This classic, banned book was a book club read for me in 2024. Told in epistolary style, the main character, Celie, first writes to God and later to her sister, Nettie. The books themes on racism, incest, lesbianism and domestic violence in the American South, all contribute to the controversy surrounding Walker’s prize-winning novel.
Celie and Nettie follow two very different paths. Nettie is permitted an education, while Celie must first rear her younger siblings and later the children of a man she’s forced to marry. Her husband, however is in love with a singer known as Shug.
The sisters soon lose touch with one another and Nettie accompanies a Black missionary couple to Africa, living there for decades. Though Nettie writes to Celie, Celie’s husband hides the letters. Celie fears Nettie is dead, but doesn’t sense it in her heart.
The novel follows the course of the sisters’ lives through many hardships on opposite sides of the Atlantic. Celie finds herself attracted to Shug and the worldly singer develops a relationship with unsophisticated Celie, teaching her much about life.
Though there are aching scenes of betrayal and abuse, there is also redemption and reconciliation. As the characters mature, their lives coalesce into warm bonds. Celie discovers the real stories about her parents and her inheritance leading to a happy ending.
I found the characters to be deep and richly imagined. Walker brings the Jim Crow-era South vividly to life. Though Celie’s life begins in metaphorical darkness, through her relationships with Shug and her stepchildren, she finds the lights of spirituality and her own inner strength.
“The Color Purple” has twice been made into movies, but I confess I’ve seen neither. I highly recommend the book.
Eilene Lyon 
I have not seen the movies either or read the book. I’ve always meant to. My list keeps growing and growing…I always walk away from one of your reviews another book on my list!!
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I have lists, piles, etc. everywhere!😄 I do think I’d like to watch one of the movie versions of this story. Another book I’ve never read that’s been made into several movie versions is “Little Women.” I tried reading “Pride and Prejudice” once and couldn’t get past the first chapter – movies, better!
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I must confess, I have not read Little Women, but did enjoy the movie. I have read Pride and Prejudice, many moons ago, and watched the movie. Just when you think you are making a dent in the piles, they seem to double!!! So many good books to read, and so little time!!
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It’s like the old saying “I wont ever dies, because my inbox is never empty!”
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It’s great to see this classic novel get some love! I was assigned the book in college, and I’ve also seen the Steven Spielberg movie. It’s a remarkable novel. I’d never read anything like it before.
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Such complicated family relationships and then a complicated social order on top of it. Fascinating!
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Have you read Walker’s short story “1955”? It’s one of my favorite short stories.
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No, I have not read anything else by her, but I certainly should!
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You can find “Nineteen Fifty-Five” here: https://archive.org/details/completestories0000walk/page/n7/mode/2up
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I’m surprised this is still up. I thought the Internet Archive had lost in court for offering copyrighted material this way. Not to say that I haven’t used this, particularly for book club reads.
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I remember the lawsuit, but I don’t think I’ve seen a difference in the books I’ve been able to borrow for an hour at a time.
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That’s good to know.
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