November 2016: Alice Walker

For the month of November, we'll be reading Alice Walker's books. What do you plan on reading this month? Have you read any of Walker's books before?

edited to attempt to fix the touchstone

I haven't read any of Walker's books before; predictably, my plan is to attempt to tackle The Color Purple.

Some day, I will read The Color Purple, but it won't be this year.

FYI, there are three books by Walker on the list of 1001 Books to Read Before You Die --

The Color Purple
The Temple of My Familiar
Possessing the Secret of Joy

I've read The Color Purple a couple of times ... wonderful book.

i have read both the color purple and by the light of my father's smile at least 3 times each and absolutely swoon over each of them every time. i've been planning to read possessing the secret of joy for a while so will try to get to it in november!

I, too, love The Color Purple and feel the need to read it every couple of years. I think that one can learn so much from this novel. Walker's words are magical on paper. Anyway, though I just found this group, I will be doing a reread of TCP next month.
The copyright date for The Color Purple is 1982 & my edition is a First Washington Square Press printing from June of 1983. It is dogeared, marked up with loose pages and a broken spine but I won't replace it until it literally falls apart. It is definitely one of my 'treasures'.

>7 rainpebble: That's a delightful anecdote, thanks for sharing. Welcome to the group! :D

starting possessing the secret of joy today and am surprised to find that the characters (at least as of page 6) are from the color purple. (the african part of that book.)

>9 overlycriticalelisa: Oh, that's cool!

Anyone else reading Walker this month?

I also read Alice Walker this month. I chose to do a reread of The Color Purple which fit with my reading schedule very nicely as I reread this one every couple of years; it is such an amazing book.

My thoughts & comments: (5+*)

I find The Color Purple to be as beautifully written today as it was when I read it for the first time upon it's release. Alice Walker was given a gift to put onto paper for the rest of the world to share with her.

a couple of favorite quotes:

"I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it."
(Shug to Celie)

"What I love best bout Shug is what she been through, I say. When you look in Shug's eyes you know she been where she been, seen what she seen, did what she did. And now she know."
(Celie to Mr.)

The Color Purple is a pure example of great and wonderful literature. Alice Walker proves the hardship of life for those less fortunate. The painful and hard things that Celie had to go through make you feel total compassion for the character.

One of the best qualities of a writer is being able to make the reader feel what the characters are feeling and in writing this book Alice Walker has done just that.

I very highly recommend this book.