It's a serious book tackling serious social issues in the Black community, issues that have existed for many, many years. It paints an ugly picture of sex, violence, and ignorance...but a truthful one. Life is never pretty, and neither is art. Someone once told me that any work of art, be it a written piece of a visual one, is not art if it is pretty, or cute. Stark reality...honestly presented, makes for a masterpiece...and Alice Walker created one. So much so that she was the first Black woman to receive the Pulitzer in 1983 for her book. Since its publication, The Color Purple has been banned numerous times on a consistent basis for its portrayal of sexual content and criticized as falsely portraying the Black community and its history. Sounds like my kind of book. I don't agree with Walker or her views on many levels, but her book is must read and truly is a piece of American literary art.
There is no first edition facsimile of The Color Purple...you can identify a first edition copy here: First Edition Points: The Color Purple
A first edition copy of this book is readily available on Amazon or eBay for less than $100.00.
If you want to just read it...you can do that here: The Color Purple
