Genre: epistolary novel (a novel written as a series of letters between the fictional characters of a narrative), domestic fiction
Key Stage: Year 11+ contains graphic and sensitive content
Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Color Purple, Alice Walker (1982)
Plot: The Color Purple is a feminist work about the abuse of an uneducated African American woman named Celie, and the struggles she endures: years of abuse and teenage pregnancy. The story is told through letters to God, and between herself and her sister.
It is a story of independence and self-realisation through her growth and her overcoming of the oppression she was reduced to. The colloquial language used makes it feel more as though you are there, being spoken to by the characters and allows you to delve yourself into the world she is in, giving the book a more personal feel. From the very beginning to the end of the novel, you are faced with the harsh realities of the world Celie was living in, and despite the graphic content of it, it is a revelation and a must-read book for anyone who is able to read it.
Alice Walker encapsulates you from the first page, forcing you to read on. Starting it off in such a raw way makes this novel unlike any other. Although being a fictional book, it’s important to remember that this was the cruel reality for many women like Celie, and this is the novel’s purpose. Walker encourages you to be mindful and reflect on the suffering these women faced, and to not get their suffrage lost in history.
I recommend this book to anyone age appropriate and encourage anyone that reads it to go into this book with a clear mind, in order to understand and grasp the raw content of the novel.
Other Recommended Reads: The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor and Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
Reviewer: Kacey, Year 12