Lägg till bokmärke
The Color Purple is a story told in short letters. Letters, at first, from a barely-literate Celie to God, letters that are little more than raw o... (show more)
The Color Purple is a story told in short letters. Letters, at first, from a barely-literate Celie to God, letters that are little more than raw observations of a brutal, degraded, hopeless life. Letters, later, from Celie's sister Nettie, reminding Celie of their shared history, relating the progress of Celie's stolen son and daughter, and telling of Nettie's life as a missionary in Africa. Later still, letters from Celie to Nettie, tragically undelivered. Finally, letters once again from Celie to God.
At the beginning Celie's life is so harsh and her writing ability so minimal that it takes courage to keep reading. But Celie grows and her life slowly becomes richer, especially when she meets Shug Avery, blues singer, former lover of Celie's uncommunicative husband, and eventual lesbian lover. Her life begins to open up when Shug helps her find Nettie's letters, which Celie's husband has kept hidden from her, and eventually becomes a happy life as she gains her independence and comes to understand people, including those she once hated. Page by page, letter by letter, Celie's story becomes readable, then engaging, then fascinating, then fulfilling. This is a marvelous book . . . I'm so happy I finally read it.
Why is The Color Purple always near the top of every banned books list? Why do parents' groups still try to have it removed from school libraries and reading lists? Lots of reasons. White people hate it because it's black-centric, and the few whites depicted therein are contemptuous figures. Black people hate it because it paints a gritty, unflattering picture of poor southern black life, complete with shiftless men, uneducated women, and incest. Bluenoses of all races hate it because there's sex in it, and specifically lesbianism. Oh, and then there's drugs. And alcohol. And juke joints. And Celie, though she writes to God, doesn't in fact believe in God, let alone Jesus. The Color Purple is, to be honest, devilishly seductive . . . and dangerous. If you don't want kids thinking outside the box, you don't want them reading books like this!
This really is a staggeringly good read. Alice Walker is a brilliant talent. The Color Purple will make you think, and you'll never forget it. (show less)
