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The Color Purple
- Narrated by: Samira Wiley
- Length: 8 hrs and 7 mins
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The Color Purple
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Summary
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, this novel about a resilient and courageous woman has become a Broadway show and a cultural phenomenon.
A PBS Great American Read Top 100 Pick
Celie has grown up poor in rural Georgia, despised by the society around her and abused by her own family. She strives to protect her sister, Nettie, from a similar fate, and while Nettie escapes to a new life as a missionary in Africa, Celie is left behind without her best friend and confidante, married off to an older suitor, and sentenced to a life alone with a harsh and brutal husband.
In an attempt to transcend a life that often seems too much to bear, Celie begins writing letters directly to God. The letters, spanning 20 years, record a journey of self-discovery and empowerment guided by the light of a few strong women. She meets Shug Avery, her husband’s mistress and a jazz singer with a zest for life, and her stepson’s wife, Sofia, who challenges her to fight for independence. And though the many letters from Celie’s sister are hidden by her husband, Nettie’s unwavering support will prove to be the most breathtaking of all.
The Color Purple has sold more than five million copies, inspired an Academy Award-nominated film starring Oprah Winfrey and directed by Steven Spielberg, and been adapted into a Tony-nominated Broadway musical. Lauded as a literary masterpiece, this is the ground-breaking novel that placed Walker “in the company of Faulkner” (The Nation), and remains a wrenching - yet intensely uplifting - experience for new generations of listeners.
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What listeners say about The Color Purple
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Carragh
- 24-07-21
Beautifully narrated
Samina Wiley was an absolute pleasure to listen to. I thoroughly recommend this reading of the classic text.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Joani Reynders
- 08-06-20
Brilliant
Samira Wiley makes an absolute masterpiece of an already amazing story. Do it, buy it. This story is important.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Hannah
- 01-02-22
Brilliant
An amazing story well performed. Samira Wiley helped to bring the story to life. The only issue is sometimes the sound was quite low, which was to bring emotion but the sound balance was a bit off.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Happy Scot 🏴
- 20-01-24
Fantastic book.. Long but worth Taken time to enjoy.. Great for relaxing..
Watched the film twiced, listening to this audio book and took me right back and could imagine each person.. Great story.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- eleniki
- 07-12-21
Perfection - one woman theatre
What can you say about the colour purple that hasn't been articulated a thousand times. An iconic book. We know that.
But this performance by the superb Samira Wiley just blows it out of the water. Every word is acted, every nuance is expressed, every emotion is there. I have never heard a 'vocal' smile, but Samira Wiley does just this incredibly well, making you smile along with Celie. At first, I, along with other reviewers, I note, thought Samira might be hard to understand, but it's amazing how quickly the ear adjusts to the rural southern accent. Listeners who gave up early on really missed out on an exceptional piece of theatre.
I loved it, and was sorry when I finished it. I strongly recommend this performance.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 26-06-20
Such a beautiful book
I loved this book. Its hard to read - brutal at times but the characters are wonderful and I couldn't stop until I reached the end, when I wished it wasn't over.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jennyflubug
- 28-07-20
BRILLIANT!!!
not only was the book better than the film, and the film was brilliant, Samira Wiley made the book come alive. she is an excellent narrator and I look forward to hearing from her again. A***********
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Allison FitzGerald
- 12-02-24
The narration
I really enjoyed the book after understanding it was made up of letters to either God or her sister
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- N R Boyles
- 16-07-20
Outstanding
I’ve seen the film. Which quite rightly is superb. The acting first class and staging perfect.
But the book is so much more. The depth of storytelling cannot be surpassed. The evolution of the characters is sympathetic and the depth of emotion sometimes unbearable. It seems hard to imagine that such a great story, with themes so relevant to our time, that was portrayed so beautifully in film and acted by people of the highest calibre could ever be improved upon. But Samira Wiley has done just that with her reading of this novel. Outstanding.
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7 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sam A.
- 24-07-20
loved this
an epic story performed brilliantly , made me cry at the end 🙂 highly recommended to all.
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