The Color Purple was my pick for #nanoremo, the month where you read that literary classic you’ve always wanted to read but somehow never actually got around to reading.
I have to add, this is the first time I’ve picked a real literary type classic (I usually pick a more genre-ish classic).
This book is very popular and there is a movie, and so I knew some things about it. Namely:
- The main character suffered sexual abuse in childhood
- The main character is black.
- The book is written as a letter to God.
I had somehow forgotten that it takes place in the south. I never knew that it was written in the dialect of the main character and not in standard English. And I never so much as guessed that the main character was lesbian. I mean, really! No one told me! It wasn’t in the movie trailers.
The dialect made The Color Purple a challenge to read, not least because I don’t know many people who talk like that. But I got used to it. It only took me a couple dozen pages to stop stumbling over the grammar.
Later, when the sister started writing to her, the proper grammar was a shock.
So . . . there were moments that stood out.
One thing that stands out for me is how she stopped getting her period as a teenager. She talks about girls who bleed have babies and then she says she stopped bleeding. She was relieved, and considering her step-father, that isn’t surprising. But it’s a shock – never get your period again, never have a child. Well, she had two by that point. Even so.
The other moment was when she realized her children were NOT also her siblings. It was so emotional, so intense.
In fact, there were lots of emotional, intense moments in this book, so many they are impossible to list. For such a short book, it was packed.
Overall, it was a pleasure to read. I am really glad I picked this book. I thought it might be hard to read, but it wasn’t. (I’ve read harder books. This wasn’t even in the top five.)
Glad you enjoyed the book, it’s one I haven’t read as yet but of course did see the movie.
I haven’t seen the movie!
I’ve never read the book, but I am familiar with the story through the movie. I thought the lesbianism was in the movie though, wasn’t it? Or did you mean you didn’t see the movie, just the trailer? The movie was very well done. It would be interesting if you watched the movie and compared it with the book, the pros and cons.
Thanks for sharing! I’m glad you got a lot out of the book.
I don’t know, I only saw the trailer. Yeah, that would be interesting to do. Hmm.
Nice job if knocking out NaNoReMo and AtoZ in the same post! 🙂 I have not read The Color Purple nor have I seen the movie. It sounds like maybe I should add it to my list.
LOL Thanks! Definitely!
The Color Purple a true classic! Great post! It’s a must see and read!
good! Thanks!
I haven’t read this one, Sonia, but I definitely should. It sounds like #nanoremo is a good idea for catching up on these things!
Oh, it is. It is. I never realized how good a month dedicated to classic reads could be.
Woah~ This actually sounds like a really good book. I can;t believe it’s slipped my radar. Thanks so much for the recommendation!
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It is! Well, I guess it sounds boring?
I read this at school ages 16/17. It’s a story that definitely stays with you, and one that didn’t suffer from having it minutely dissected – unlike the books of Thomas Hardy I also had to study
.Annalisa, writing A-Z vignettes, at Wake Up, Eat, Write, Sleep
A lot of books aren’t like that, so that’s good to know.
It was a great movie, for sure.
I will put it on to watch list!