A visionary cast of characters weave together their past and present in a brilliantly intricate tapestry of tales.It is the story of the disposses...
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reviews
Jun 25, 2008
Jstg00d
rated it: 
This book was a different experience than most books.
I initially was swept in by the writing. I felt like I could touch the scenes.
I am actually a big narrative person, i.e. I usually like a great story line. This did not disappoint, but it was more about the characters. It reminded me of Grapes of Wrath in that it wasn't until I read the final chapters of the book that the story line rushed over me and revealed its excellence.
Written by Alice Walker, the bo More...
I initially was swept in by the writing. I felt like I could touch the scenes.
I am actually a big narrative person, i.e. I usually like a great story line. This did not disappoint, but it was more about the characters. It reminded me of Grapes of Wrath in that it wasn't until I read the final chapters of the book that the story line rushed over me and revealed its excellence.
Written by Alice Walker, the bo More...
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Feb 03, 2009
Gaijinmama
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I'm ashamed to admit that this one sat on my shelves for perhaps 15 years. But clearly, there was a reason I held onto it: it is a beautiful, magical, devastating, lyrical treat! Even though the narrative drifts like a winding river among a cast of intertwined characters, plots, and settings, somehow they are all connected. I can't recommend this book highly enough, but I must warn you to be patient. I urge you to just pick it up and go with the flow. Not all questions are answered in the More...
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May 02, 2011
Meryem
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Dec 11, 2010
Becky
rated it: 
3.99 star average? Really? That makes The Temple of My Familiar one of the most highly rated books I've come across on Goodreads. Way ahead of most of the 1001 books to read before you die. Well I don't get it. At all. Are we all being PC? Did we genuinely enjoy this overwrought wrangling with the ideas of feminism, "normal" relationships, colour and love? I sincerely believe that to be an honest and decent person today, you have to be connected with your past, and to understan
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Dec 09, 2010
In the book the Temple of My Familiar, the author Alice Walker defines the roles that men and woman have in society. She shows the aspect of power and what one will do to acquirer it. Throughout the book Walker portrays women as being a high supernatural being; a goddess.
By women knowing who they are and what they are made for, the producers of life, they are feared and worshiped by men. “…there was also woman, and in the process of life and change she produced a being somewhat unlike More...
By women knowing who they are and what they are made for, the producers of life, they are feared and worshiped by men. “…there was also woman, and in the process of life and change she produced a being somewhat unlike More...
May 12, 2008
Jennie
rated it:
OMG, did I ever hate this book. I loved The Color Purple, so I thought I'd like this.
It jumps around like crazy and includes new characters far more often than it refers back to ones we've already met. I got so sick of trying to keep track of characters that I finally threw it down in disgust. Irritating and a waste of time.
It jumps around like crazy and includes new characters far more often than it refers back to ones we've already met. I got so sick of trying to keep track of characters that I finally threw it down in disgust. Irritating and a waste of time.
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Jul 23, 2008
Erin
rated it:
This sequel is very different from The Color Purple but worth a read. Alice Walker writes brilliantly about the complicated dyamics of heterosexual relationships, history, and feminism. I found her writing in this book to be both thought provoking and funny.
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Jan 25, 2009
Cheryl
rated it:
Obviously I must be unpacking all my favorite books! I read this in college and it changed my life, opened my eyes to some beautiful ideas and meanings about life, feminism, love, and spirituality. There is magic, tribal wisdom, african myths, goddess worship, reincarnation, a little of everything! It was the first time I was able to see that there is wisdom is so many faiths and beliefs and you can respect them without having to declare allegiance to them. If I did have a familiar, I believe
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Aug 06, 2011
Heather
rated it:
I'm sorry but this is one of the worst books I've ever read. I went into it with an open mind and recognized the author Alice Walker from her other book, The Color Purple. This book, however, is confused, convoluted and just unappealing. Walker does not create characters that one can follow through the book since she jumps storylines so much. You never know what is going on or where. I never believe in wasting a book but this one I literally threw away. I want to forget that this book happ
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Jun 21, 2010
Sara Jaye
rated it: 
Really, I probably only gave this book two starts because it's by Alice Walker. Maybe my expectations were too high, having loved her other work. In any case, this novel engages some really interesting themes in an ultimately disappointing way. Characters navigate gender relationships, their histories, migrations, and racial identities only to fall into a flat fantasy world. It's not that I'm bothered by the "magic realism" of this novel, as I see it's tagged here, because I have read
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Jan 21, 2010
Amanda
rated it:
I really loved this book. I read it way back in college, as part of a literary class. We read a book a week, and NO ONE in the class finished this book in a week (we all managed to finish all of the other books on time). No. One! The reason we decided upon is that it's a book to read in chunks, to mull over what you read for a bit, and then go back to it later on and read some more. I have reread the book a few times over the years, and have always found the same to be true - that I can onl
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Jan 21, 2009
Amanda
rated it:
I don't remember when I read this book, I'm going to guess 2001 because that's when I took "African American Woman's Litt" and became even more obsessed with Alice Walker. I've been reading other reviews and I want to say to anyone considering reading this book don't concentrate on the story so much as think about it. If you happen to be and anti-feminist woman hater, then yes you'll hate this too. There are certain parts of this book that STILL come to mind when I think of woman's
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Feb 02, 2009
Cassandra
rated it:
I wanted to like this book because I love "The Color Purple" but I found myself reading almost 100 pages and putting the book away for about a year. And when I returned, most of the plot was unfamiliar to me and I found the characters to be boring. None of them connected to me as a reader and while the story is filled with scandal and intrigue, unlike the characters in "The Color Purple" I didn't empathize with any of them. Nor did I root for their downfall. I was completely
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Jul 02, 2008
Leah
rated it:
Alice Walker is reputedly one of the most well-known, yet most difficult post-modern authors to read, and The Temple of My Familiar makes both of these reputations known. Why is it difficult? In an effort to present life, and I mean life as in the history of man (and other creatures) in this world throughout time, there's no doubt that the result of this feat would be a difficult read. Walker's novel travels in a non-linear way through time, covering South America, North America, Africa, and Eng
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Jul 28, 2007
Sondang
rated it:
Akhirnya aku menyelesaikan buku ini! It is a really unputdownable book (istilah si Imee)
Love it from the first page.
Alice Walker, gitu lho.
Buku ini merupakan ribuan tokoh karakter yang diwakili oleh beberapa orang tokoh utama.
Lissie, wanita yang mempunyai masa lalu begitu banyak (dan kita akan terbawa dengan semua karakter masa lampau tersebut) dan Hal –orang yang selalu ada juga dalam hampir setiap masa lampaunya, Arveyda si musisi ternama dan istrinya Carlotta –yang ibu More...
Love it from the first page.
Alice Walker, gitu lho.
Buku ini merupakan ribuan tokoh karakter yang diwakili oleh beberapa orang tokoh utama.
Lissie, wanita yang mempunyai masa lalu begitu banyak (dan kita akan terbawa dengan semua karakter masa lampau tersebut) dan Hal –orang yang selalu ada juga dalam hampir setiap masa lampaunya, Arveyda si musisi ternama dan istrinya Carlotta –yang ibu More...
Jun 09, 2007
Nicole
rated it:
is there a bookshelf called "to re-read?" this is definitely one of those. and i'm not even done with it.
several metaphors come to life in this book, but one scene that I see as representative of the entire novel, is where Lissie is showing Suwelo several different pictures of herself taken in one day. Except the woman in each picture is distinctly different from the next. and from the clothing you can tell that they are also different time periods. but they are all of Lissie. More...
several metaphors come to life in this book, but one scene that I see as representative of the entire novel, is where Lissie is showing Suwelo several different pictures of herself taken in one day. Except the woman in each picture is distinctly different from the next. and from the clothing you can tell that they are also different time periods. but they are all of Lissie. More...
Oct 08, 2009
Barbie
rated it: 
This is a very thought provoking book that encompasses alot of different themes and moral questions. I found it fascinating but at the same time found it hard to keep reading. It got complicated and, I felt, long-winded. After I was done I was glad I read all of it but I struggled to make myself finish it. I must say she has an interesting approach to many historical and moral truths and I do agree with alot of her assertions. Human history, religion, racism all are addressed and even if yo
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Nov 19, 2011
Jeff
rated it:
What to say about this book? A friend highly recommended it. I found it to have too many characters and not enough plot. It came across as a new age mishmash. I did find the parts about reincarnation to be interesting. I don't want to come of as some right wing nut case, but I refuse to feel guilty about the plight of women of color through history because I had nothing to do with it. I'm not sorry I read it but I think it stunk.
Oct 14, 2011
Peggy
rated it:
This book was in no way familiar with any other book that I've read, but I will fairly rate it as unique and memorable, and in some ways very enlightening and informative. I particularly enjoyed the settings in Africa and each character and how their roles contributed to the story; Ola, Zede, Mary Jane, Celie, Shug, Granny Dorcy, Ms. Rose, Lisse and Hal.
I was stunned at the end; mainly of Fanny, Carlotta, Suwelo and Arveyda's close-knit relationship, but I could almost understand t More...
I was stunned at the end; mainly of Fanny, Carlotta, Suwelo and Arveyda's close-knit relationship, but I could almost understand t More...
Nov 05, 2007
Linda
rated it:
This is Alice Walker's sort of sequel to The Color Purple. Some of the same characters are involved although mostly by reference. it is a very different book. Mostly it takes place about two generations after the events in the first novel. It's a hard book to describe with parts of it being very down to earth and other parts having a feel of mythology.
It didn't manage to captivate me the way The Color Purple did but it still was a very interesting book. The lives of her characters ar More...
It didn't manage to captivate me the way The Color Purple did but it still was a very interesting book. The lives of her characters ar More...
Jul 12, 2010
Phoenix
rated it:
Alice Walker is a very strong writer and writes through her characters. THere is almost no silent character narration. The book is mostly conversations between characters.
And the characters are: strong, deep, wise, pained, peaceful, and the essence of "there is nothing new under the sun." Through these people she explores history, how we got here, how it has affected us. There is a lot of magic in this book. One of the characters remembers and still experiences all of More...
And the characters are: strong, deep, wise, pained, peaceful, and the essence of "there is nothing new under the sun." Through these people she explores history, how we got here, how it has affected us. There is a lot of magic in this book. One of the characters remembers and still experiences all of More...
Jan 11, 2012
Ceeairrah
rated it:
I was only familiar with Alice Walker's work "The Color Purple" before I read this novel. The two books are on the extreme opposites of the literary spectrum. "Temple of My Familiar" captured my senses from the first line. I don't want to give the story line away. Read the book and find the magical elements for yourself. It truly was an amazing book.
Sep 06, 2009
Linda
rated it:
A dream of a book. A vision. In my Top Ten. One of the best titles ever.
pg. 357 Miss Lissie's dream memory as told to Suwelo:
"Just as my mother was queen because of her wisdom, experience, ability to soothe and to heal, because of her innate delicacy of thought and circumspection of action, and most of all because of her gentleness..."
pg. 357 Miss Lissie's dream memory as told to Suwelo:
"Just as my mother was queen because of her wisdom, experience, ability to soothe and to heal, because of her innate delicacy of thought and circumspection of action, and most of all because of her gentleness..."
Jan 23, 2009
Victory
rated it:
Very uhm... feminist. Very into black/african culture. Hard for me to relate to. Good writing, just never really took off for me.
Maybe it's because the POV (point of view) skips around so much. I think I had a hard time being sympathetic with the chacters as I didn't get enough time to know them.
Maybe it's because the POV (point of view) skips around so much. I think I had a hard time being sympathetic with the chacters as I didn't get enough time to know them.
Apr 20, 2011
Katherine
rated it:
The images and ideas she creates still run through my imagination - like a riddle or a picture or an idea that I can just about capture, then it slips away. I think she captures the profound and complex ways we are all tied to each other, and to our history, in this beautifully written novel.
May 23, 2010
Ruth
rated it:
416 pages. Donated 2010 May.
Filled with the author's unique combination of magic and reality, this book is a sweeping yet intimate novel about people who are tormented by the world's contradictions--black vs. white, man vs. woman, sexual freedom vs. sexual slavery, and past vs. present.
Filled with the author's unique combination of magic and reality, this book is a sweeping yet intimate novel about people who are tormented by the world's contradictions--black vs. white, man vs. woman, sexual freedom vs. sexual slavery, and past vs. present.
Mar 25, 2010
Gwyn
rated it:
I read this book when I was in my 20s,and I wasn't too thrilled with it. I then read it 10 years later. Life experiences and spiritual evolution make a hell of a difference! I saw the plot and characters in a different light. Put on your 'spirit hat' and keep an open mind when reading this one!
Jan 04, 2009
Cori
rated it:
It took me three tries to truly get into this book. Once I read nearly half and then put it aside. But if you keep reading, it's really quite amazing. If I taught in college, I would probably use it. As always with Alice its more the story than the language, but what a story.
Sep 23, 2009
So far this is the sort of book written so smoothly that you ride easily along on the language for quite some pages before you really need consider content. Alice Walker describes characters and settings concisely, yet I experience them richly from these few words. So, her way of repeating her descriptions with a little variation can feel a bit florid. I believe Arveyda, the first and as of yet only male character I've encountered, less than her mother and daughter characters. I can make up r
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Feb 15, 2010
Some passages still occur to me even after all this time.
the love story curves from character to character, a tangled love pentagram. I read it when I was quite young, and it was perhaps the first time I had read of love being something that moved between people in an unresolved sort of a way. the first time my young mind realized love was far more complex than i thought. rather than boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, boy and girl live happily ever after.
the More...
the love story curves from character to character, a tangled love pentagram. I read it when I was quite young, and it was perhaps the first time I had read of love being something that moved between people in an unresolved sort of a way. the first time my young mind realized love was far more complex than i thought. rather than boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, boy and girl live happily ever after.
the More...
