The Color Purple
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4.4 • 31 Ratings
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
The Pulitzer Prize– and National Book Award–winning novel is now a new, boldly reimagined film from producers Oprah Winfrey and Steven Spielberg, starring Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, and Fantasia Barrino.
A PBS Great American Read Top 100 Pick
Celie has grown up poor in rural Georgia, despised by the society around her and abused by her own family. She strives to protect her sister, Nettie, from a similar fate, and while Nettie escapes to a new life as a missionary in Africa, Celie is left behind without her best friend and confidante, married off to an older suitor, and sentenced to a life alone with a harsh and brutal husband.
In an attempt to transcend a life that often seems too much to bear, Celie begins writing letters directly to God. The letters, spanning 20 years, record a journey of self-discovery and empowerment guided by the light of a few strong women. She meets Shug Avery, her husband’s mistress and a jazz singer with a zest for life, and her stepson’s wife, Sofia, who challenges her to fight for independence. And though the many letters from Celie’s sister are hidden by her husband, Nettie’s unwavering support will prove to be the most breathtaking of all.
The Color Purple has sold more than five million copies, inspired an Academy Award-nominated film starring Oprah Winfrey and directed by Steven Spielberg, and been adapted into a Tony-winning Broadway musical. Lauded as a literary masterpiece, this is the groundbreaking novel that placed Walker “in the company of Faulkner” (The Nation), and remains a wrenching—yet intensely uplifting—experience for new generations of readers.
This ebook features a new introduction written by the author on the 25th anniversary of publication, and an illustrated biography of Alice Walker including rare photos from the author’s personal collection.
The Color Purple is the 1st book in the Color Purple Collection, which also includes The Temple of My Familiar and Possessing the Secret of Joy.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize–winning novel is so many things: gritty, poetic, heartbreaking, and spirit-affirming. The book follows Celie, an African American woman born into poverty in rural Georgia in the early 1900s. Through a series of letters addressed to God, Celie’s story unfolds with startling intimacy (some scenes involve terrifying sexual violence). Walker’s pacing makes the story’s progression exhilarating: We hear Celie’s voice change over the years as she transforms from a girl made almost invisible into a strong businesswoman. With its powerful undercurrent of redemption, it’s no wonder The Color Purple has inspired so many readers since its publication in 1982.
Customer Reviews
Unanswered letters
This epistolary novel is a series of monologues. Both writers, Celine and Nettie, know that their letters might not be read or ever answered. The sisters never lose faith that they will reunite someday. The depth of the emotions and the beauty in the writing make every letter a treasure.