A review by booksgurrsandpurrs
The Color Purple by Alice Walker

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad 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

 Written as a series of letters by Celie to God, then to her Sister Nettie and eventually Nettie's replies, The Color Purple follows Celie as she takes life one day at a time in rural Georgia, attempting to survive abuse at the hands of her husband, family and a society that accepts those abuses as the status quo. There are few glimmers of light in Celie's life. One being the love she has for Shug, her husband's mistress and secondly the admiration and jealousy she has for Sophie, her son-in-law's wife that refuses to let other people, (not even her husband), hold her down.

The Color Purple exhibits women in a world where they are forced to be resilient. I appreciated character development throughout, but wished for more interiority to Mister's character.