The Color Purple

Book Description

This critically acclaimed modern American novel is analyzed and summarized, and Alice Walker's distinct writing style is discussed. Titles in this growing series for middle school and high school students analyze novels and plays that are included in most schools' English Lit. curricula. Literature Made Easy books are more than plot summaries. They analyze characters, explain themes, and point out details that make each author's writing style unique. Each book also features "Mind Maps"—diagrams that summarize the work's most important details and serve as stimuli to help students focus their ideas for exams and term papers.

Customer Reviews:

Issues of Feminism.......2007-09-21

"The Color Purple," involves struggles of women to achieve recognition as individuals deserving of fair and equal treatment, in face of male dominance. Both the book and the movie, of the same title, shed light on feminist issues.

The male dominance is in various forms and includes physical aggressiveness. Albert (Mr.) adamantly declares to Celie, "Men spose to wear the pants" (1982: 272).The narrator conveys by way of letters from one person (Celie) to another, the epistolary form. The feminist level of stance is powerful in the novel. Celie struggles to find peace and establish her worthiness. She was abused and raped by her "father," she was dispossessed of her infant children, she is forced to marry Albert (Mr___) who she does not want, she loses her sister Nettie because of her adulterous husband's sexual aggressiveness and philandering.

Women are heavily exploited, more so Celie who in the marriage is made to look after Albert's offspring, to toil on the farm, and to submit to all of Albert's demands and those of his offspring. Celie writes, "Mr...marry me to take care of his children. I marry him cause my daddy made me. I don't love Mr___and he don't love me" (1982: 64). The book dramatically displays how female inequality is rampant. The preacher condemns and attacks Shug for her looseness, whereas Albert's wanton infidelity is tolerated. Celie's relationship with Albert is unloving and vile. Mary Agnes solicits a white uncle to help get Sofia out of prison, the uncle rapes her. Albert attempts to force Nettie (Celie's sister) to submit to him, but she leaves after successfully fighting him off. Physical violence against the women is common, apparently even in relationships of lovingness, such as that between Harpo and his wife Sofia. Harpo beats Sofia because, as he says, "The wife s'pose to mind" (1982: 64). Harpo even considers it respectable to physically violate his wife.

The narrator conveys the message that woman must full-fledgedly oppose the treatment of unfairness meted on them by men, and that they should achieve this through uniting and helping each other. The women in the novel, often converge in taking a feminist stance. They band together to hold each other up in support and sustenance, even those with interest in the same men. Feminist bonds of sisterhood are borne out as important, these we see in Nettie and Celie, in Sophia and Odessa, even in Mary Agnes and Sofia, in Albert's sister and Celie. in Tashi and Olivia, and in Shug Avery and Celie. The latter, in their relationship, encapsulate the twin roles of sisters and lovers.

Some of the women, such as Sofia adapt to fighting for and defending themselves. Sofia is of strong character, she is not subservient, she is powerful and physically strong. She can be quite aggressive but this spills into a dreadful experience at the hands of the police after she had the nerve to talk back to the white mayor. Subsequently, Sofia is sentenced to be the mayor's servant; doing dull, irksome, and fatiguing work for many years. The sisterhood feminist bond between Sofia and Mary Agnes is stronger than their mutual interest of affection for Harpo. Mary goes as far as enduring rape on behalf of attempting to get Sofia released. And when Mary Agnes goes off to pursue a singing career, it is Sophia who looks after her child.

The most feminist liberated and independent-thinking woman, of them all, is Shug Avery; despite the verbal attacks meted on her by church elders because of her lifestyle. She is a career blues singer, an occupation that offers her much more freedom than the others who are under the confines of home, housework and bringing up children. Shug's stance on sexual freedom is stronger than that of many other women, she has numerous affairs. Her feminist strength still involves her strong belief in God, she does not worship or believe in the conventional way. Indeed it is the relationship between Shug and Celie that is the central theme in the novel. Shug will liberate Celie in numerous aspects of her life. Shug simultaneously becomes a sister, friend and lover to Celie as she guides her into emotional and financial independence. Shug's feminist stance stands out. Her gender and opinions do not preclude her from being humanly equal to everybody and possessing the integrity. She passes these qualities onto Celie. Paradoxically, it is the occupation of sewing, "a woman's job," that significantly gains Celie independence--but the product is trousers, to be worn by women. Celie becomes strong enough to point out to Albert that the qualities of honesty, integrity, and independence are valid for both genders. Celie criticizes Albert's contention that, "...Shug act more manly than most men. I mean she upright, honest. Speak her mind and the devil take the hindmost. You know Shug will fight...Just like Sophia. She bound to live her life and be herself no matter what" (1982: 270). This exemplifies addressing the issues of feminine and masculine temperament in the novel. The novel asserts that women, as people can be just as weak and strong as men, therefore gender should never be a yardstick for perceptions of human qualities.

The book is a complex weaving of events in a woman's life that are hard to completely represent in a movie. Nevertheless, the movie maintains most of the heartbreaking issues which mirror the hardships that happened in the author's life. Whoopi Goldberg artfully plays the shy and abused Celie, Oprah Winfrey is powerful as the strong and no-nonsense Sophia, Margaret Avery is the gifted and independent singer Shug Avery, and Danny Glover is the abusive husband who disallows Celie having contact with Nettie and others. The issues that were toned down or understated in this movie, such as the lesbian loving and the violence, would probably be more graphically played during this era. That was 1985, not that long ago, but film-makers were less blunt with their images. The "lesbian" (the word is not mentioned in the book) acts are not conceived as being lesbian at all, but as a means (for Shug) to show Celie that a person can be loved and not just used as a toilet for sex. Compared to the book the movie rendition can sometimes appear to be too glamorous, too glorified, and too sweet. Director Spielberg commendably images the brutality of a rape by showing hanging leather belts banging against the head of the shaking bed.

The actors performed their roles exceptionally well. These include Whoopi Goldberg who plays the shy and abused Celie, Oprah Winfrey who plays the strong, no nonsense Sophia, Margaret Aver as the gifted singer Shug Avery, Danny Glover as the abusive husband to Celie who goes to the extent of not allowing Celie to have any contact with her sister Nettie, among others. The movie depicts the female characters as generally good persons, not flawless. The women are of unique backgrounds, conditions and talents, and they weave together to help each other out, in feminism strength. The men are generally likeable, save for abusive Danny Glover (who, anyway, later redeems himself); so it is difficult to look at the movie and the book as an attack on black masculinity in the course of displaying black (or overall) feminist strength. Consider that Rev. Samuel the missionary adopts Celie's children; Buster the boxer dates and does not try to overrule the strong-willed Sophia; even Shug's husband, Grady (in the movie version) accepts Shug for who she is, despite knowing her past of licentiousness.

Both the book and movie turn out to be amongst the most powerful in addressing issues of feminism in everyday life. Alice Walker prevalently employs black English and black characters, but this is a book and movie that almost anyone, near and far, can relate to. The book offers much more in that sphere than the movie, but both declare that triumph in a woman's life often happens when misfortune and adversity are challenged by feminist unity and forthrightness in face of a male dominated world. Women's issues come in various shapes and sizes, as the book and movie illustrate, but strength is indeed in numbers, ambitiousness, education, and becoming outward looking other than insular. A woman is to significantly love and cherish herself, get rid of the oppression blocking her, before she can fully appreciate and enjoy herself as well as others.

Incredible.......2007-09-14

I have seen the movie a million and one times but this book did it in for me. Although the movie was amazing, you have to read the book. There was a lot in the book I felt should have been in the movie. Overall this is a great book to read.

Excellent product........2007-09-11

Absolutely loved this book. It was in almost perfect condition. Better than described. Thanks for the great book and the great price.

a timeless story about redemption and the power of forgiveness.......2007-09-05

This gem of a story is about Celie, an abused
woman that uses the magic of reading and writing
letters to help her overcome the abusive life
she lives with Mister, her husband in an arranged
marriage. Through her friendship with Shug Avery,
and her belief in God, she learns to stand up
and value herself as a human being. She eventually
forgives those that abused her when she realizes
that they cannot have power over her if she doesn't
let them.

Some have accused the author and the story of being
anti-black men but the story is anti- a system that
oppressed the meak, and that's something that
everyone can relate to if they are willing to open
their minds to this wonderful book.

Lovely Reading.......2007-07-13

This story is a captivating and wonderful tale of a family torn apart by abuse. It's lovely but may not be suitable for younger audiences because of some sexual content. I feel in love with this book once I got to the end. I wont spoil it but I greatly recommend it.

We Are the Ones We Have Been Waiting For: Light in a Time of Darkness

Average customer rating:

Inspirational and Uplifting
May not rock your world, but may light your path.
Opening one's eyes and heart
Awesome prose
We Are the Ones We Have Been Waiting For: Light in a Time of Darkness

We Are the Ones We Have Been Waiting For: Light in a Time of Darkness
Alice Walker
Manufacturer: New Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1595581375

Book Description

A beautifully packaged book of spiritual ruminations with a progressive political edge, from the incomparable Pulitzer Prize-winner—a woman who has devoted her life to befriending the earth.

From the Introduction: "In fact, the happiness that imbues this kind of (impersonal) friendship, whether for an individual or a country, or an act, is like an inner light, a compass we might steer by as we set out across the lengthening darkness. It comes from the simple belief that what one is feeling and doing is right. That it is right to protect rather than terrorize others; right to feed people rather than withhold food (and medicine); right to want the freedom and joyful existence of all human kind. Right to want this freedom and joy for all creatures that exist already, or that might come into existence. Existence, we are now learning, is not finished! It is a happiness that comes from honoring the peace or the possibility of peace that lives within one's own heart. A deep knowing that we are the earth—our separation from Earth perhaps our greatest illusion—and that we stand, with gratitude and love, by our planetary Self.

Author of the perennially bestselling novel The Color Purple, Alice Walker has long been a force for sanity in a chaotic world. In We Are the Ones We Have Been Waiting For she draws on her deep spiritual grounding, her political conviction and experience, and her literary gifts to offer a series of meditations filled with wisdom, hope, encouragement, and, at times, serenity to a world in need of all these things. The perfect gift for Alice Walker fans and anyone who longs for peace, on earth and within, this lovely volume will be embraced for its wise insights and mature compassion.

Customer Reviews:

Inspirational and Uplifting.......2007-07-07

A friend of mine gave me this book and I read it in 2 days. Loved it! I find that Alice Walker can share some of the most horrendous stories that have been done to her people, and yet, I as the reader, come away, feeling as though there is still hope for us as human beings, and most of all hope for myself in becoming the best
that I can be. So appreciate her gifted writing.
Sherri Rosen Publicity, NYC

May not rock your world, but may light your path........2007-06-15

I purchased this after hearing an on-air interview of Alice Walker by Amy Goodman on Pacifica Radio and enjoyed the journey through these essays. I encourage those intrigued by the title to take the plunge and buy it. We are the ones we have been waiting for, and it is helpful at times to have someone light the way in a time of darkness.

Opening one's eyes and heart.......2007-04-21

I normally don't pay much attention to the Editorial Reviews, but the review from Publishers Weekly has to be the lamest review I have ever read. It seems as if this reviewer has broken down this book in order to fit into some sort of actuarial table or spreadsheet. I originally took this book out of the library because of the essay about her and address to Black Yoga Teachers in the current issue of "The Shambhala Sun." I was stunned by Ms Walker's grasp of the overwhelming interconnectedness of seemingly paradoxical forces of energy that we create and create the life around us. Issues such as knowledge, kindness, compassion, the persistence of evil, the necessity of nonviolence, the love of the utter importance of the Feminine element in the life of the world. Of contradictions like Castro who, despite the rigidness of his regime, articulates the true needs of the majority of people in the world. She is eloquent in her meditations on silence, on simplicity, on the values of personal "neighborliness", for lack of a better word, on the intrinsic sacredness of the earth and each other. I cannot praise this book enough. I got it from our library and am now buying my own personal copy to treasure and scribble in.

Awesome prose.......2007-02-03

Ms. Walker is an awesome writer. I became addicted to her writing after reading this one. She has down to earth insight, a very thoughtful way of looking at things. This is a must-read for anyone concerned with world violence, oppression, human degradation, poverty, global warming, as well as other issues. It's full of hope.

We Are the Ones We Have Been Waiting For: Light in a Time of Darkness.......2007-01-09

great

Black, White, and Jewish: How Memory Works

Average customer rating:

An Excellent Memoir
A story to share....
Quick read, Had some insights.
Rebecca Walker is a Schlemiel and a Putz.
Thank You Rebecca !

Black, White, and Jewish: How Memory Works
Rebecca Walker
Manufacturer: Riverhead Hardcover
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Meridian

ASIN: 1573221694
Release Date: 2000-12-28

Book Description

When Mel Leventhal married Alice Walker during the civil rights movement in the late 1960s, his mother declared him dead and did not reconcile until after the birth of her first grandchild. After Mel and Alice divorced, their daughter, Rebecca, alternated homes every two years, spending time in Mississippi, Brooklyn, San Francisco's Haight Ashbury, Washington, D.C., the Bronx, and suburban Westchester. With each new place came a new identity and desperate attempts to fit in: as white or black, as Puerto Rican or Jewish, as a party girl, a fighter, or a lover. Confused, and mostly alone, she turned to sex, drugs, books, and a cast of dangerous and thrilling characters.

Black, White, and Jewish is the story of a child's unique struggle for identity and home when nothing in her world told her who she was or where she belonged. Poetic reflections on memory, time, and identity punctuate this gritty exploration of race and sexuality. Rebecca Walker has taken up the lineage of her mother, Alice, whose last name she chose to carry, and has written a lucid and inventive memoir that marks the launch of a major new literary talent.

Customer Reviews:

An Excellent Memoir.......2007-05-30

I discovered how much I like Rebecca Walker's writing, voice and style after reading a forward she wrote for an anthology of mixed race writings. Then I heard her speak and I read "Black, White and Jewish" the next day. I didn't want to put the book down and I was sorry when her memoir ended because I wanted to keep on reading.
And no, at that point it had not yet occurred to me that she was Alice Walker's daughter. Besides, that would not have made any difference to me anyway. Both Alice and Rebecca are excellent authors, but the fact that they are related is not important to me. What matters is that Rebecca has written an excellent memoir.

Thank you Rebecca.

A story to share...........2007-05-07

What caught my eye at first was her last name...Walker. So I said to myself she must have inherited her Mom's way of putting into words her thoughts. Once I started to read the story, I could not put it down. The pain was felt through each chapter, each change of home every two years. What a way to grow up. But grow up she did into a very complex woman who can share her childhood with others who may also have the identity crisis of having not only parents from different racial backgrounds, but also of having the constant shift of "home". The book helped me understand what my daughters have gone through with their Mom being white, their Dad being African American and a military family with the moving every couple of years. Once I was done, I gave the book to my now 24 year old daughter, a mother now of half Honduran and the rest of her children. Thanks for opening her up to others being out there who may share her pain and to open our conversation up more than it already was.

Quick read, Had some insights........2007-02-26

ALthough I enjoyed the writing style and some of the portrayals of her family and multi-racial experiences, I expected this book to be more about the later and her coming of age rather than the attention given to her sexual experiences. This did not seem as important to the book as the themes on racism, black/Jewish relations, etc. I would have liked more of that. It seemed like she had a lot of rebellion against her dad and his wife, but they seemed more there for her than her mom. I found this book very interesting and I would like to read more by this author and on this topic.

Rebecca Walker is a Schlemiel and a Putz........2007-01-26

What do Lenny Kravitz, Craig David, Derek Jeter, Hale Berry, Barak Obama, Rain Pryor, Keanu Reeves, and The Rock all have in common? They're successfull bi-racial Americans of politics, arts, and athletics. Unfortunately, Rebecca Walker Leventhal doesn't measure up. She feels sorry for herself because she's half-white, and she's angry at her father for making her half-Jewish. Poor thing.

Leventhal's life is nowhere near as bad as she wants us to believe. Her father cared about her very much, and her stepmom sounds okay to me, but she writes about her father like he was neglectful. She's angry at him for moving the family to a suburb, but was that such a bad thing? What's wrong with wanting to live in a good area with great schools? She felt alienated from her white Jewish friends, but that was self-imposed. All these Jewish people WANTED to be her friend, but the suburbs just weren't good enough for her.

Her next complaint is her teen years. She acts like it was all pain and guilt, but from what I read, she had a great time. She had lots of interesting boyfriends, and spent a summer on the set of "The Color Purple." She graduated from high school, went to an Ivy League college, and that doesn't sound bad.

Walker's problem is her MOTHER. Alice Walker was a terrible parent. What kind of mother refuses to take her daugher to meet her principal? What kind of mother refuses to be involved in her daughter's life. I think the reason she complains so much is that she's realy angry at her mother, but seems guilty accusing her. After all, Alice Walker is black, and she can't accuse her black mother of anything. Her Jewish father is an easier target.

Leventhal (or Walker, whatever she calls herself) should stop thinking of herself as a victim and a mutant, and start thinking of herself as the product of two wonderful things. Lenny Kravitz was another Black Jewish American, and he had his lumps, including his parents' divorce. But being Black and Jewish didn't hold him back, it kept him going. Rain Pryor was a Black jew, and her dad was a cokehead, but she writes about her life with strength and humor.

At first I didn't think Rebecca had the wisdom commonly associated with American Jews. But then I realized she's one of us. How do I know? Her whining! Read "Born to Kvetch" and you'll learn why Jews are stereotyped as whiners. We're very vocal about things, including our problems. It's one of the ways that we avoid stress and anger, which in other cultures leads to drunkness, temper flashes and wife-beating. But we do other things besides complain, and that's all she does. Complain.

Thank You Rebecca !.......2006-11-30

While I believe you were more privileged than I was, thank you for telling the Jewish community what it needed to hear as opposed to what it wanted to hear.

As a fellow multiracial Jew, your assertions about the Jewish community were unfortunately more accurate than many would like to admit. Rebecca distanced herself from a community that didn't accept her. While I still express my Judaism at home and attend synagogue on the HHD, I don't attend schul due to racism myself. I got tired of being mistaken for the janitor, maid, or nanny. I deserve more respect than that, I'm a human being. She's getting a lot of criticism from people who want to believe in the "Jews never have race problems" crowd. Sorry guys, but its an issue.

The intercallary style of the book may annoy certain readers, but I felt they were a welcome literary device to evoke her deepest emotions. I believe she may be a bit self-indulgent at times, but I think she does display how many mixed people (and mixed Jews for that matter) feel about their communities. However, Rebecca's downward spiral into self destructive behaviors is more of a symptom of bad parenting than a community that rejects her.

I honestly don't think Rebecca is ashamed of her Jewish heritage. What Rebecca IS ashamed of how she was treated by her family and others. How would you feel about a community that doesn't consider you Jewish enough? Even worse, the same people tell you that you're not taking enough pride in your heritage, although it rejects you.

Guess what guys, the problem is mostly you, not Rebecca.

Now Is the Time to Open Your Heart: A Novel (Walker, Alice)

Average customer rating:

Reponse to Mamala
top three??
Very hard to get through
Way too new agey and pompous!
Open Your Mind to "Open Your Heart"

Now Is the Time to Open Your Heart: A Novel (Walker, Alice)
Alice Walker
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1400061733
Release Date: 2004-04-20

Book Description

The Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Color Purple, Possessing the Secret of Joy, and The Temple of My Familiar now gives us a beautiful new novel that is at once a deeply moving personal story and a powerful spiritual journey.

In Now Is the Time to Open Your Heart, Alice Walker has created a work that ranks among her ?nest achievements: the story of a woman’s spiritual adventure that becomes a passage through time, a quest for self, and a collision with love.

Kate has always been a wanderer. A well-published author, married many times, she has lived a life rich with explorations of the natural world and the human soul. Now, at fifty-seven, she leaves her lover, Yolo, to embark on a new excursion, one that begins on the Colorado River, proceeds through the past, and flows, inexorably, into the future. As Yolo begins his own parallel voyage, Kate encounters celibates and lovers, shamans and snakes, memories of family disaster and marital discord, and emerges at a place where nothing remains but love.

Told with the accessible style and deep feeling that are its author’s hallmarks, Now Is the Time to Open Your Heart is Alice Walker’s most surprising achievement.

Customer Reviews:

Reponse to Mamala.......2006-08-25

Honestly, I haven't read this particular Walker work, though I just ordered it. But I had to laugh -- and respond -- to Mamala's statement that Walker "insists on seeing everything through the lens of a person of color" and that while beautiful in The Color Purple (in which the primary antagonists and oppressors are black men, themselves, of course, deeply damaged by racism) it's somehow less warm and fuzzy in this work. How dare Alice Walker insist on writing through the eyes of a black person! How dare John Updike insist on writing always through the eyes of a suburban white American well-to-do man! (Even when trying, and failing miserably, to write about a teenaged Muslim). Mamala, your words are self-evident. Stick to Ann Coulter

top three??.......2006-01-17

Despite enjoying previous works by this author, I actually stayed awake last night contemplating whether this novel was in my top three worst novels of all time. Why? It is meandering, cliched, downright offensive in terms of stereotypes and the main characters Kate and Yolo generally bear no resemblance to real people. To compound the problem, the other characters who play supporting roles are hollow shells used merely to make didactic points about oppression and abuse. Being black is depicted in terms of such simplistic stereotypes as "being more tolerant than anyone else", being native American is "being in touch with the land" and being white has nothing positive to say for it at all.
For example, the author seems unaware that if Kate actually lived in Africa as I do, her sexuality would be enough to get her thrown into jail by virtually every African government of the day and would result in her being an outcast by local communities. That's the level of tolerance here in the Motherland.
My point ultimately is that this novel is ahistorical, ill-informed and in terms of simple entertainment value - particularly tedious if you have any interest in wit, irony, insightfulness or relevance. Don't waste your money.

Very hard to get through .......2005-09-13

I'm a fan of Alice Walker (read the Color Purple too many times to count) but this book was very hard to get through. If you are not familiar with the language that she uses it will take you a long time to get trough. I usually read a book in about three days, this one took me all on August.

Way too new agey and pompous!.......2005-08-09

I love Alice Walker's philosophies, but I really found myself loathing the protagonist of this book. Kate was very self-satisfied and arrogant, I thought. I definitely preferred her lover's story/journey to Kate's. The new age aspect to it was a turnoff and though I do embrace some 'new age' practices, I just thought it was too much. Also, the book meandered too much, going from character to character without cohesion. All in all, I found myself forced to get through this since I just couldn't stand Kate. I would not suggest this book to others.

Open Your Mind to "Open Your Heart".......2005-06-09

I frequently found myself remembering how I felt years back reading Walker's "Temple of My Familiar" -- a compelling plotline that encourages the reader to learn about new places and peoples while questioning his/her own beliefs. That being said, "Open Your Heart" may be more treasured by readers who have already opened up to broad spiritual concepts (ex. the feminine divine) as opposed to traditional formalized & Western religion. For those readers, I would also highly recommend "Dance of the Dissident Daughter" by Sue Monk Kidd. As for me, I got "Open Your Heart" from the library & plan to buy my own copy to re-read again & again as I predict I will get more from it each time. I don't see Walker attempting to promote any "philosophy" except a willingness to accept those who find God outside of church or temple walls.

Average customer rating:

I have to agree with Reviewer no. 10, Jess D., and Jade Patten
Read into it
She has done better work
Under the microscope
DEEP!!

Meridian
Alice Walker
Manufacturer: Harvest Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0156028344

Book Description

Meridian Hill is a young woman at an Atlanta college attempting to find her place in the revolution for racial and social equality. She discovers the limits beyond which she will not go for the cause, but despite her decision not to follow the path of some of her peers, she makes significant sacrifices in order to further her beliefs. Working in a campaign to register African American voters, Meridian cares broadly and deeply for the people she visits, and, while her coworkers quit and move to comfortable homes, she continues to work in the deep South despite a paralyzing illness. Meridian's nonviolent methods, though seemingly less radical than the methods of others, prove to be an effective means of furthering her beliefs.

Customer Reviews:

I have to agree with Reviewer no. 10, Jess D., and Jade Patten.......2006-09-19

"Sad valor" in someone's eyes? A character who "doesn't know exactly what constitutes begging"? Come on. And those are just two examples of Walker's writing getting in the way of my enjoying the story. The only parts I liked were when they tried to recruit people to vote; that's where the heart of the story was for me, and that was only a few pages' worth.

Read into it.......2005-11-16

This is one of the best books I've ever read. I love Alice Walker. Meridian is a book that changed my life. Meridian, the main character, is a woman who feels so deeply and wants so badly to help other people that this feeling comes close to destroying her. Any woman who has ever cared about a cause so much that she felt she'd give her last breath if it would help will understand this book. Meridian is not judged for her depth of emotion, but the other characters often don't understand. She's not crazy - she's overwhelmed by racism and hurt and can't understand how anyone would be able to hurt anyone else. She is never jaded, never bitter, but always trying to find a way to make her life meaningful.

It's a bit slowgoing if you read it just for the story, but if you can get to the point, you'll want to read it again and again.

She has done better work.......2004-10-23

This book is an enjoyable read if you have nothing better to do. I failed to be captivated by it. The characters lack the heartwrenching dramatic intensity that you find in her other works. Maybe it is because Alice Walker is such a phenominal author that people just expect so much from her. Still, this book is NOT making the cut for my personal library.

Under the microscope.......2004-04-28

Much as I've enjoyed Walker's more well-known novels, I'm afraid that this one failed to move me. The main problem was that I always felt at least one level of remove from the characters. The reader is informed that such-and-such behaves in a certain way in order to elicit a particular reaction, or because of some or other damaging past experience, but we are never allowed to feel any of the characters' emotions or see them as real people. At one point in the novel, we are informed that Truman thinks that Meridian's problem is her habit of over-analysis (not, frustratingly, through dialogue, but through narration), and Walker could certainly have taken that advice to heart. The book read at times like a lyrical essay.

Having finished the book, I know little about the character Meridian other than that Alice Walker worships her and that she suffered through many terrible experiences. The two main female characters seem to have so many horrific problems thrown their way that they become martyrs. Far from empowering these women, Walker has defined them only by their suffering and their mysterious paralytic illnesses; I may as well have been reading a Victorian melodrama.

Toward the end, a few passages shone with the kind of honesty and beauty that I had expected from this book, and I was at last allowed glimpses of the characters' inner lives rather than being told what their motivations were - but at that point it was more frustrating than inspiring, because it teased me with what might have been.

DEEP!!.......2001-03-27

This book was so lyrical,and so profound... I had to read it twice! You know how you read something and when you're done you just think "WOW!" Yeah, well this is like that. It can be difficult sometimes, but everything she talked about, growing up and coming of age in the civil rights era, interracial dating, it was all handled with depth and care. You'll really feel for the characters when you read this book. Beautiful

Average customer rating:

Tells instead of Shows
Masterful Book
fun, full of insight and mystery
Mixed feelings
Not What I Expected

The Temple of My Familiar
Alice Walker
Manufacturer: Pocket
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0671683993

Customer Reviews:

Tells instead of Shows.......2007-02-08

I adored Walker's The Color Purple, so when I pulled her book The Temple of My Familiar off a friend's shelf, I looked forward to an entertaining and elucidating time. Unfortunately, the book was disappointing.

Most readers - and certainly all writers - are familiar with the maxim, "Show, don't tell." Walker breaks this fundamental rule and has characters telling for the entire book. For the most part, the characters sound like each other. For the most part, the listeners sit by, accepting, unquestioning, drinking in the words and stories as if they are the most profound wisdom, their mouths as wide open as if they were baby birds, never disagreeing with or challenging what is told them. Perhaps this is how Walker intends these views to be taken, however, remaining in a state of awe for more than 400 pages is difficult for a reader.

Besides - although I find her viewpoint interesting, which emphasizes the importance of the Goddess and the idea that all would be much better if black women ruled the world - I can't agree with it. I think that the majority of whites - admittedly, not all - don't spend their time these days thinking about how to keep black people down. Many of us cheer when blacks do well - a successful black person is much better for society than a black who is poor and unhappy - just as we cheer when other the people of other races do well. Perhaps I would have appreciated the story more if I could have sighed and said, "how true" - but I could not.

However, the real problem in The Temple of My Familiar is not what Walker is saying, but how she is saying it. Furthermore, the book itself is complicated and convoluted, with tangled relationships between the characters. And I don't mean that the relationships are emotionally complex, just that there are lots of aunts and uncles and difficult-to-diagram genealogical charts, as well as some confusion as to who is sleeping with whom. Furthermore, the characters never seem to touch each other, again, because Walker tells instead of shows. We are told that they are happy or that they are sad or that they are moved - but we don't feel it, because we are told instead of shown.

There are glimmers of brilliance. The opening is wonderful - possibly because Walker was showing instead of telling at this point, and because at this point the cast of characters is small and manageable.

Masterful Book.......2005-12-09

I was taken aback on some of the customer reviews and I felt the need to defend this extraordinary book."Temple of My Familiar" is more than an African-American feminist polemic or a deconstruction of Judeo-Christian values or a debunking of Western myth-making (that we call history). However, this appears to be where most critics get hung up on. They seem to point to certain "imperfections" such as the unruly narrative structure populated by countless characters and may subplots or the lack of restraint in the novel's exploration of numerous ideas and philosophical threads. The reality is that Temple of My Familiar challenges our preconceptions and offers up alternative worldviews as a direct confrontation to our socialized paradigms. But more importantly, it challenges us to explore what we have somehow lost along the way--our spiritual consciousness and sense of belonging. Ms. Walker possesses the courage of her convictions, and as such, this novel defies any attempt to put it into some nice neat little package. The novel challenges the reader to think, listen and dream. And the process is not orderly or self-evident. Temple doesn't offer up any real epiphanies or earth shattering revelations. It only offers suggestions and possibilities and most importantly, hopes. We have lost "Eden" a long way back; Temple of My Familiar is a beautiful attempt to get back to the garden.
Heck, nobody said, "It was going to be easy!"

She masterfully moves her characters beyond worldly conventions towards not only a greater understanding of themselves but of humanity at large. I honestly recommend this book to anyone who as ever wished to further themselves, because it is a literary experiment into the healing side of human nature (a side too often compromised for violence). Furthermore, it is a book of real people rising out of varying levels of suppression-a book which in gauges everyone to break limits and asks questions of at least themselves. Yes indeed this is a book which tells us why we struggle to stay alive...why we press forth into the next day.

fun, full of insight and mystery.......2005-09-24

While I do not subscribe to New Age beliefs, reincarnation, or any of the other spiritual stuff that this book advocates, that did not stop me from thoroughly enjoying the characters and the world they exist in. Indeed, this book tapped into my sense of wonder as few have in recent years, the mystery of life and how our beliefs shape our world as we struggle to make sense of it all and move ahead. As such, this book for me was a complete success, just a delight to experience - I could suspend my disbelief and simply savor it, hooked into the characters, their issues, their compromises and little triumphs. That makes for a superior novel. It tickled my imagination and gave me images that I will never forget, no matter how weird or unbelievable some of them might be.

Warmly recommended.

Mixed feelings.......2004-09-20

I would be the first to praise Alice Walker's skill as a story teller, and her prose always entertains me and makes me think. That's why I gave this book the stars I gave it. I don't mind the 'out there' spirituality. I don't buy it, but I have no deep gripe against it either. What I find depressing and surprisingly childish about this book is the implied contention that if women of color ran the world, everything would be good and just. The simple truth of humanity is that it is power that corrupts, not whiteness or gender. If women of color ruled the world instead of white men, they would simply become the newest oppressors, in my opinion. I keep trying to enjoy Alice Walker's books for more than their style and skillful prose, but the message of reverse racism is still there. I am white, but I am not evil/privileged/pathetic/racist/oppressive/smug/whatever. If I were, I would not keep trying to read Alice Walker. I wish she would open her mind to that possibility.

Not What I Expected.......2004-07-07

I love many of Walker's books, but this was not what I expected. The idea's are deep and fascinating, but it lacked plot. She should have just written essays and published them in a nonfiction book, instead of passing off her "prose" as a book.

Mosby's Paramedic Refresher and Review - Revised Reprint: A Case Studies Approach

Average customer rating:

Great case studies
A Great Refresher and a Wonderful Tool for Educators
Mosby's Paramedic Refresher and Review - Great Review!
Good Review

Mosby's Paramedic Refresher and Review - Revised Reprint: A Case Studies Approach
Alice Twink Dalton , and Richard Allen Walker
Manufacturer: Mosby/JEMS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Emergency Medical Services | Allied Health Professions | Medicine | Subjects | Books

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Paramedic Review Manual for National Certification

ASIN: 0323047521

Book Description

This revised reprint is now updated to reflect the new 2005 emergency cardiac care guidelines. Using a case-based approach, it offers the most realistic view of prehospital emergency care. This unique text is the only case-based text available covering all of the information needed for paramedic refresher and certification preparation and review. In a concise, user-friendly format, the text features basic concepts of patient assessment and treatment, incorporating anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology in the context of actual patient encounters. Each chapter presents several real-life emergency scenarios. Questions and answers follow for immediate feedback.

Customer Reviews:

Great case studies.......2007-05-09

This book offered a good review of each chapter and had multiple case studies after each review. A great buy!!

A Great Refresher and a Wonderful Tool for Educators.......2003-06-25

This book is written in a case study format that helps practicing paramedics and paramedic students focus on the presenting signs and symptoms of various illnesses and injuries. In addition to that, each case is followed by a number of questions that one can use to study each illness or injury that is covered in the text. Having been a practicing paramedic for almost a decade, I have found that this book is a great way to refresh some of the "not so common" things we in EMS may be called upon to see in a refreshing, new way. I used this book to prepare for the National Registry of EMT's Advanced Level Exam Oral stations and found it to be wonderful. I'd recommend it highly as a source for teaching scenarios for EMS educators as well.

Mosby's Paramedic Refresher and Review - Great Review!.......2001-03-07

This is an excellent refresher/review for Paramedics. I like it especially since it teaches/refreshes by giving about 50 patient scenarios. You get to do the assessment, then flip the page and see how well you have done. What is also cool is that the book provides a follow-up paragraph that describes the final outcome for the patient.

Good Review.......2000-07-05

This is good to review for your paramedic test, even if this is your first time. It has a little review at the begining of each section and then it tells a case and asks questions with the answers on the next page. I think it is a good book.

Average customer rating:

Incredible photography
I love this book
Good for coffee!
An incredible pictorial of the many facets of dreadlocks!
Francesco Mastalia

Dreads
Francesco Mastalia , and Alfonse Pagano
Manufacturer: Artisan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

Nice Dreads: Hair Care Basics and Inspiration for Colored Girls Who've Considered Locking Their Hair
Hairlocking: Everything You Need to Know : African, Dread and Nubian Locks
Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America
Textured Tresses: The Ultimate Guide to Maintaining and Styling Natural Hair
Going-natural: How to Fall in Love With Nappy Hair

ASIN: 157965150X

Book Description

Dreadlocks are a modern phenomenon with roots reaching as far back as the fifth century. According to ancient Hindu beliefs, dreads signified a singleminded pursuit of the spiritual. Devotion to God displaced vanity, and hair was left to its own devices.

Dreads captures this organic explosion of hair in all its beautiful, subversive glory. One hundred duotone portraits present dread-heads from around the world, in all walks of life. Interviewed on location by the photographers, jatta-wearers wax philosophic about the integrity of their hair, and every stunning image confirms their choice. Alice Walker puts words to pictures, offering lyrical ruminations about her decision to let her own mane mat.

Customer Reviews:

Incredible photography.......2007-05-25

I loved the beautiful pictures in this book.. a must-have for any lover of locks!

I love this book.......2007-04-15

I always saw this book at the natural hair stylist that I visited. Now that I and my daughter are lock wearers i decided to purchase it. The photography is outstanding and book contains both cultivated and organic locks. Great to have in your home library and leave out as a conversation piece. Excellent.. Must buy it.
I also recommend:
Kinki Kreations: A Parent's Guide to Natural Black Hair Care for Kids

Good for coffee!.......2006-11-13

Excellant book. As one who has carried locks for quite a while I can say that it's nice to see the photos and words of others who share this part of theirself with others. Dreads are beautiful and deeply personal; to explain them is not always easy, to understand them, it seems, is often even harder.

An incredible pictorial of the many facets of dreadlocks!.......2006-03-16

My loctician had this book on her coffee table during my last visit and I fell in love with my locks all over again. The book opens with an introduction by Alice Walker that recaps her first encounter with locks and her subsequent adoption of the style. Through this introduction, Walker addresses some of the common misconceptions about locks. "Dreads" continues with a historical perspective of locks and their political, religious and fashion roots. This is a great coffee table item. Not only is the book a great validation of the beauty and uniqueness of locks but it is also an excellent way to inform people of the facts about locks. I wish I had a copy of the book at the office when I started the locking process three years ago! Highly Recommended!

Francesco Mastalia.......2005-08-11

Shortly after this book was published I came across it in my local Borders. I immediately was drawn to the wonderful shadows and expressions that were displayed in this beautiful book. I would consistently turn to it when wanting to draw and always found myself paging through it over and over again seeking out the best defined shadows and contrast. Never could find the 'best' they are all wonderful. Earlier this year in 2005, My husband was in the process of looking for a photographer for our wedding to be in July, when we came across Francesco Mastalias website. At the time I did not recognize the name as being the author of one of my favorite photography books, but I did note how beautiful the photos displayed were. Anyway, to make a long story short, we met him, liked him and his work and arranged him to photograph our wedding. Gorgeous work there too!I also found out that he is the author of this incredible work of art. Needless to say I was very excited as I had one of the few 1st editions that were printed. I recommend this book to anyone with an appreciation for unusual displays of beauty, and heartily look forward to any future work Mastalia may publish.

A Poem Traveled Down My Arm: Poems and Drawings

Average customer rating:

"Understanding war I do not harm myself."
something for everyone
beautiful!
So Beautifully Spare
Surprising depth in a small package

A Poem Traveled Down My Arm: Poems and Drawings
Alice Walker
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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The Temple of My Familiar

ASIN: 1400061636
Release Date: 2003-10-28

Book Description

In this illuminating book, Pulitzer Prize–winning novelist and acclaimed poet Alice Walker reveals her remarkable philosophy of life. Curiously, this labor of love started with the author’s signature: Faced with the daunting task of providing autographs for multiple copies of one of her poetry collections, Absolute Trust in the Goodness of the Earth, Walker turned an act of repetition into an act of inspiration. For each autograph became something more than a name: a thoughtful reflection, an impromptu sketch, a heartfelt poem. The result is this spontaneous burst of the unexpected. A Poem Traveled Down My Arm is a lovely collection of insights and drawings—by turns charming and humorous, provocative and profound—that represent the wisdom of one of today’s most beloved writers.

The essence of Walker’s independent spirit emanates from words and images that are simple but deep in meaning. An empowering approach to life...the inspiration to live completely in the moment...the chance to nurture one’s creativity and peace of mind—all these beautiful elements are evoked by this unusual and original book.

Customer Reviews:

"Understanding war I do not harm myself.".......2006-10-10

Many book buyers prefer prose because poets often take two stanzas to say what can be said in a well-crafted phrase. The poetry section is usually one of the smallest sections in a bookstore. Poets often use substitution, excessive description, and analogy, when speaking directly may be more clear. But Alice Walker does not suffer from any of those poetic tendencies. Her poems are brief and plain speaking, but there is nothing plain about the extraordinary intelligence her words reveal. I'm an Alice Walker fan, but I wasn't looking to buy a book of her poems. I was actually scanning through different collections of poetry from another infamous and radical American poet whose last name also starts with "W." One of life's great gifts is that you often find some of the best treasures not directly where you are headed, but on the nearby paths.

The title "A Poem Traveled Down My Arm" reminded me of a good lyric "The movement you need is on your shoulder." The book is a "story about exhaustion. About deciding to quit. About attempting to give up what it is not in one's power to give up: one's connection to the Source. Being taught this lesson. Ultimately it is a story about Creativity, the force that surges and ebbs in all of us, and links us to the Divine." Here are a few lines to give you a sense of the book, first on the topics of love, human understanding, and relationships:

"Every time you die you live differently."
"Feed the stranger under your coat."
"She comes from heaven unannounced."
"What is a promise if not your hand in mine?"
"Release the tyranny of gender: Make love not programming."
"Man reborn as woman do not give in to fear."

And as any good oracle or commentator, Alice Walker does not avoid issues that dominate our world:

"Understanding war I do not harm myself."
"There is no "Other" only you - at war."
"How can we rest thinking of their burning legs? What is the balm for consciousness?"
"No gadget in all Creation to distract us forever from our grief."
"Choose one country other than your own to love. Keep a finger on its pulse."

And 2 of my personal favorites:

"Choose someone to love who wouldn't even hear of it. Notice ducks."
"No one can end suffering except through dance."

I don't know why these ideas came to Ms. Walker's consciousness at this time, or why she chose these select ideas to publish. But I am grateful, because they were timely for me. To find them, you must go places most people choose not to go. You might be asking "Yes, but over 10 bucks for a book of single clause pages and scribbles?" Going back to my opening point, Alice Walker can reveal more uncommon wisdom in a clause than most people can reveal in a chapter, an essay, or a state of the union address. The book is a valuable asset. "There is only kindness lucid, strong in the moment like sunlight penetrating a gloomy glade. The offer of empathy or tea or soup or bread a bed."

something for everyone.......2006-01-22

This collection of poems simply makes me happy. I feel honored to live on a planet where such a being as Alice Walker resides. Alice brings me hope. Alice makes me happy. her simple playfulness is refreshing.

beautiful!.......2005-05-04

This book is a true gem - although the words are few, the message conveyed is readily understood, if you are open to hearing it! At once sad, hopeful, and other honest emotions, the poems are quite lovely. The book is short, but you will want to read it again and again. As you read, listen to the Divine.

So Beautifully Spare.......2004-11-08

This is typical Alice Walker beauty and earthiness. The spare truth about life, love, loss and heartbreak. And of course, TRIUMPH.

I've never much liked Walker's poetry before. But this tome is more than worth your time and attention. She fills the pages with enough pathos, rain and sunshine for two novels--and all with spare words.

Great for reading in the park on somber days.

Surprising depth in a small package.......2003-11-23

Although at first glance this may seem like a thin gift book with only a few words per page and an occasional childlike drawing, it reveals a much greater depth of spirit and underlying thought than one might expect. The "poems" (all untitled) resemble aphorisms or zen koans rather than conventionally crafted poetry, and their cumulative effect, when read in sequence, is to connect into what feels like one larger poem, made from a free flow of ideas and emotions. This is a beautiful and intriguing distillation of Alice Walker's personal perspective. Highly recommended.

In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens: Womanist Prose

Average customer rating:

A must read for Empowered women!
The Loss of Black Creativity Due To Slavery
The Idealogy behind Womanism
Touching Essays by a brilliant writer.
Alice is very moorish

In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens: Womanist Prose
Alice Walker
Manufacturer: Harvest Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

African-American & Black | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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The Temple of My Familiar
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ASIN: 0156028646

Book Description

In this, her first collection of nonfiction, Alice Walker speaks out as a
black woman, writer, mother, and feminist in thirty-six pieces ranging
from the personal to the political. Among the contents are essays about
other writers, accounts of the civil rights movement of the 1960s and the
antinuclear movement of the 1980s, and a vivid memoir of a scarring
childhood injury and her daughter’s healing words.

Customer Reviews:

A must read for Empowered women!.......2006-08-27

This book helped me gain my voice. I love it so much -- I have two copies of it and I would still not be willing to loan one out. Alice Walker is a powerful visual writer and a Gift to the Womanist Academy!

The Loss of Black Creativity Due To Slavery.......2005-12-01

In her essay concerning post-Reconstruction African-American women, Alice Walker seeks to put a human face on what Americans may otherwise only remember as an unfortunate scar on our glorious history. She asks, "Who were the Saints? These crazy, loony, pitiful women?" And in answering herself, she replies in repetition, "our mothers and grandmothers." These are the human faces to which she has attributed all that is contemporary Black America.

"Moving to music not yet written," Walker's image of the former female slave is one, not necessarily of a battered laborer, nor of a heifer being kept only because of her ability to breed valuable livestock, but rather as an artist ahead of her time. These women made beauty while amidst horrible conditions. These women were not merely ex-slaves, but they were "Poets, Novelists, Essayists, and Short-Story Writers" whose potential was never met, and dreams were never realized. For this reason, Walker attempts to embolden and even mobilize African-American women with the responsibility of realizing the potential of black creativity denied their ancestors.

Walker asks, "Do you have a genius of a great-great-grandmother who died under some ignorant and depraved white overseers lash?" What an amazing question to ask. How many geniuses and artists were slain by the horror of slavery? Americans spend a lot of time and energy thinking about the economic, political, and social restrictions slavery imposed on African Americans, but I have never even heard elusions to the loss of black creativity due to slavery. I too have given more thought to the socioeconomic inequality within black America than I've ever given to the stifling of their creative ability. Perhaps, we should give this idea more thought, for it was the efforts of these "poets" in everyday life that transported black women to where they are today, and have arguably elevated the intellect, creativity, and soul of an entire nation.

Thought provoking; this is an essential read for anyone interested in understanding the effects of slavery, especially those effects that go beyond our typical understanding of oppression.

The Idealogy behind Womanism.......2005-09-17

This is a good book for anyone doing Post-Colonial literature. It gives a precise view of what the woman stands for, her aspirations, flexibility and resilience in the world of patriarchy. Alice walker gives her definition for the term 'Womanism' in crisp and confident tones and it is indeed a boost for women writers within the post-colonial world trying to find a place for themselves on the literary scene and in creating a new canon.

Touching Essays by a brilliant writer........2003-06-20

When I finished this book I knew I was going to miss the things it said to me. Alice Walker wrote brilliantly about her own struggles, her passion for other people to discover Zora Neale Hurston, the civil rights movement, and her work as a black feminist. So many subjects are touched in this book that jumps back and forth through 20+ years. Walker is inspritational to all woman. As a writer she shows one the strength to succeed not in business but loving yourself as well as working to achieve equal rights for everyone no matter the sex or the color. Her essays are moving written like a painting. Her words are beautiful and inspire. The few poems that she used in this collection are the best i have ever seen. She is honest about her experiences in hopes that we all might learn from her and take to a cause. We are the makers of our future. I would read this book again and it establishes to me that Alice Walker is a gifted writer who has become one of my favorites.

Alice is very moorish.......2001-09-17

First I read The Colour Purple and thought that Alice
was an older woman. Then I read The Temple of My Familiar and began to wonder. In Search of Our Mother's Gardens illuminates the writer. I have gone in search of many of the books to which she refers in her essays.

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