when I put this on my 23 to read in 2023 that they were making a new movie! I'm excited to see it now that I've read the book. I think this one is based on the Broadway musical, which I know nothing about, but I hope it's closer to the book than the 80s movie. I don't remember a ton about it, but I know they erased entire, important sections of this book.

Definitely one of my top reads of the year. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Misogyny, Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Colonisation, Incest, and Infidelity

Moderate: Racial slurs

bashsbooks's review against another edition

dark emotional sad fast-paced

• 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

I can see why this book is such a classic - and why it's so frequently banned. I was pleasantly surprised at how open Celie's letters were about her love and lust for Shug Avery, and how upfront all the black characters were about all the various ways racism manifested in their lives & white people made things that much harder for them. It felt like a manifesto for black queer women, in fiction form. I loved that the ending, after so much hardship was ultimately hopeful. I'm not usually a huge fan of epistolary novels in general, but the format worked well for this story.

---

Content Warnings

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

annilikesbooks's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Physical abuse, Colonisation, Violence, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Rape, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Racial slurs, Racism, Misogyny, and Grief

annamay1021's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Child abuse, Rape, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Police brutality, and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Death of parent, Xenophobia, and Toxic friendship

dragon_s_hoard's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

Amazing character writing, this book is hard hitting and poignant. 
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. 

---

Content Warnings

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

dark emotional inspiring sad fast-paced

• 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

One of the best books I’ve ever read. I want to have a discussion about this book with anyone and everyone. The amount of themes covered and what would hit others that I missed entirely, etc. this is my favorite classic I’ve read so far. I would recommend this book to literally anyone. I was 27 the first time I read it and I’d be interested in my thoughts re-reading it as a 50 year old. 

---

Content Warnings

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

alicelucygranger's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

• 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

3.75

I understand the purpose of the way it was written but I found that it made it difficult to read and that distracted me from the book. Even though quite a lot happens it’s really slow in parts. However interesting insight into the life of someone from that background and time. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse and Rape

Moderate: Child abuse, Classism, Colonisation, Death, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Alcoholism, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Racism, Rape, and Sexism