Book Description
Celie is a poor black woman whose letters tell the story of 20 years of her life, beginning at age 14 when she is being abused and raped by her father and attempting to protect her sister from the same fate, and continuing over the course of her marriage to "Mister," a brutal man who terrorizes her. Celie eventually learns that her abusive husband has been keeping her sister's letters from her and the rage she feels, combined with an example of love and independence provided by her close friend Shug, pushes her finally toward an awakening of her creative and loving self.
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.
Average customer rating:
- Better than the movie
- Early Western but not exactly what you'd expect
- Recommended
- Riders - New Riders
- Great
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Riders of the Purple Sage (Modern Library Classics)
Zane Grey
Manufacturer: Modern Library
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Rangers of the Lone Star
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Last of the Duanes (Zane Grey Western)
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Shane
ASIN: 0812966120
Release Date: 2002-12-10 |
Book Description
Told by a master storyteller who, according to critic Russell Nye, “combined adventure, action, violence, crisis, conflict, sentimentalism, and sex in an extremely shrewd mixture,” Riders of the Purple Sage is a classic of the Western genre. It is the story of Lassiter, a gunslinging avenger in black, who shows up in a remote Utah town just in time to save the young and beautiful rancher Jane Withersteen from having to marry a Mormon elder against her will. Lassiter is on his own quest, one that ends when he discovers a secret grave on Jane’s grounds. “[Zane Grey’s] popularity was neither accidental nor undeserved,” wrote Nye. “Few popular novelists have possessed such a grasp of what the public wanted and few have developed Grey’s skill at supplying it.”
Customer Reviews:
Better than the movie.......2007-07-25
I thought the movie was very good, so I bought the book.
The book has the little girl Fay who isn't in the movie.
The details about the Mormons in this era were in the book as well, but not the movie.
I have read books considered classic in English and European literature
that aren't as good as this one!
With this book the American western became literature.
Early Western but not exactly what you'd expect.......2007-04-04
One of the first Westerns, with plenty of action and the romance of the west. It features a rugged individual with a dark past, an independent and hardy woman who is in trouble and a cast of other interesting characters.
I think one of the reasons why we don't hear more about it is that most of the villians in this tale are ... (wait for it) ... Mormons. So there is probably some pressure in various publishing houses, etc not to promote it. Zane Grey paints the LDS group here as patriarchal, polygamous ruffians. You would guess that an early Western would use Native Americans, not Mormons, as the villians.
Anyway, if you are not offended by the choice of bad guys, it's a good story.
Recommended.......2006-07-22
I'm not much of a "Western" reader. But, this was Zane Grey's first book so I thought I'd give it a try. It turned out to be an interesting story. I "read" it as a book on tape. The reader of the book on tape was able to change his voice for each character so the result was like a "radio play". Very enjoyable!
Email:boland7214@aol.
Riders - New Riders.......2006-06-28
There are two basic styles of English prose. One is that of Dashiell Hammett - short words, short sentences, short paragraphs, short chapters, short novels. The other basic style is that of Charles Dickens - long passages of minute, detailed description. Zane Grey wrote in this second style, and he did it very well indeed. The American West comes alive in the pages of this book, a true classic. Calling this "purple prose" is like calling the music of the Grateful Dead "boogie" - it's a putdown that doesn't really mean anything. (Incidentally, a Grateful Dead offshoot band, New Riders of the Purple Sage, was named after this book.) Just as Alice chased a rabbit into Wonderland, so Venters chases a rabbit into Surprise Valley. He discovers true spirituality in the natural world and in other people - not in organized, denominational religion. The theme of this novel is that tyrannical fanaticism - religious and/or political - is dangerous and wrong. Grey was not specifically anti-Mormon. In fact, some of his Mormon charactors were good people. He was against any religious system that was out of control in its lust for power. Think of todays' "religious right", or for that matter, Islamic extremism. Grey would have disliked both.
Great.......2006-02-26
The book came at a timely fashion. It was in great condition and it looked brand new. The book was just as described.
Customer Reviews:
Fantastic Read!.......1996-10-26
Barbara Burnett Smith has again produced a work of art in Celebration in Purple Sage.
The characters are real, the settings believable, and anyone who has ever lived in small-town Texas, (or small-
town anywhere!) can identify with Jolie Wyatt. Don't start this book if you don't have time
to finish it, because you won't want to put it down
Customer Reviews:
Enjoyable for women of " that certain age".......2005-09-23
Have looked for this book for ages but out of print in Australia where I live so was delighted to find it at Amazon. My friends cannot wait to borrow it
When I Am an Old Woman I Shall Wear Purple.......2005-07-05
The large print was great. I miss the illustrations that are in stardard print books. The poems were good. Some were a little more depressing about getting old then I would have preferred. After reading it, I won't be sending as a gift to an older friend. But it will stay with me.
Not your sweet Grandma.......2003-09-25
"Humor and beauty"? "Rebellious," "cynical," and "depressing" seem to me to describe these selections more accurately. Oh, I suppose a few of them are all right. But this is definitely not like the light stuff my grandma found so appealing in Erma Bombeck. After reading about half a dozen of these pieces, I'd had quite enough, thank you.
When I Am an Old Woman I Shall Wear Purple.......2003-04-24
If you are expecting the be uplifted by this book you will be disappointed.
I was expecting more humor but left this book feeling depressed.
Hey honey!.......2002-08-29
We're all getting old and fat! This book just makes you feel less alone about the ordeal!
Average customer rating:
- Excellent Book in My Opinion
- Mixed Feelings
- Just telling her side of the story
- More Praise for Ms. Walker
- Boring and Pretentious.
|
The Same River Twice
Alice Walker
Manufacturer: Washington Square Press
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Binding: Paperback
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Walker, Alice
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ASIN: 0671003771 |
Amazon.com
Alice Walker, a writer who had generally shunned public life, reached a period of great achievement in the early 1980s. Her novel, The Color Purple, was awarded both the Pulitzer Prize and the American Book Award. But when Steven Spielberg made a film of the novel, intense controversy erupted. In this provocative and thoughtful collection of essays, Walker takes, as she puts it, a "lingering look backward at a dangerous crossroad in one's life." How does a serious writer engage popular culture? What are the costs? What are the joys? The eloquent Ms. Walker offers insights.
Book Description
The Same River Twice is an exciting collection of work based on Alice Walker's groundbreaking, Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Color Purple. It includes the never-used screenplay Walker wrote, never-before-seen diary entries and letters, as well as new writings by the author on such topics as art, motherhood, illness, and relationships. Walker also discusses, for the first time, her work with Steven Spielberg, Quincy Jones, Oprah Winkey, and Whoopi Goldberg on the film based on her book. As it explores the controversy surrounding the movie and the impact of loss, illness, and fame on Walker -- The Same River Twice illuminates Walker as woman, healer, and artist.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Book in My Opinion.......2006-06-11
This book is not for everyone. I found this book extremely intimate and amazing. Why? I enjoy "getting to know" my favorite authors in a way that depicts them as "human just like you and me." Alice Walker let's us into her mind and emotions. She shows us that behind her great literary talent, she too goes through self-doubt, worry about what "other people think", etc.
I remember when The Color Purple movie was released and the backlash it got from black men in my community who perceived it as "male hating." I always wondered what it was like to put your heart and soul into a literary piece, have hollywood create a visual experience out of it in a way that you didn't expect, then sit through people "attacking" you as a "black male hater." Well, this book reveals what Alice went through, emotionally, spiritually and psychologically. We get to read exerpts from her journal. Furthermore, I felt more connected to this book than perhaps other readers because I myself am a novelist writer trying to publish my first book. Alice Walker brought up "controversial issues" in the book, The Color Purple (the most controversial being the "lesbian" relationship between Celie and Shug). My own work brings up "taboo" subjects within the black community. Reading Walker's intimate experiences with the public's (and her family and friends') reactions to her work and her bravery to "keep on keepin' on", inspired me to continue writing about subjects that have often been "silenced" within my own black community. The Same River Twice is an excellent book for someone such as myself who is often intimidated and worried about how their community may respond to their literary pieces.
Mixed Feelings.......2004-04-06
Reading Walker's prose can be like talking with a live person face to face. There is no aloof distance between Walker and the reader, one feels that she is addressing them personally; the drawback to this is that when she says something you may not agree with, you can feel a little hurt or even betrayed. The Color Purple is a story that so many people lay "claim" to, and is one of the most important books of the twentieth century. Readership of the novel has only grown since its initial publication in 1982, and it's no wonder that Walker feels such a bond to this story of hers. The problem is that the rights were sold to make a movie version and Walker wasn't entirely pleased with the results.
While I am sure any writer would feel very ambivalent about a film version of their novel (as Ken Kesey did for "Cuckoo's Nest"), when one signs the film rights away, they should brace themselves for the disappointment. Walker takes us step-by-step through the disappointment but the final conclusion is a feeling of ingratitude. What is important to me is that because of the movie I became aware of the book and thus began my love for Alice Walker. As a teen I loved the movie, but being older now I do see many moments in the film as rather embarrassing. But again, had it not been for the film I would not have read the book.
But why did Walker choose to write this book? Parts of it are very interesting, but much of the book is just a bunch of journal entries and news clippings. Walker does submit her entire screenplay that she proposed; Her screenplay is actually less streamlined than the script that made it to the screen and has too many moments involving the patterns in a quilt that stop the story dead in its tracks. For all the flaws of the screenplay that was adapted, (and there are many), it's a much less rambling script than Walkers.
Despite Walker's intentions, the book comes off as ungrateful. After all, she was able to make a nice home for herself. But this book is interesting to see the author's point of view. Had Purple been made in the 50's, it would have been damaged beyond repair and probably taken the point of view of one of the minor white characters ... if it would have been made at all. We've all seen movies that ruined a book, Walker is one of the only ones who has been voal about it.
But Walker should also take heart, at least she didn't write "Beloved" and watch that transition to the screen.
Just telling her side of the story.......2003-04-01
"The Same River Twice" was a very good book and it gave so much insight into who Alice Walker is as a person. I never knew that Ms. Walker has Lyme disease and that she loved to garden. The casting of certain individuals in certain roles shocked me it never dawned on that Tina Turner was their first choice in playing Shug Avery and that Lola Folana and Diana Ross were also considered for the part. Also I did not know that Ms. Walker had a problem completing the screenplay for the actual movie due her disease. Ms. Walker is one of the best authors of our time and it is a shame that people cannot see the beauty in her work.
I do remember all of the controversy surrounding "The Color Purple" when I was a teenager and how I was forbidden to see the movie. When I finally saw the movie after it had been out on video cassette three years later I was shocked and enlightened all at the same moment. I was shocked at seeing two women kiss and enlightened to see Celie break away from her abusive husband and flourish as person. The book and the movie are different and people should read the book before passing judgement on Ms. Walker's character if they have only seen the movie. I know now Ms. Walker had somewhat of a different vision of her book being made into a movie than Steven.
More Praise for Ms. Walker.......2000-09-30
I felt this book was one of her most personal, and from the start I could not put it down. The Color Purple was the finest book (and film) I have yet to see, although a better book than The Color Purple I don't think can be found. I am very grateful to Alice for publishing this book, as it gives insight into both the book and herself, and I feel it is the most revealing of all her books (so far). Reading it opened a window onto her life, albeit a small window, a window none the less, and for an author, I feel that is one of the bravest and most honourable feats. It allows you to step into her life for a brief moment, which can also heighten the journey taken in some of her other novels. Such as The Temple of My Familiar, which takes you further into the lives of the characters from The Color Purple, and knowing the motivation behind the novel from Alice herself, opens up a whole new aspect of Temple. I feel that to be a true Walker fan, this is a must read.
Boring and Pretentious........1999-07-21
Several years ago, I had a conversation with a group of filmakers who angrily debated the merits of "The Color Purple". Chiefly, we all wondered "What did Alice Walker really think of the movie?"
Well, she tells us here. In the most dull, pretentious and boring prose I've ever read. Self-serving and rambling journal entries. Tired cliches about what it means to be a black bisexual woman. Overreaching liberal claptrap that is better suited for a late-night college bull session than a serious piece of literature.
Book Description
Troubled Waters.
After a flash flood wreaks havoc in the Texas town of Purple Sage, a popular local doctor is found dead in a swollen creek. The police are calling it an accident, but amateur sleuth Jolie Wyatt suspects the raging waters run deeper -- all the way to murder.
Was it a coincidence that Dr. Bill died on the night he was one of the honored guests at a reception for the Texas governor? Then the disappearance of the unpopular hostess herself tells Jolie that something sinister is going on . . . especially when she stumbles upon the woman's body.
Like the receding floodwater, the truth starts to reveal a nasty mess, especially as Jolie wades through the muck to the shocking reason for the murders and the surprising identity of a killer waiting to send Jolie to her own watery grave.
Customer Reviews:
A danagerous, fascinating visit to Purple Sage, Texas.......2004-07-14
With Skeletons in Purple Sage, Barbara Burnett Smith has
created a very appealing heroine in Jolie Wyatt, a
realistic and interesting family and a whole town of
characters, good and bad.
A disasterous flood has brought the Governor to town
to asses the damage and Jolie has been picked to host
a reception - difficult to do when the site is under
six feet of water.
The next available location is logical but difficult,
since the hostess is the new wife of Jolie's good friend's
Ex. After that, the discovery of the body of the town's
beloved doctor in a ditch just piles on the trouble.
Jolie wants to find out who took her doctor's life, why
the local fundamentalist church is shunning the doctor's
funeral and why her Mother always liked her sister best.
I strongly recomment this book for its character development
and the exciting plot.
Best Purple Sage Book yet!.......2002-08-27
Austin, TX writer Barbara Burnett Smith has done it again--Jolie Wyatt, everywoman and perfect amateur detective, is up to her ears in flood waters and murder in the latest Purple Sage mystery. Things start innocently enough when Jolie and best friend Diane arrange a tribute dinner for a couple of old friends from their past. But thanks to the monsoons, before the night is out, one of honored guests has had the humiliating experience of being hosted in her former home by the husband who left her and his new trophy wife--and the other Guest of Honor is dead.
Then the sheriff announces that the death may be a suicide--and Jolie's on the warpath. Dr. Bill did NOT kill himself--and she's going to prove it. Complicating her mission are a host of suspects who may have believed they had ample reason to hate Dr. Bill, the arrival of Jolie's estranged mother, and Jolie's own fluctuating temper and emotions--is it sheer frustration from multiple directions, PMS--or even humble pie, as Jolie discovers friends who are foes, foes who might become friends, black is white, Truth may be relative and...well, the waters run very deep.
This Purple Sage contains the things we've always loved about Smith's books--the great small-town politics and tangled personal relationships--and takes them in unexpected directions. If you enjoyed the other Purple Sages, don't miss this one. And if you haven't tried them yet, what are you waiting for? And yes--I think you can start with this one, if St. Martin's STILL hasn't reprinted the others!
Strong Purple Sage gang reunion.......2002-08-18
Purple Sage is a small Texas town founded by nine religious fundamentalist families and even today their influence can be felt. Jolie Wyatt, a newcomer to the town and married to native-born Matt, is hosting a party in honor of retiring Dr. Bill Marchak and Beverly Kendall, who has returned after a three year absence to take care of her ailing father.
The only problem is that most of Purple Sage is flooding and the house where the reception is supposed to take place is underwater. They are forced to hold the party at the home of Beverly's ex-husband Tom who divorced her to marry Leigh. A gracious Beverly insures no one feels uncomfortable. Later that night, Dr. Bill's body is found tightly wedged in a drawn wrenched ditch. Nobody knows the cause of death but rumors abound. Shortly thereafter, Leigh disappears. Julie finds the body believing that the same person murdered both people.
The protagonist, trying to achieve justice for the dead, almost finds herself becoming the third victim of a demented killer. Her bravery and unwavering quest for the truth as well as her loyalty to friends and family are only some of the reasons the heroine is easy to like. Sad to say, the killer's identity is totally believable and raises some interesting legal and social issues. After a two-year absence, it is good to see the Purple Sage gang reunited again.
Harriet Klausner
Book Description
In the eighth and ninth centuries, three Byzantine empresses--Irene, Euphrosyne, and Theodora--changed history. Their combined efforts restored the veneration of icons, saving Byzantium from a purely symbolic and decorative art and ensuring its influence for centuries to come.
In this exhilarating and highly entertaining account, one of the foremost historians of the medieval period tells the story of how these fascinating women exercised imperial sovereignty with consummate skill and sometimes ruthless tactics. Though they gained access to the all-pervasive authority of the Byzantine ruling dynasty through marriage, all three continued to wear the imperial purple and wield tremendous power as widows. From Constantinople, their own Queen City, the empresses undermined competitors and governed like men. They conducted diplomacy across the known world, negotiating with the likes of Charlemagne, Roman popes, and the great Arab caliph Harun al Rashid.
Vehemently rejecting the ban on holy images instituted by their male relatives, Irene and Theodora used craft and power to reverse the official iconoclasm and restore icons to their place of adoration in the Eastern Church. In so doing, they profoundly altered the course of history. The art--and not only the art--of Byzantium, of Islam, and of the West would have been very different without them.
As Judith Herrin traces the surviving evidence, she evokes the complex and deeply religious world of Constantinople in the aftermath of Arab conquest. She brings to life its monuments and palaces, its court ceremonies and rituals, the role of eunuchs (the "third sex"), bride shows, and the influence of warring monks and patriarchs. Based on new research and written for a general audience, Women in Purple reshapes our understanding of an empire that lasted a thousand years and splashes fresh light on the relationship of women to power.
Customer Reviews:
Byzantine Studies.......2004-03-23
Among professional historians, Byzantium is often viewed as a field of study for the specialist. Most primary sources are not translated and lack critical editions. Secondary literature is often difficult to obtain. Judith Herrin is a respected Byzantinist, who has worked in the field for a number of years. While some scholars may disagree with Herrin's historical interpretations, approaches to specific subjects, and citations of certain facts, her work on Byzantine imperial women should be regarded as an attempt to recreate and convey for the general reader the personal experience of women's life in the imperial courts of eighth- and ninth-century Byzantium.
The three main subjects of her study are the lives of the Byzantine empresses Irene, Euphrosyne, and Theodora. In each case, the book details their relationship to power and their influence on dynastic struggles, particularly emphasizing iconoclasm and the Empire's responses to foreign invasions. The author prefaces her discussion of these lives with an overview of early Byzantine history. At selected points in her study, she treats diverse topics to provide the reader with necessary background. These subjects include the place of eunuchs in imperial life, ecclesiastical organization, patronage, and family commemoration. The study includes a scholarly apparatus and annotated bibliography.
Herrin reaches conclusions about the ability of Irene, Euphrosyne, and Theodora to exercise power within a society in which constructed and assigned gender roles subordinated women to male domination. Herrin attributes this power to an availability of three main resources that allow these empresses to legitimate their exceptional behavior. She terms these resources collectively as the "imperial feminine" (241): the existence of female power figures and symbols, particularly the Virgin Mary, the divine protector of Constantinople; the essential role of women in constructing imperial dynasties through their fecundity within the context of a centralized court and restrictions on selections of spouses; and the tradition of female imperial patronage in establishing religious institutions and acquiring urban space in the capital. The author views the long-term influences of the three empresses as contributing to the protection of Western Europe from an Islamic conquest and the preservation of figurative art.
While based in scholarship, the work is not intended to be definitive or exhaustive. In general, Herrin synthesizes her immense study of the primary and secondary literature, projects an individual vision onto the past, and makes a personal statement regarding the experiences of Byzantine women. In this work, the reader gains an understanding of the empresses, ladies in waiting, nuns, and others, as well as the author herself, since much of Herrin's own experience as a woman appears incorporated into the writing.
Some may object to this methodology. For a criticism of various historical points and understandings, Warren Treadgold's recent review provides a list (American Historical Review, February 2003, 238-39). There are professional historians who write in a detached manner about Byzantine women and the three empresses in question. These writings, however, are often specialized and intended for scholars with a considerable background in the literature.
Unlike these studies, the value of a personal statement is its vitality and strength in communicating with a wide circle of readers. Despite certain scientific shortcomings, this is a book with the potential to ignite a genuine interest in Byzantine studies and the general field of women's history. The value of Herrin's work is its effectiveness in conveying the experience of women within an alien culture, completely detached from the present, to the contemporary general reader. It would be an excellent work for introductory classes in historiography, feminist history, and Byzantine studies. The study might also serve as a means for men to apprehend something about the life of women in general, even if the historical context is one that is completely foreign.
The lives of three Empresses in Byzantium.......2003-07-13
The lives of women rulers of most nations prior to the modern era were not well documented. In the past history was essentially written by men for men, and showed little interest in the experiences of women, whether they were powerful or not.
In this book Judith Herrin has reconstructed the lives of three Byzantine empresses of the 8th and 9th Centuries. The lives we are presented with here are those of the empresses Irene, her grand daughter Euphrosyne and Theodora. The lives of these women represent significant episodes in Byzantine history, but it isn't until you read a book like this that you realise how much of Byzantine history has simply been lost and distorted over the centuries. So much so, that it has been difficult to reconstruct the lives of these women in any great detail, especially that of Euphrosyne.
Thankfully for those of us who have not read much about Byzantine history the author provides a lengthy introductory section which explains the city history and layout. The hierarchy of the court and the importance of eunuchs to both the empress and the empire and the public rituals important officials were expected to participate in.
Empress Irene came from Athens as a young woman and after her husbands death was regent for her son for over 10 years and eventually ruled in her own name for 5 years, an unprecedented act in royal circles in that time. Her grand daughter Euphrosyne was "born in the purple", suffered exile in her youth only to be bought back as empress later in life. Her successor was Theodora who has come down to us as a saint for the re-instating of Icons as a tool of worship in Byzantine churches, something which persists to this day.
This book covers the years when the veneration of icons ripped the church and Byzantine society apart for close to a century. These empresses were instrumental in the re-instatement of icons as a central item of worship in the Byzantine church. This is an easy to read book, but one that is obviously full of researched depth. It has impressive notes and sources at the back. If you have any curiosity about female rulers of Byzantium this book is a must.
Empresses of Byzantium come to life.......2003-05-27
This is a very good book. It is academic and well researched, but also very readable. The author focuses in on the lives of three empresses and their importance to the history of the Byzantium Empire, as well as their impact on West European history. There is a very good introductory chapter that lays the historical backdrop of the Byzantium Empire and the city of Constantinople. From there, the author provides a triple biography of the three empresses, highlighting their characters, importance to politics and religion, and the other main characters in their lives. The author makes a compelling case for the importance of the empresses' efforts to restore the veneration of religious icons, while also highlighting their achievements in both domestic political concerns and foreign relations. The book also contains several excellent maps and beautiful color plates. For anyone interested in women's history, the medieval period, and the Byzantium Empire, this book should greatly satisfy.
Women in Purple.......2002-11-02
For anyone with an interest in Byzantine History then this is a must. Herrin's style is very digestible and the subject matter enthralling. You really do get a great insight into these three impressive women and a very vivid picture of the imperial court in Constantinople and all the pomp and ceremony that went with it. Very good.
Book Description
In The Girl from Purple Mountain, Winberg Chai and his daughter May-lee explore their familys history to reconstruct the extraordinary life of its matriarch. Ruth Mei-en Tsao Chai was born in China in the early 1900s, during the reign of the last emperor. Educated by American missionaries, she was one of the first women admitted into a Chinese university, during an era when most Chinese women were illiterate and had bound feet. Later, as the Japanese Army advanced across China during World War II, her quick thinking kept her family alive as they fled and eventually immigrated to the U.S. This is a true family epic set against the shifting tides of 20th-century China.
Customer Reviews:
A good read!.......2004-05-18
There isn't much mystery to the plot, nor it explicitly explained why Ruth changed her burial decision. However, it's packed with Chinese culture, details of what life was like in China, the political movements, etc.. I recommend this book strongly to any one who would like to learn more of the Chinese culture/history, specially to the ABCs (America born Chinese).
Not Bad, Not Great - Just OK.......2004-02-21
This book is not a page turner. However, there was just enough there that I wanted to read it to the end. Get some closure, perhaps.
I understand some of the criticism directed at this book. There are parts of it where the authors are simply making up events, but at least they outright tell you so; e.g., "Here is how I imagine my grandmother's suitor." I didn't find this irritating or annoying. Just awkward, for a biographical piece.
I was disappointed that there wasn't more to the "mystery." No climactic ending - for better or worse. In the end, this woman who had already left her husband twice, left him one final time because she could not overcome her bitterness and jealousies. She started as a modern Chinese woman full of spirit and energy, but ended up being someone old and spiteful. Someone who would hold a 30-40 year grudge. Someone who would disown her own son. How sad.
Redeeming the Past: A Father and Daughter Remember.......2003-11-28
I had real reservations about this book. A woman who would go out of her way to make sure she was not buried next to her husband seemed to me to be less than worthy of my time. I didn't like her. I want to read about someone with whom I can form some identity. I looked at this book several times at the bookstore and passed it up. Then a friend handed it to me and told me to read it.
I have always said that some of the best books I have read have come as an interruption to what I was "supposed" to be reading. This book is one of them. The introduction on the dust jacket describes a woman who makes a secret arrangement to be buried alone in a mausoleum. The book seeks to understand and explain this unusual behavior. But I didn't want to understand. I am tired of caring why strange people do strange things. Such an act seemed unheroic. But something completely unexpected happened to me as I read this book. I was prepared to hear an elaborate excuse by the writer for why her grandmother did what she did. I had concluded that I could never identify with such a person. But I was completely unprepared for the extent to which I identified with the writer herself.
We are worlds apart. Literally. She grew up in America. I was born in Tokyo, and I grew up in the northern part of Japan. My parents were American missionaries, who went to Japan as volunteers after World War II. My grandparents came from Norway. I do not look Japanese. Not at all. Throughout my childhood, I was always a foreigner. Gaijin. Nevertheless, I am a child of Asia.
When my parents took me to America at the age of 13, I had serious misgivings about that new country. We moved to a small town in Minnesota, about as far removed as it is possible to be (both culturally and geographically) from the place that had been my home. I forgot Japanese. But through all the years I have lived in America, I have never forgotten the strange feeling I had when I came to that small Midwestern town and tried to fit into a world where I knew nothing about anything, even though I was a native speaker of English.
This book is about a woman who hated her father, and the ripple effect that this bitterness had over three generations. But it is written by a woman who loved her father, and with whom, in spite of clear generational differences, she was able to collaborate on a book about, of all things, relationships.
The book is written by May-lee with her father, Winberg. It is about Ruth and Charles-her grandparents, his parents. Charles adores his wife, but he is forever the unfortunate recipient of the unresolved rage she feels for her father. In that sense, Charles is a pathetic figure. He really can't do anything right. But, Ruth, of course, is more pathetic. She epitomizes in every way the Biblical injunction, "Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled (Hebrews 12:15)." The whole book reverberates with the effect this root of bitterness has on the whole family.
But there is a unique redemptive quality to this book that took me quite by surprise. You see, in writing the story of her grandmother, especially in writing this story with her father, May-lee "redeems" her grandmother, because she displays all the qualities that I can now imagine Ruth probably had and would have displayed if she had not been so eaten up with hatred for her father. The cover of the book shows a picture of Ruth and Charles at the time of their marriage. But I wasn't paying attention. Somehow I had it that this was a picture of the father-daughter team that wrote the book. So, as I was reading this book, I thought the pretty lady on the cover was the author. For me, Ruth became May-lee, and Charles became Winberg. At least for awhile. Then I caught on. But the initial impression never left. In a very real sense, May-lee became what her grandmother, unbound, would have been. And there is tremendous power in the way she gently prods her father to recover his past. It's all very unusual-you see, even though the book is not really supposed to be about May-lee herself, she becomes, in writing the book, the heroine of the story.
This is a book with heart. Read it. Then give it to someone else. Make this world a better place by reading, and encouraging others to read what will surely be one of the most life-enriching books you have encountered.
A Brillant family memoir.......2003-03-24
Winberg Chai' mother, Ruth Mei-en Tsao Chai, died unexpectedly. He then found out that his mother had secretly arranged to be buried alone, instead of in the share plots that his father had purchased years ago. Winbery then felt that, as Ruth's first-born son, he has the obligation to explore the family history to reconstruct his mother's life and to seek the answer of his mother's fateful decision. This book is about Winberg's family history and memoir. He finished this book with the help of his daughter, May-Lee Chai. I read some book reviews before I picked up this book at the library. I disagreed that this book is full of "fictionalized events." I think this book provides very good discussion about family history and its roots. It is an enjoyable reading. I like it.
Previous reviewers were ignorant........2003-02-25
Just because you cannot comprehend anyone having a hard life, doesn't mean you have to discredit the authors of this wonderful book. I am currently taking a course in Asian Political Cultures from Winberg Chai at the University of Wyoming, and I find him to be an incredible source of inspiration. Read this book and ignore anything the previous reviewers, or the critic from the New York Times have said.
Book Description
A fascinating look at a Zen convent throughout its history.
Customer Reviews:
A Runaway Success.......2006-11-25
I thoroughly enjoyed this excellent book. It has a lot more personality and spunk than most academic titles today, and approaches the subject of Buddhism in very interesting and important ways. Yeah, it also has some oddities and awkward moments, but these are significantly outweighed by its positive qualities.
"Interdisciplinary" is such a buzzword in the ivory tower's postmodern discourse, and yet this book, so adamantly anti-postmodern and thankfully free of francophonic jargon and snide mud-slinging, is ironically one of the most truly interdisciplinary books I've seen. Social History, Buddhist Studies, and Literature are combined in a potent mix along with illuminating illustrations, and translations from a great variety of genres (vernacular sermons, satirical poems, temple records, regional guides, travel diaries, ritual invocations, and such) are used to great effect. All of this gives the reader a richly complex kaleidoscopic view of the Tokeiji Convent and its guiding principles (religious pluralism and the provision of sanctuary) through time. This focus keeps the book well-grounded in specifics even as wider implications for our understanding of Japanese Buddhism in general are addressed--in a rather refreshing unabashedly opinionated manner. I especially liked the authors' take on Mahayana Pluralism as articulated particularly in the Lotus Sutra--indeed, this was not sloppy syncretism or cowardly compromise but an informed, explicit spiritual stance with scriptural basis. Also, the translations are masterfully done and are mostly unabridged so that we can better judge the total effect and intent of the text.
The book also rambles a bit and sometimes goes off on tangents, and it uses D.T. Suzuki's description of practice at Engakuji Monastery to extrapolate what religious practice was probably like at Tokeiji Convent--this seemed like a rather haphazard method to me despite the two temples' institutional ties, and this quote from another English language source seemed way too long in any case. Also I was sometimes uncomfortable with the way that certain traditions were depicted as almost purely negative; Confucianism certainly comes across as the bad guy here, for instance. To invoke another buzzword, a little "nuance" wouldn't have hurt. But don't let these almost trifling nitpicks interfere with your appreciation of this fine book. The primary appeal will of course be to those interested in Buddhism and its history in Japan, but it has much to offer in the way of Japanese literature too, especially the chapter devoted to senryu (haiku's witty and worldly cousin). And if by chance you are going to Kamakura to visit some temples, you'll definitely want to read this book on the way.
World-class Scholarship.......2006-07-31
I'm almost finished with _Zen Sanctuary of Purple Robes_ and I'm quite impressed with the organization and attention to detail. The Morrells have contributed heavily here to three fields -- Japanese history, Japanese literature, and Japanese Buddhism. The new and carefully-researched details they bring to light on the Tokeiji's history as sanctuary and, later, divorce temple for women, are both timely and historically valuable. In addition, their inclusion of much new translation also sets this book apart. Muju Ichien's (1226-1312) _Mirror for Women_ (1300), for instance, provides valuable insight into not only this monk's advice for women and men both, but into the general belief system of medieval Rinzai Buddhism as well. The volume also includes translation of numerous _senryu_ ("light verse," from the mid- to late Edo Period, 1603-1868), which particularly bring home the contemporary Japanese attitudes (both positive and negative) toward the Tokeiji as a unique refuge and recourse for women in domestic turmoil. The book's appendixes, endnotes, cross-referenced guide to cited texts, bibliography, and index complete this first-class effort. Well done indeed, and many thanks!
Book Description
View the
Table of Contents. Read the
Introduction.
"An important collection of the leading scholars in Womanist religion, ethics and theology. A must read!"
—James H. Cone, Union Theological Seminary
"A stunningly original work that carries 'womanist' and 'womanism' to a new level of thinking. . . . It not only provides multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches to the womanist idea but charts path-breaking directions for religious thought, ethics, and cultural analysis." —Cheryl Townsend Gilkes, author of If It Wasn't for the Women: Black Women's Experience and Womanist Culture in Church and Community
Womanist approaches to the study of religion and society have contributed much to our understanding of Black religious life, activism, and women's liberation.
Deeper Shades of Purple explores the achievements of this movement over the past two decades and evaluates some of the leading voices and different perspectives within this burgeoning field.
Deeper Shades of Purple brings together a who's who of scholars in the study of Black women and religion who view their scholarship through a womanist critical lens. The contributors revisit Alice Walker's definition of womanism for its viability for the approaches to discourses in religion of Black women scholars. Whereas Walker has defined what it means to be womanist, these contributors define what it means to practice womanism, and illuminate how womanism has been used as a vantage point for the theoretical orientations and methodological approaches of Black women scholar-activists.
Contributors: Karen Baker-Fletcher, Katie G. Cannon, M. Shawn Copeland, Kelly Brown Douglas, Carol B. Duncan, Stacey M. Floyd-Thomas, Rachel Elizabeth Harding, Rosemarie Freeney Harding, Melanie L. Harris, Diana L. Hayes, Dwight N. Hopkins, Ada María Isasi-Díaz, Cheryl A. Kirk-Duggan, Kwok Pui-Lan, Daisy L. Machado, Debra Majeed, Anthony B. Pinn, Rosetta Ross, Letty M. Russell, Shani Settles, Dianne M. Stewart, Raedorah Stewart-Dodd, Emilie M. Townes, Traci C. West, and Nancy Lynne Westfield.
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- The Gospel According to Judas by Benjamin Iscariot
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- The History of Sexuality: An Introduction
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- The Illustrated Torah
- The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill, Visions of Glory
- The Lost Word (Alice 19th Vol. 7)
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