Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

85 reviews

debthebookworm's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• 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

Like many Black millennials, I grew up watching The Color Purple repeatedly in VHS. I loved it so much I wanted to be Shug if they ever made a musical...THEN, the musical happened! The film adaptation of the musical came out, and they said it was closer to the book than the original movie...While it is closer in parts, between the three, having finally taken the time to read the book, I prefer the book! There is so much left out of both movies, e.g., Celie's complicated relationship with Mr.____ and seeing Nettie grow up in Africa in more than little snippets, that I would have appreciated being explored more deeply in the films. I also love Alice Walker's explanation of the evolution of Celie's views on God and the origins of religion. The Olinkan theory was very interesting,and I wonder if Alice Walker made it up or heard it from someone.

Anyway, amazing book, and I'm glad to have read it!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Racism, Religious bigotry, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship

Family separation, settler colonization

lana_taylor23's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

• 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

3.0

The only reason I rated this 3 starts is because it’s very different from what I normally enjoy reading but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth it. Not everything you read has to be light; if that statement resonates with you then don’t be afraid to pick up this highly acclaimed book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, and Racism

drraytay's review against another edition

challenging emotional medium-paced

• 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Rape, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Infidelity, Sexual content, Racism, Adult/minor relationship, Toxic relationship, Pedophilia, Colonisation, and Classism

Minor: Drug use, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Death of parent, and Infertility

montyroz's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Sexism, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Slavery, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Cursing, Rape, Misogyny, and Sexual violence

_lilireads's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexism, Racism, Child abuse, and Toxic relationship

risemini's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious sad fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Death, Violence, Toxic relationship, War, Incest, Racism, and Sexual content

passionatereader78's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring 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

4.5

I enjoy how uncomfortable this book made me.  I loved the writing and the female characters. Great classic read!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Child death, Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Classism, and Death

Moderate: Body shaming, Racial slurs, Confinement, Infertility, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Terminal illness, Torture, and Miscarriage

anastasia_okodure's review against another edition

dark sad fast-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? No

3.5

I enjoyed Celie's narrative and personal development, as well as the parallels between the story’s protagonists, but I admittedly did not resonate with many of the characters in the story: I found all the relationships and their changes quite confusing and frustrating, which I think made it difficult to feel a connection. The story ebbed and flowed, with its saving grace being the constant love and affection expressed between the two sisters and the ending to their story. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Colonisation, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Rape, Drug use, Slavery, Pregnancy, Incest, Death, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Sexual assault

courn's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective slow-paced

• 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Physical abuse, Violence, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, and Infidelity

Minor: Abandonment, Body shaming, and Death of parent

clovetra's review against another edition

emotional hopeful tense slow-paced

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

4.0

i am an inch away from crying over that last chapter my heart is breaking in the best way. i understand now why this story is a classic. 

this story captivated me in so many ways. to begin with, i will admit i was not enjoying this story. i found reading through celie’s poor spelling made it quite difficult for me to grasp what was happening, and many times i had to refer to summaries to understand what was happening. but as the novel progresses, you see celie become more educated, and it at least became easier for me to read as the words were spelled correctly. i do have to admit in retrospect i love the concept of displaying a character’s intelligence through purposefully misspelling passages, but whilst i was reading it did become a bit grating. i also found it difficult to understand the time span between events - i struggled to understand the progression of time, but i have a feeling this isn’t an issue on walker’s behalf, but my own.

this was an incredibly beautiful story. i have to say my favourite chapters would’ve been hands down the

letters nettie wrote to celie

, i loved exploring the land of olinka and how

celie’s kids

are fairing over there, especially the plot line with tasha. i also love how celie’s relationship with shug isn’t really questioned in a homophobic way. i know this is historical fiction and i truly was expecting some homophobia, but i was pleasantly surprised & relieved none of the main characters made homophobic remarks. sometimes i just want some wholesome women love, and that’s what this book was.

i will say i did not enjoy seeing how celie’s life was before shug. i know it was necessary to show celie’s character growth, and im not mad at it, but truly that was one of the reasons i think i didn’t enjoy the beginning. it felt like kicking a horse when she’s down.

my god were the side characters delectable. i’ll say easily my favourites were sophia and squeaks, with a cute mention to nettie & tashi. there were a lot of side characters and i will say i have no idea who a lot of them were simply because i lost track.

overall, this was a beautiful stories, covering the lows of celie’s life of abuse at the hands of men, and the highs of celie’s life because of the women she surrounds herself with, and the men around her who have grown to see celie for what she is - a queen.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Incest, Racial slurs, Rape, and Colonisation

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, Violence, and Sexism

Minor: Child death, Death of parent, and Abandonment