The Color Purple by Alice Walker

Last year as part of a going away present from my volunteer gig, I received a copy of The Color Purple by Alice Walker. I finally made it a priority to read!

In this epistolary novel, Celie writes letters to God and to her sister Nettie. Celie is a black girl living in an abusive home when her father marries her off to an abusive man. Along the way, Celie meets an entire cast of characters and suffers way more than any human should, but somehow keeps her head up and manages to maintain her cheer and dignity.

This book was so hard to read. The violent imagery was so stark and so real. But read it I did because I wanted Celie to succeed, I wanted her to be loved, and I wanted to know how it could possibly end. I don't know how this didn't get pressed into my hands when I was younger - it's exactly the sort of book I would have rabidly read repeatedly. 

Just so powerful and beautiful. WHY DIDN'T ANYBODY TELL ME HOW GOOD THIS IS? 5/5 stars

Lines of note:

Time moves slowly, but passes quickly. (page 163)

What God do for me? I ast.
She say, Celie! Like she shock. He gave you life, good health, and a good woman that love you to death.
Yeah, I say, and he give me a lynched daddy, a crazy mama, a lowdown dog of a step pa, and a sister I probably won't ever see again. Anyhow, I say, the God I been praying and writing to is a man. And act just like all the other mens I know. Trifling, forgitful and lowdown. (page 191)

The title:

I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it. (page 195)

Not a blade of corn (how it do that?) not the color purple (where it come from?). 

Hat mentions (why hats?):

She wearing a hat like Indian Chiefs. (page 25)
Nine o'clock come, he bring Harpo his hat. (page 28)
A shiny black hat with what look like chickinhawk feathers curve down side one cheek...(page 44)
He say, Hand Pa his hat, Celie. (page 54)
She got on a starch and iron dress, high hell shoes with scuffs, and a old hat somebody give Shug. (page 93)
Her hat missing and one of the heels come off her shoe. (page 95)
He took my hat off, say Squeak. (page 96)
Silk and satin too, and hats made out of gold. (page 106)
The defend it a the drop of a hat. And speaking of hats, if we had passed our hats alone they would not have been enough to hold all the donations to our enterprise. (page 134-135)
So me and Shug dress up in our new blue flower pants that match and big floppy Easter hats that match too...(page 177)
She dress to kill in a pink suit, big pink hat and pink shoes...(page 179)
Love to wear her hats and shoes. (page 217)

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The Color Purple has been banned and censored in its time. Have you read a banned book recently?