The Color Purple
Written and Narrated By: Alice Walker
Length: 7 hrs and 58 mins
Sometimes Walker’s narration is stilted and unemotional, but all in all: Gosh, I love this book!
Though The Color Purple is often challenged and though there have been many attempts to censor it due to its “explicit” content, mostly surrounding the violence, to me, it’s really a story about love over violence.
Celie and Nettie remind me of being part of a sister duo, the blessing in that. And through the story, we see that though the sisters are apart, faaaaaaar apart, waaaaaaaay apart, their love for each other never falters, never gives up, no matter how long Mister has gone about hiding Nettie’s letters to Celie. That Celie stops writing to God and starts writing to her sister instead always, always chokes me up.
I needn’t go into the storyline, need I? You’ve seen the movie (Did Alice Walker really hate it, or did I just hear that somewhere?), and please GOD tell me you’ve read the book (No? What? You live under a rock?!?). Now it’s time for the audiobook.
There’s been some discussion about authors reading their own work, and how that it’s sometimes not a good idea. And I kinda sorta get that from this audiobook. I mean, I suppose Walker wanted to take full control of her own work, but she has sorta flat tones and every now and then veers into a monotone. But I’ve gotta give it to her that she knows EXACTLY where she meant to have emphasis, where she meant to be subdued, where she meant to be feisty. And when I was listening, it was kind of amazing in that there were parts where Celie, even as the downtrodden and much-abused wife of Mister, had a quiet dignity about her rather than desperation, had a quiet wisdom rather than always having flawed logic. People went to her for advice, or to vent, and it appeared that they felt they could just talk and be themselves around her. I appreciated that whilst listening!
Then too this is a grand love story of the best kind between Celie and Shug. I loooooooved the way Celie in love was written, how she woke up to life and to the beauty around her. Even though she never really found the beauty in herself, especially at the end there when Shug goes on her final romp with a 19-year old boy/young man. She’s pretty hard on herself as she waits for Shug to get it outta her system, but again, the way it’s written? Celie and Mister have the opportunity to be honest with each other and to develop a real relationship, one that is based on humor rather than the fear and abuse of the past.
Sure, there are some situations of violence, the racism of the day is touched on (think Sofia and the Mayor/Mayor’s wife), but all in all, love rules out, especially as Celie and Nettie feel in their hearts that someday they WILL be reunited.
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