Originally Posted by
Scheherazade
The Colour Purple by Alice Walker
I picked up this book without knowing much about it and I was drawn into it from the very first sentence. It is the story of Celie, a fourteen year old black girl, who, as the novel opens, is abused by her father. As she grows older and forced into marriage, she realises that to able to survive, she needs to live without reacting, doing as she is told by men in her life. However, through people she meets (mostly women), she discovers the importance of being oneself and standing up for oneself.
It is a mesmerising story of self discovery, racism, gender issues, feminisim, love, human strength, religion and faith. It is a book one does not want to put down (and probably you won't). It is written in forms of letters addressed first to God and then Celie's sister, Nettie, which makes the story even more endearing somehow (Celie's lack of grammar and vocabulary takes a little getting used to).
This is the first real 'grown-up' book I have read in a while and I feel I am truly better off for having done so. An excellent book with something to offer to almost everyone, written in a powerful, flowing style:
10/10 KitKats!