Product Description

Sisters Nettie and Celie, the former a missionary in Africa, the latter a southern woman trapped in an unhappy marriage, share their thoughts and experiences throughout a thirty-year correspondence. Reissue. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize. NYT.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #286553 in Books
• Published on: 1990-04-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 304 pages

Review
Novel by Alice Walker, published in 1982. It won a Pulitzer Prize in 1983. A feminist novel about an abused and uneducated black woman's struggle for empowerment, the novel was praised for the depth of its female characters and for its eloquent use of black English vernacular. -- The Merriam-Webster Encyclopedia of Literature

From the Back Cover
[Banner] Now a Tony Award-Winning Broadway Musical
 

The Color Purple is the story of two sisters—one a missionary to Africa and the other a child wife living in the South—who remain loyal to one another across time, distance, and silence. Beautifully imagined and deeply compassionate, this classic of American literature is rich with passion, pain, inspiration, and an indomitable love of life.


"Intense emotional impact . . . Indelibly affecting . . . Alice Walker is a lavishly gifted writer."—The New York Times Book Review

"Places Walker in the company of Faulkner."—The Nation

"Superb . . . A work to stand beside literature of any time and place."—San Francisco Chronicle

"The Color Purple is an American novel of permanent importance."—Newsweek

"Marvelous characters . . . A story of revelation . . . One of the great books of our time."--Essence
 
[banner] Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award
 
 
 [bio]
Bestselling novelist Alice Walker is also the author of three collections of short stories, three collections of essays, six volumes of poetry and several children's books. Her books have been translated into more than two dozen languages. Born in Eatonton, Georgia, Walker now lives in northern California.

About the Author
Alice Walker won the Pulitzer Prize and the American Book Award for her novel The Color Purple, which was preceded by The Third Life of Grange Copeland and Meridian. Her other bestselling novels include By the Light of My Father's Smile, Possessing the Secret of Joy and The Temple of My Familiar. She is also the author of two collections of short stories, three collections of essays, five volumes of poetry and several children's books. Her books have been translated into more than two dozen languages. Born in Eatonton, Georgia, Walker now lives in Northern California.

Customer Reviews

The Deepest Pain
The Color Purple / 0-671-72779-6

In some ways this is the strongest novel I have ever read. So much is tackled here - sexual violence, incest, marital abuse, racism - that tangible fear and pain reside on every page. The protagonists (and there are several) are strong, clinging to life against all reason, managing to hope even after decades of pain and abuse by those poised to most intimately hurt them.

That anyone so badly abused can make 'lemonade out of lemons', as the simplistic saying goes, is frankly amazing. That anyone so betrayed can still find love and happiness, is completely awe-inspiring and heart-warming. No doubt about it, this is a tear-jerker.

And yet...my only complaint is that the last part of this superb novel almost feels like a punt. The fairy tale ending is beautiful, and yet I'm not sure it is within us to hope for such wide-sweeping redemption. After years of abuse, hatred, and vitriol, can abusers and their victims live together in harmony? Can lovers find love even after long periods of intentional abandonment and loss? Are we being cynical or is Walker being too simplistic? I don't have the answer.

Book redefines classics
I did not enjoy parts of the book because of the style of writing. The part of the book that was enjoyable is when Celie and her sister shared numerous letters. Celie's sister, Nettie, is in Africa while Celie is in America. Celie and her sister have not seen each other in thirty years, since Celie got married to Mr.___. Celie finds out that her husband has been hiding her sisters letters from her. Her sister tells her a story about her life in the past thirty years through numerous amounts of letters. When Celie finishes reading these letters she starts writing back to her sister. In these letters, Nettie also tells her sister about how the white people were taking advantage of the African tribes in Africa. Many things happen, but they are for you to read. I can see why this book is a classic because of the topics it covers, but personally it is not my favorite book.

twisted, horrifying, disgusting, revolting, perverted, vomit-inducing, etc.
this is the worst book i've ever read, along with the house on mango street. i had to read this the summer before ninth grade. yes, ninth! i was THIRTEEN and i had to submerge myself in this perverted sick unhealthy (most likely drug-induced) for lack of a better word, BOOK. i was horrified, disgusted, revolted, terrified, and it was NOT a pleasant read. i couldn't even finish it. i stopped after about 100 pages, and akwardly had to tell my mom that i didn't want to finish it. she read it and agrees with me. why this is considered a "CLASSIC" is beyond me. it sounds like alice walker is on crack and wrote down the first twisted, sick, perverted scence she could think of. i would NEVER recommend this book, especially for schools.