What a great read . I have been meaning to read this for a long time and finally did . The first half of the book is amazing . Characters and story is captivating , raw and quite disturbing at parts . Things went downhill on the other half of the book . When Nettie came back to story , there was such a change in tone and even characters that it took me out completely. I don’t know what happened . The change should have been slow and maybe would made sense. I also thought Nettie character was somewhat boring not in a good way. The sudden description of Africa was surprising , and it didn’t work for me.

Probably as realistic a portrayal of Black life in Jim Crow South as Jane Eyre is accurate about being a Victorian governess. I picked up more details upon re-reading.

such a time honored novel of the struggles of African American's in our country. Alice Walker has such a great way to reveal character depth in language, setting and dialogue. I love to reread or listen to this every couple of years.

This is a pretty difficult book to read and contains a lot of really mature topics. From what I understood it was a great book but I’m definitely going to come back to it in a few years and read it again.

Like many, I watched the movie before I read the book. Most of the time, you'd expect the movie to do the book no justice. This is not the case for The Color Purple. I love how the movie was missing things from the book because it changed the how we saw the fictional story without altering the nonfictional elements.

Listening to Alice Walker read her own book was amazing.

Review for the audiobook as read by Alice Walker:

I'm not sure of much in this life, but I am convinced that the absolute best way to experience this book is to have the author read it to you herself. A beautifully poignant story read with disarming honesty and soulful tenderness. Walker's voice is a gift to be treasured.

A beautifully written book that really does affirm the human spirit. It is the story of Celie's awakening from self-hatred and abuse to love and reaffirmation. Beautifully written using vernacular in a way that is masterful, clear and poetic. A must read for fans of Alice Walker and American Literature.

At a bar, some people will slam a shot of liquor while others sip a cocktail. This is a sipping book. You read The Color Purple slowly and let the story unfold at its own pace. It would be a crime to rush through this one. Beautifully written. Alice Walker's writing style carried me to a different time and place. Though there the pages tell tales of rape, abuse, and powerful yearnings there is also lightness with the dark. The characters invite the reader on a journey of hurt, healing, injustice, struggle, and triumph.

One of my favorite books of all time. Great characters and story! I loved the strong female characters and the struggles they had to overcome.