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A review by greatlibraryofalexandra
In Search of the Color Purple: The Story of an American Masterpiece by Salamishah Tillet
4.0
An excellent exploration of Alice Walker's seminal novel. I read this on the instagram recommendation of Dr. Brittney Cooper, who is one of my intellectual/artistic guides, and who I trust to lead me towards good literature. My trust was well placed; I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.
The way it's set up into sections that focus on "Sophia," "Shug," and "Celie," is clever, and the weaving of an analysis of the book, and how important it is, with the real life stories and influences, is breathtaking. Salamishah Tillet is a wonderful writer whose personal experiences and clear love of the novel itself infuse her careful dedication to fleshing out its origins and its influence. I am only giving this book 4/5 stars because I felt the "afterword" was an unnecessary addition that took away from the slam-dunk ending it would have had without an epistolary, academic droning bookending it.
What is particularly compelling here is how Tillet contextualizes "The Color Purple" itself -- a book that was ahead of tis time and is, still, in the world of "Me Too," ahead of its time. She illustrates clearly how Walker's novel had a purpose 'then,' and how it has a beautiful message/purpose 'now,' in an entirely different way, while still telling the same important, inspiring story.
I should note that I read "The Color Purple" when I was in 6th grade - about 12/13 years old. I liked the book, but in reading Tillet's reflections here, it becomes (even more) obvious that at that age, I had no business reading it. Sure, I understood it - in the most straightforward of ways, in that I understood the beginning, middle, and end. But given that it was more "salacious" than anything I'd been allowed to ready, I really remember viewing it more as a triumph of my own intelligence: something I was getting away with my sneaking it under my mother's nose, and a book that had some sex scenes I wasn't familiar with. I'm glad my middle school library had this book - but reflecting on it now, it's a clear situation that exhibits why, regardless of how cool I thought I was, and how "advanced" my reading level was from a technical point, certain books need attention and maturity that just is not there in the mind of a fairly privileged little white girl in suburban Tennessee.
I look forward to adding "The Color Purple" to my 2021 re-reading project, and I really look forward to experiencing it with a broader mind, and more intellect, so that I can more fully appreciate the iconic and necessary piece of art that it is.
The way it's set up into sections that focus on "Sophia," "Shug," and "Celie," is clever, and the weaving of an analysis of the book, and how important it is, with the real life stories and influences, is breathtaking. Salamishah Tillet is a wonderful writer whose personal experiences and clear love of the novel itself infuse her careful dedication to fleshing out its origins and its influence. I am only giving this book 4/5 stars because I felt the "afterword" was an unnecessary addition that took away from the slam-dunk ending it would have had without an epistolary, academic droning bookending it.
What is particularly compelling here is how Tillet contextualizes "The Color Purple" itself -- a book that was ahead of tis time and is, still, in the world of "Me Too," ahead of its time. She illustrates clearly how Walker's novel had a purpose 'then,' and how it has a beautiful message/purpose 'now,' in an entirely different way, while still telling the same important, inspiring story.
I should note that I read "The Color Purple" when I was in 6th grade - about 12/13 years old. I liked the book, but in reading Tillet's reflections here, it becomes (even more) obvious that at that age, I had no business reading it. Sure, I understood it - in the most straightforward of ways, in that I understood the beginning, middle, and end. But given that it was more "salacious" than anything I'd been allowed to ready, I really remember viewing it more as a triumph of my own intelligence: something I was getting away with my sneaking it under my mother's nose, and a book that had some sex scenes I wasn't familiar with. I'm glad my middle school library had this book - but reflecting on it now, it's a clear situation that exhibits why, regardless of how cool I thought I was, and how "advanced" my reading level was from a technical point, certain books need attention and maturity that just is not there in the mind of a fairly privileged little white girl in suburban Tennessee.
I look forward to adding "The Color Purple" to my 2021 re-reading project, and I really look forward to experiencing it with a broader mind, and more intellect, so that I can more fully appreciate the iconic and necessary piece of art that it is.