Book: The Color Purple

Finally, I was able to read this critically acclaimed book by Alice Walker. It has been gathering dust in my bookshelf for a couple of weeks now. My copy is the really old one, printed in 1985, got it for only P200. I love the feel of those really old books, with somehow yellowish/brownish pages and the living creatures that come along with it.

I heard about this book already years back in college but never really had the interest to actually read it. I got it mainly because I saw an itsy bitsy part of the movie's trailer over at 2nd Ave(The coolest channel ever to hit cable, IMHO).I saw Oprah creating havoc on the street dressed like a peasant. Well, as they say, if it has Oprah, it must be good (errr). Looked up the author and learned that it won 1983 Pulitzer Award for fiction and the National Book Award.

As per the ever reliable wiki, "Taking place mostly in rural Georgia, the story addresses many issues related to African-American life during the early to mid20th century in the American south, especially focusing on women's low position in black social culture."

The book centered on the life of Celie, a poor uneducated 14 year old writing to God. The chapters were in forms of letters which made the story very readable. It would make one cry just reading about the hardships (in the real essence of the word) she had to endure from the man she thought was her father and then to the old man she was married off to.

I read this book in about 3 hours. That's how riveting the book is. It tackled slavery, abuse,exploitation that was seen across both gender and race. I felt the very same way I felt while watching Hotel Rwanda , one of my favorite movies of all time. One of those very few movies that broke my heart. Can't really imagine that humans are capable of doing beyond despicable things to one another. I prefer a different ending but overall the book is great. I am definitely gonna look for the movie.

A must read and a certified tearjerker.

Anyways, for a much more comprehensive summary and other relevant info about the book, click here