The Color PurpleThe Color Purple
Score Classic
What it's about
Rural Georgia, early 1900s. Fourteen-year-old Celie is abused by the man she believes is her father, then married off to an older widower she calls only Mister, who treats her as a servant. Her one comfort, her sister Nettie, is driven away. Over some thirty years, told in letters, first to God and then to Nettie, Celie slowly finds friendship, love and her own voice, much of it through the glamorous blues singer Shug Avery. It's a story of survival that becomes a story of joy.
Why it's worth reading
It starts in pain and ends in joy, and the journey between is one of the most moving in American fiction. Celie's voice is so real that you feel you're reading her private letters. It won the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award.
You'll love it if you liked
Their Eyes Were Watching God
Beloved
PachinkoGood to know
The opening pages describe sexual abuse frankly. Celie writes in her own dialect, which takes a few pages to settle into. Under 300 pages.
By the numbers
- Readers89 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics91 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller61 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving, Thought-provoking
If you like this, read next
I, Claudius
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The Age of Innocence
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Quick answers
Is The Color Purple worth reading?
Yes. It starts in pain and ends in joy, and the journey between is one of the most moving in American fiction. It ranks #30 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 90.9 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Color Purple about?
Rural Georgia, early 1900s. Fourteen-year-old Celie is abused by the man she believes is her father, then married off to an older widower she calls only Mister, who treats her as a servant. Her one comfort, her sister Nettie, is driven away. Over some thirty years, told in letters, first to God and then to Nettie, Celie slowly finds friendship, love and her own voice, much of it through the glamorous blues singer Shug Avery. It's a story of survival that becomes a story of joy.
How long does it take to read The Color Purple?
About 7 hours (288 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has The Color Purple won?
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction winner (1983); National Book Award (Fiction) winner (1983).
What should I read after The Color Purple?
If you liked it, try Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, Beloved by Toni Morrison or Pachinko by Min Jin Lee.