Reviews with content warning for Sexual harassment - The Color Purple

Some books find you at the right time and this really hit me. I thought it would be much harder to read but it really just feels like you are in Celie's head. Though the subject matter is tough, it is explored in a really interesting insightful way. It really is a beautiful book with my favorite part being the changing relationships. All these people hurt each other but they also love and with time they all shift around in an interesting way.

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queen_of_vice's review

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emotional hopeful reflective sad tense 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? Yes

5.0

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angelgo616's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional inspiring 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

5.0

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amandabethrose's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.75

cThe Color Purple is not an easy book to read. By that, I am not referring to the unique letter writing format or the style of dialogue - both of which I found to be an engaging and vital part of the shape and life of this story. It's not an easy book to read because it forces the reader to stare into the face of the harsh realities of life that many Black women in America, in Georgia, in the South, endured. Sexual abuse, physical abuse, poverty, loss of family, patriarchy, the weight of societal limitations on what a woman can be and who she can love.

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.

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alicelucygranger's review

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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.

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hstcrow's review

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective tense 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

5.0

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