This critically acclaimed modern American novel is analyzed and summarized, and Alice Walker's distinct writing style is discussed. Titles in this ...
read full description
reviews
Jul 31, 2011
Patrizia
rated it: 
La vicenda narrata in questo libro racchiude diversi temi, ciascuno dei quali racchiude una possibile chiave di lettura. La storia della protagonista, Celie, ha luogo nel profondo sud degli Stati Uniti, in un arco temporale che, più o meno, dalla fine del 1800 giunge sino agli anni '40.
E' però riduttivo individuare un'unica protagonista; in realtà la storia di Celie si intreccia con quella di molti altri personaggi, ciascuno dei quali svolge un ruolo essenziale nell'economia del romanzo.
2 comments
like
(8 people liked it)
Dec 17, 2009
Russ
rated it:
I first read this in high school, and really enjoyed it. I re-read it in 2007, and enjoyed it just as much the second time.
First thing I should mention: This is not the book for you if you object to blunt language about sexuality, and strong language in general. The themes in this one are very real, and very shocking. However, if you can get past that, the story does offer some very touching moments.
The story, in a nutshell: Celie, a poor black girl living in Georgia More...
First thing I should mention: This is not the book for you if you object to blunt language about sexuality, and strong language in general. The themes in this one are very real, and very shocking. However, if you can get past that, the story does offer some very touching moments.
The story, in a nutshell: Celie, a poor black girl living in Georgia More...
0 comments
like
(23 people liked it)
Aug 05, 2011
Angus
rated it:
Disclaimer: This is not a review. This may have spoilers. Read at your own risk. Visit original post at Book Rhapsody.
***
Intro
I am the only reader in our family. I might sound a little condescending, but it really is true. I am the only person in the most recent generation of our family tree who would spend a lot on books. A few of my cousins show some interest in reading, but they do not read as voraciously as I do.
So it really is rewarding when I More...
***
Intro
I am the only reader in our family. I might sound a little condescending, but it really is true. I am the only person in the most recent generation of our family tree who would spend a lot on books. A few of my cousins show some interest in reading, but they do not read as voraciously as I do.
So it really is rewarding when I More...
16 comments
like
(8 people liked it)
Oct 11, 2007
Austin
rated it: 
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
10 comments
like
(12 people liked it)
Dec 16, 2009
Meara
rated it: 
It was a beautiful story that made you want to cry, laugh and smile along with the characters. Well put together plot line, the characters were people you could really feel for and identify with. I loved the humanness of it all, way different stories were intermingled with each other and how you felt closure at the end of it all. Read it. Everyone.
0 comments
like
(7 people liked it)
Feb 20, 2008
Sarah
rated it:
amazing:
dear nettie,
i dont write to god no more, i write to you.
what happened to god? ast shug.
who that? i say.
she look at me serious.
big a devil as you is, i say, you not worried bout no god, surely.
she say, wait a minute. hold on just a minute here. just because i dont harass it like some peoples us know dont mean i aint got no religion.
what god do for me? i ast.
she say, celie! More...
dear nettie,
i dont write to god no more, i write to you.
what happened to god? ast shug.
who that? i say.
she look at me serious.
big a devil as you is, i say, you not worried bout no god, surely.
she say, wait a minute. hold on just a minute here. just because i dont harass it like some peoples us know dont mean i aint got no religion.
what god do for me? i ast.
she say, celie! More...
3 comments
like
(13 people liked it)
Apr 07, 2009
Visha
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
2 comments
like
(5 people liked it)
Sep 27, 2009
Lady Danielle "The Book Huntress"
rated it:
Incredible and moving, this book made me cry practically the whole way through Celie's story will break your heart. And the reunion with her sister will heal it. I could not put this book down and read it in a day. I can't recommend it highly enough.
4 comments
like
(6 people liked it)
Feb 01, 2011
Fiona
rated it:
As many of my companions know I have recently re-read 'The Color Purple' because it was voted as the November group-read by participants of the "Feminist Readers' Discussion Group" which I facilitate. I have so very many thoughts and ideas rattling around in my mind on how to structure our gathering next month that I can barely begin to write this review.
I'll keep it brief...
Quite unsurprisingly, I once again experienced 'The Color Purple' to be a harrowing yet More...
I'll keep it brief...
Quite unsurprisingly, I once again experienced 'The Color Purple' to be a harrowing yet More...
5 comments
like
(7 people liked it)
Feb 06, 2008
Christy
rated it:
This is one of my new favorite books.
The Color Purple tells the story of Celie, a black woman who finds herself in one abusive situation after another. Her stepfather molests her, her husband beats her, and she is worn down by bearing and caring for children. Over the course of the book, however, Celie learns to stand up for herself and, more importantly, learns to love. Celie's personal development is prompted by her relationship with Shug Avery, a singer and her husband's former More...
The Color Purple tells the story of Celie, a black woman who finds herself in one abusive situation after another. Her stepfather molests her, her husband beats her, and she is worn down by bearing and caring for children. Over the course of the book, however, Celie learns to stand up for herself and, more importantly, learns to love. Celie's personal development is prompted by her relationship with Shug Avery, a singer and her husband's former More...
0 comments
like
(7 people liked it)
Sep 29, 2010
Christian
rated it:
The color purple was really hard to understand but i worked hard .What the color purple was mainly about was celie learnig how to stand up for herself.her sister will always try to make her do it but it did not work.She let The Man beat on her and she did not know how to defend herself.When this lady got sick she came to live with celie an dcelie husband,and celie and the lady became very close and talked about a lot of things i think celie was in love with her.Well the lady was really nasty and
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Apr 21, 2011
Louize
rated it:
Since its release in 1982, The Color Purple had been a subject of frequent censorship due to its violent sexual content and language. Not to mention the casual and constant change of partners, lesbianism and the polygamous society of the Olinka tribe. Written in epistolary form, the book is a series of letters addressed to God through which our protagonist, Celie, found solace in her chaotic life. She exists in a time when it was filled with male dominance and fixed gender roles.
“More...
9 comments
like
(6 people liked it)
Jun 05, 2011
Dominic
rated it:
When talking about the power of books, I often mention something I call "the human spirit." However I would define it if I could, I believe The Color Purple comes closer than any other book to embodying, for me, this wonderful enigma. Walker's story, even after what is probably a dozen readings, continues to come to life like no other book. It pulses with the stuff of real human possibility and both the magic and wonder of the human experience. It literally moves me to tears every
More...
2 comments
like
(3 people liked it)
Dec 31, 2008
Andrew
rated it:
This is a deeply religious book, in a couple of different senses. First of all, the main character, Celie, narrates the book through letters she writes to God. She is trapped in abusive relationships, first with Pa and then with her husband Albert, referred to by her as Mr ______. She writes to God because she has nobody else to talk to after her sister Nettie disappears, believed dead. Gradually, through her relationship with Shug Avery and piecing together the truth about her past, she rids he
More...
0 comments
like
(4 people liked it)
Mar 05, 2008
Plot Summary:
Celie, the book’s narrator, is a young black teenager who is writing letters to God. Her father, Alphonso, abuses her, rapes her and fathers her two children.
A man who is referred to as Mr. ________ tries to marry Nettie, Celie’s younger, more attractive sister. Her father rejects this but suggests that he marry Celie, an offer that Mr. _______ accepts. Soon after she moves in with Mr. _____ and his family, she learns that he has a lover named Shug Avery. Celie is intr More...
Celie, the book’s narrator, is a young black teenager who is writing letters to God. Her father, Alphonso, abuses her, rapes her and fathers her two children.
A man who is referred to as Mr. ________ tries to marry Nettie, Celie’s younger, more attractive sister. Her father rejects this but suggests that he marry Celie, an offer that Mr. _______ accepts. Soon after she moves in with Mr. _____ and his family, she learns that he has a lover named Shug Avery. Celie is intr More...
May 06, 2008
Felicia
rated it: 
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Aug 12, 2007
Sondang
rated it:
If I'm in love with Maeve Binchy slowly but sure, I'm in love with Alice Walker in a rush. She's great at telling the story. This is my first encounter with her writing, and it make me intend to collect all her works, just like I do with Maeve Binchy. (well, a start for hunting good books, I always love this part!).
The book is so 'black'. The story is so compelling. You'll love the way its character describe every other character.
I know this book is kind of difficult to read for most More...
The book is so 'black'. The story is so compelling. You'll love the way its character describe every other character.
I know this book is kind of difficult to read for most More...
3 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Jun 20, 2007
Anne
rated it:
I picked this book up on a whim at my aunt's house (I'm currently on vacation with not enough reading material). I wasn't skeptical, per se, but I wasn't really interested, because I was expecting it to be like Beloved, which was a lot of work. But The Color Purple is an epistolary novel (ahh, freshman year English) from the point of view of an uneducated woman, Celie, who has been told her whole life that she is stupid and ugly. There is external action (the most interesting involving Celie'
More...
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Jun 16, 2008
Emily
rated it:
I have to give it five stars. I don't know how you can't, but it's a very disturbing and yet so penetrating image of love. Is there a person off-limits to love? Does your suffering justify where you find love? What is the difference between a man's love and woman's love? Is one better than the other? Is happiness only found in loving someone? And the greatest question, what does God say about it all, if He is even there? Is He made happy by what makes us happy, or is it something bigger
More...
Dec 16, 2009
Anna
rated it:
(Originally published here: http://www.nbafictionblog.org/nba-winnin...)
I picked up my copy of Alice Walker's The Color Purple to jog my memory of it for this review. I found myself swallowing it whole, reading it cover to cover in one day, and not merely remembering why I liked the book, but loving it once again.
Walker accomplishes a rare thing: She makes an epistolary novel work without veering into preciousness. Rather, Celie's full-bodied voice emerges, a moody and ho More...
I picked up my copy of Alice Walker's The Color Purple to jog my memory of it for this review. I found myself swallowing it whole, reading it cover to cover in one day, and not merely remembering why I liked the book, but loving it once again.
Walker accomplishes a rare thing: She makes an epistolary novel work without veering into preciousness. Rather, Celie's full-bodied voice emerges, a moody and ho More...
2 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Nov 09, 2008
Sarah
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
4 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Sep 16, 2009
Now a broad way musical , and the winner of the Pulitzer prize and the national book award . Written by the best selling novelist Alice Walker. The Color Purple . A fabulous movie and book for its kind . From the characters , who could ever forget mister . To the conflicts , Sofia and her fights and even the relationships . This book remains the best of all times .
“All my life I had to fight “ said by my honest opinion the strongest character in the book , Sofia . She wasn’t just More...
“All my life I had to fight “ said by my honest opinion the strongest character in the book , Sofia . She wasn’t just More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Apr 22, 2009
In this book “the color purple”, the main character Celie, is a young black teenager who is keep writing letters to God. This kind of letters are just like journal entries, keep tracking about what she’s thinking, feel about tings, etc. Also, from the words in the journals we know that Celie is an uneducated, innocent, fourteen years old African American girl.
I think that this book is my favourite book because the letters from Celie to God and Nettie, created a honest voice of which she a More...
I think that this book is my favourite book because the letters from Celie to God and Nettie, created a honest voice of which she a More...
Mar 20, 2009
Katie
rated it:
Before I read this book I was going to read Roots for my English project. Then halfway through it I realized
I wasn’t going to be able to finish it in time. Pathetic right? So my mom looked up this book and said that I
would like it, plus I would be able to finish it. At first I was a little nervous to read a book that my MOM
recommended, so I asked my friends about it. Some had heard of it, but never read or seen it. Others
praised it. So eventually I gave in and bought More...
I wasn’t going to be able to finish it in time. Pathetic right? So my mom looked up this book and said that I
would like it, plus I would be able to finish it. At first I was a little nervous to read a book that my MOM
recommended, so I asked my friends about it. Some had heard of it, but never read or seen it. Others
praised it. So eventually I gave in and bought More...
Mar 11, 2009
Christopher
rated it:
This was the first Alice Walker novel that I have read. I thought that it was very well written, and an interesting, heartbreaking, courageous, and overall triumphant work. Ms. Walker's writing style is clear, easy to follow, and not too complicated, which isn't to say that she's a bad author; she's not. The format of the book, with Celie's diary entries is very clever, and fits this book perfectly. I enjoyed this book very much. Ms. Walker does a beautiful job of accuratly presenting African-Am
More...
Feb 09, 2012
Kristen
rated it:
I agree with my friend Bay when she said she didn't know if she "liked" the color purple. But I think I did. I love how it made me think. I know that it dabbles heavily in racism and sexism, but for some reason it had a heavy hand in religion as well for me. I'll blame that on the fact that I listen to Christian Rock every morning on my way to work to make me more inclined to be nice to my coworkers. But, my favorite line in the book is when I believe it's Nettie, says that God has hai
More...
Jan 31, 2012
Scarlett
rated it:
The first chapter is a good enough prelude to make one ready to the mood in the book, but the rest of the book is not anyway like it. There is a certain playfulness even while describing the saddest of emotions!
Such atrocities caused on women in the name of race, gender, age, sex - that I could feel my eyes well up with tears at some points.
Such pain one woman had to see because of her innocence, her color and her gender. Not ever knowing how it is to have a real Mom and More...
Jan 27, 2012
Odin
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Jan 23, 2012
Bena
rated it:
The protagonist, Celie is famish and has no intellectual experiences uprooted from the rural in Georgia. Constantly, Celie is raped and suffers from the abusive violent father, Alphonso. After Celie’s mother becomes bed-ridden, her father brings home a new wife. “Mr. _________” (his name is not mentioned in the story) wants to marry Nettie; however Alphonso does not give permission and gives Celie as a bride to him instead. Nettie decides to run away from her father, to live with her More...
Jan 22, 2012
Giselle
rated it:
The Color Purple is about a poor girl named Celie that lives in Georgia around the 1930's. After being sexually abused by her father and having two children, she is forced to be married to a man named Mr.______ who abuses her and likes her sister more. Celie's sister Nettie comes to stay with Celie and Mr.____ for a while, but Mr._____ forces Nettie to leave and Celie and Nettie never meet again. Celie has to grow accustomed to her new life now without any support and she starts to gain new f
More...
