A review by anishaaa
The Color Purple by Alice Walker

dark reflective 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? Yes

4.5

I knew absolutely nothing about this one going in - just that it is a classic. I did not know classics could be so gay and so progressive. I'm going to be picking up more Alice Walker in the future. 

Unorganized thoughts about this book:

  • Loved watching the characters change throughout their lives and how relationships between them changed over time. My book club was at odds about Celie's decision to
    be friendly with Mister
    by the end of the book - personally I thought this was a more realistic choice and liked it, though it did make me super uncomfortable. 
  • I'm not religious. But I found this book's discussion of God very in line with my own views of the world and on beauty and spirituality - surprising to me because I usually am not big on religion or spirituality discussions. I'm glad that the version of the book I read had a Forward (or intro?) by Alice Walker that pointed to this being a book about God, as it allowed me to pay more attention to this passage. 
  • I can't stop thinking about how
    Celie
    made a pair of pants for
    Sophia
    where one leg is red and one leg is purple - I especially can't stop thinking about it with the context that pants that are split w/ two different colors had a moment in 2021. This is the worst decision in the book I hate the idea that these pants exist as an idea.
  • Other discussion from book club - apparently the adaptations of this book (even the new one?) minimize the sapphic love. I have no take on this other than, I don't understand how it's not glaringly, obviously sapphic, and am now worried about the state of reading comprehension. 
  • I started w/ the digital book and switched to audio around 50% through. The narrator was fantastic! 
  • Top 3 book club book!
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