Synopsis: A love triangle between a bisexual diva, a straight share cropper and his lesbian wife set in a black community in 1920s Georgia.
Don’t be afraid to read this book! This story is actually wonderful!
The Color Purple was written in 1982 by activist and Spelman College Alumni, Alice Walker. The novel has won a Pulitzer Prize and has two movie adaptations, which pale in comparison to the source material.
But after a while it became unfair to continue putting “The Color Purple” on the back burner. If I can survive Toni Morison (twice) and go through the apocalypse with Octavia E. Butler (six times) then maybe I should just give Alice Walker a chance.
Of course, I’ve seen the first movie, with Whoopie Goldberg (whom I adore, and whom was perfectly cast as Ceilie in the OG film) and the legendary Oprah Winfrey (whom I suspect got her name and. her start acting in this film). However, I could tell from the editing that they were leaving a lot of material form the book out.
So finally, I read it. And I was pleasantly surprised. This novel was like sitting down with a good friend after a long trip and catching up. Yes, there were parts that were depressing, devastating, and gross. These things were not written with the same gravity and heaviness as other novels with similar themes. The delivery was more conversational as Ceilie relays the horrors she experienced growing up poor, black, and “ugly” in rural Georgia with the same matter of fact manner black women are known for - just stating what happened without really waiting for sympathy or handholding. Despite the darkness – this story has a few things I never expected - tender homosexual lovers, real humor, and most surprising of all A HAPPY ENDING!
Seriously! Go Check it out if you haven’t already, or listen to it, as did, on Audible, if you’re too busy to turn pages (as I am).
SPOILERS*****SPOILERS*****SPOILERS*****SPOILERS**
What I Hated
The Beginning
The Color Purple is set in 1920s Georgia, over fifty years after the Civil War. The story starts with all the dark themes that made me scared to read this book. Celie is the oldest daughter of a mean and abusive man who beats and raped her mother into having more children than he could afford. When the mother died, Celie became his new entertainment. This disgusting blight of a man gets her pregnant twice, thus ruining her chances at getting an education. She is however able to read and write. So it’s through her journals and letters that we discover her voice – as timid and shy as it is, but full of intelligence, curiosity, and passion. Her rapist father gives away both of Ceilie’s children while she’s still breastfeeding. And then, he gives Ceilie away to a man named Albert.
Albert/Mister marries Celie to replace his late wife. Albert needs a new mother/whipping girl to take care of his many terrible children because Albert thinks being a man excuses him from all such responsibility. He wasn’t in love with his wife, and he isn’t in love with Ceilie. He’s just doing what you’re supposed to do.
Celie is thrusts from a father who hates and her and calls her ugly, to a husband that is not better. She has no long for men, has even less love for the their need to rub up against her with their swollen members whenever they feel like it. Men might as well be like frogs down there as far as she is concerned. However, there is a bright side. Living with Albert gives Celie her only chance to meet a woman that's she's long been infatuated with - Albert's distant flame, and the only woman he’s ever loved, Shug.
Now to say I hate this beginning of this book is not a critique on the writing or the art of this novel. Alice Walker paints this an intelligent setting and she does it so well that I knew we were in Georgia without looking it up. The personalities are as rich as Dutch chocolate, and the characters are timeless. I've seen elements of these personalities in folks I've met, known, loved, and hated my entire life.
I completely related with Celie’s personality. The way she loves to read, the reasons she has to write, the way she talks to her sister. Her actions, her reactions, her descriptions of people and places, her ideas about God, were all … me. I've read about people feeling characters in books were their friends. But this was the first time I've really experienced a character I could hang out with, take a walk with, even pick up a phone and call and ask how she’s been. Celie is my friend within the first chapter. With every turn of the page I love her more. I became so invested in her happiness that it scared me, because she was a black woman in the South already living a horrible life in just ACT I!
What I Liked
The Middle of this Book
Predictably, once Celie out of the house her the Father turned his evil eye onto her little sister Nettie. Fortunately, Nettie had some place to run. Ceilie was able to take her in but not for long. Due to Celie's protection Nettie was able to get an education and some since of self-worth. She uses that to shield her sister from Albert until Albert has an enough and kicks Nettie out.
At the time this feels like more horror on horror. But due to some wonderful twist of literary fate Nettie gets herself adopted by the same family that has adopted her niece and nephew. WHAT ARE THE ODDS!? I don't care!
Also, somewhere at this point Shug arrives. Sick and mean and beautiful. Celie is in love and Albert finally eases up on his wife because the woman he really wants is back in his life.
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| Writer Alice Walker |
famous black author. But the drama of their growing affection for each other... namely the scene when Old Mister comes for a visit and both Albert and Celie defend Shug in their own ways. This was delightful. But I still, I was scared. Celie was taking a turn I hadn't anticipated, even after watching the movies. And while it only made the love the character even more, I also made me more afraid. What is going to happen when Albert finds out this is real competition for Shug's heart is Celie? What did they do to homosexuals in this time period?
This tension helped distract me from the horror of Sophia's situation. But about that I wanted to say. I loved the African American dominate story.
I anticipated Caucasian villainy but not like this. For the black characters of this book, the danger of white people is as old as knowing fire will burn you. It's not a surprise to anyone that when a white man disrespected Sophia she got mad and disrespected him back. They not surprised to hear that the white people over reacted to self-defense and demand for respect from a black woman. They are not at all surprise that this results in Sophia going to jail. To them it’s as shocking as someone saying they were bite by an unfamiliar dog. But the real magic is when Albert, Ceilie, Shuge, Harpo, and __ come together in a real Mission Impossible of the 1920s black south operation to get Sophia out of jail.
Despite how dysfunctional this family is, they never once considered abandoning her to her fate. They all pulled together help get her out of jail. They took care of her children while she was away. And they accepted her back into their fold when she returned. It all felt real, honest and true. And reading it didn't feel like going through someone's dirty laundry or peeking into a window. If felt like setting down in a Sista-girl's salon and hearing Celie tell me herself what was going on.
What I loved
The Use of Voice
The Color Purple is a beautiful text for studying the art of writing in voice. Walker, who also narrates the Audiobook on Audible, is able to demonstrate so much of her character’s ages, intelligence, even their level of literacy by use of writing with voice.
The book is written as Celie’s diary entries. So, the most chapters are written in Celie’s careful, frightened speech – writing freely because she knows not many people in her world can read, but still fearful because she’s always afraid. Her words are slow, plodding and simple because she didn’t finish school.
Celie’s voice changes, becomes braver, bolder and warmer as Shug helps Celie to understand herself and to learn about her body. As Celie begins to finally experience kindness, arousal and yes even love, her voice changes to reflect it.
And Finally, when Celie discovers that Nettie has been writing to her all these years, and Albert has kept the letters from her. Her voice becomes sharper, the swears more. She makes more definite choices with less second guessing. The others see Celie as weak, quiet nothing. But we know she has changed. That is why everyone but us is so surprised when Shug takes Celie with her when she leaves.
Chapters seen through the point of view of other characters further flex Walker’s skill in vice. Nettie's voice, in her letters to Celie, demonstrate more confidence with the pen, a better worldiness with the vocabulary, and her self-esteem.
Likewise, Sophia’s voice is harsher. Blunter. Almost masculine before she is sent away. She is a little softer when she comes back, but there is still a solidness to her character. You can feel that she can’t be pushed around, even now. And you know the old Sophia is just under the bruises waiting to resurface once she’s healed.
Also What What I loved.
The Ending Light Spoil-ish
I was not expecting a happy ending!
None of my previous experiences with books of this genre had prepared me to be delighted with the ending of this one!
I was not prepared for the three-way romance between Shug Avery, Mista and Celie. I was not expecting the love of one woman to create a family between three people who otherwise hated each other, nor for Celie be able to assume a more masculine role at the end of the book with no pushback from the rest of her community.
I was not anticipating that the forced separation of two sisters would lead me to cry actual tears of happiness when they were reunited, even though I'd seen the movie! I was not expecting Celie and Mista to become friends?! Like what? Or for the incest to be corrected and result in Celie and Nettie coming into a windfall that they never could have imagined.
I will not spoil this part of the book because it was not in the first movie and I haven't seen the second. But the end of the book pays off all the horrors of Act I. And for these sorts of black narrative novels that is rare.
In Conclusion!
I did not expect to find a friend in this African American Queer Pride story written in the eighties and set in the 20s. But I’m so happy for Ceilie at the end. The story does not justify, nor glorify the shame she experiences in the first ACT but it does at least come full circle and leave her stronger, bolder, and brighter and better – surrounded by love and a odd, dysfunctional but working family. And I fucking loved it!
Fantastic.
I recommend this book to anyone and everyone teens and up – especially nerdy black girls going through a tough time. 10 out of 10.
SALUTATIONS!
If you enjoy my reviews, please like and share them with friends and other readers! Comment and subscribe. I have other reviews on this blog as well. My Jelly-Phish Book Club is mostly classics that I’ve read over the years. Flip over to JellyPhish Tales to see my breakdown of picture books for younger readers. And the JellyPhish Cove is a collection of dark speculative short stories that I’ve crafted myself over years!
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Until next time I hope to see you on the Next Page!
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