Modern-Day Purple

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Most of you have probably seen the movie, or maybe even the stage play, that is based on the book.  I remember watching the movie years ago as a teenager and being pretty disturbed by the violence, racism, hatred and sexism that are all central to the story.  However, it was long enough ago that I don't remember many details from the film. After finishing the book, I had Netflix send me the movie to watch again - I was so involved and enthralled with the world of Celie, Shug, Sophia and Nellie that I want to see how closely Spielberg's version matches my own. 

If any of you haven't read the book, it really should be on your must-read list.  I probably put too many books on the must-read list, making it a bit too hard to distinguish the ones that I think are really, really important (as compared to just really important).  This one would definitely make the double-really list.  Though set in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the central themes of the book, mentioned above, are still relevant today although maybe with modern twists (e.g., economic inequality, racial tension, religious doubt and questioning, etc.).



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