The Color Purple is a beautiful book, full of interesting, complicated characters. Celie goes through so many horrible things, and she makes herself so small in order to protect herself, but she is tougher than she realized when she was young and eventually she realizes how strong she truly is.

The parts that I liked the least were Nettie's letters (and there were a lot of them). They were very interesting, but I think that they don't fit well with the rest of the book. ( )

An epistolary story illustrating the mistreatment and abuse of black women but also the incredible strength people can find within themselves. The main character writes letters to God but discovers her faith outside of traditional religion. ( )

This is a spectacular book, isn't it? As a white Australian reading this in 2016, I am so far removed from the world of the novel for it to be an anthropological text. Walker's literary skills are superb, leading the reader on despite the often disheartening subject matter. And I can't even explain the thrill that ran up my spine reading sister Nettie's letters about her intellectual awakening in Africa. A classic. ( )

easy to read ( )

I love books where the author is the narrator. Walker's voice made me think I was really listening to Celie and Nettie. So good. ( )