100 Books to Read Poster Number 3

which was The Colour Purple by Alice Walker. 

See this book exemplifies exactly why I embarked on this project. Of course I have heard of Alice Walker. Of course I have heard of this book. Of course what I heard about it was all good. Did this mean I had ever rushed off to read it? No it doesn't. 

The reasons for not having read it are numerous, but boil down  to three really.

1) I tend to stay away from Literary Fiction, thinking I will not understand it or it will all be far too beautifully written for me to read comfortably. 

2) I tend not to read books by American authors (although come the end of the poster I won't be able to say that again!)

3) I thought I knew what it was about, and that what it was about, was the sort of thing I don't like. 

It occurs to me that I hold some pretty frightful prejudices when it comes to reading. Twenty years of crime fiction have obviously been far too self- indulgent. 

I read The Colour Purple and except insofar as it was partly about black female experience in the Southern United States, it wasn't at all what I expected. It was beautifully written, with cadences you did have to get your ear attuned to, but that didn't make the prose at all difficult to read. Some of the subject matter was horrifying although dealt with in the matter of fact way that, presumably, those to whom these things really happened, used to cope with it in real life. 

It had a lot to say about colonialism and its absurdities, and about parallels between patriarchy and colonialism, but also as much if not more about looking for the beauty in the world, about the power of love and hope and keeping faith with people, about letting go the past and learning to enjoy the gift of the now. It was hugely life affirming and I loved it. 

Verdict for The Colour Purple - A (massive) Hit.