Book Description

Customer Reviews (1)

A poetic journey with Alice Walker
The back cover of "Once" notes that this was Alice Walker's first volume of poetry; the text has a copyright date of 1968.This volume contains poems about the Civil Rights movement in the United States, love, despair, and other topics.Particularly interesting is a sequence of poems describing Africa as seen through the eyes of an African-American.

Walker's poems are written in a clear, smooth, often striking language.Some standout pieces are as follows."African Images": a sequence of 45 haiku-like stanzas."Karamojans": an ironic and tragic portrait of the "proud people" of the title.The title poem: illuminates the ugliness of American racism and the beauty of those who stand against it."Compulsory Chapel": shows a welcome touch of dry humor."Mornings / of an impossible love": a sequence of prose poems."Johann": a striking, visually evocative poem that explores the possibility of interracial love.

I have great admiration for Walker's skill as a novelist and essayist."Once" shows her to also be a poet of sensitivity and grace. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (3)

One of my very favorite books
How could I not give it 5 stars?? All the emotion that is evoked coming from her soul & compassion for all living beings truly make for a beautiful compilation.Each new story is precious & makes one feel the need to pass this book around to all friends & acquaintances...

A political and spiritual testament
"Living by the Word: Selected Writings 1973-1987" is an excellent collection from prolific author Alice Walker. In this collection of essays and journal entries, Walker demonstrates the essential union of her political, spiritual, and artistic "selves."

Walker writes about many topics: animal rights, her daughter's smoking habit, her father, the problematic legacy of Joel Chandler Harris, pioneering African-American thinker Benjamin Banneker, vegetarianism, Reggae legend Bob Marley, her own 1983 trip to China, and more. Particularly fascinating are her thoughts on the controversies surrounding her great novel "The Color Purple."

Although the "New Age" vibe of much of the book may be too much for some readers, I found the book to be well-written and consistently interesting. Walker is a writer who has created a remarkable body of work, and "Living by the Word" is an excellent example of her passion and insight.

Travel with Alice
Thoroughly enjoyed her essays!You had an opportunity to travel with Alice as she journeys all over the world and other worlds greeting her ancestors.Each essay gave you the feel that she was in your living room,sharing from her life.Really enjoyable. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (5)

A Beautiful Poem in a Beautiful Book
I have a favorite quote that I like and this goes along with what this book is about.I forgot who wrote this, but it goes like this:

"Won't you come into my garden?I would like my roses to meet you."

This book is about how nature is meeting the author and getting to know her and how the author is essentially passive and is just enjoying all that nature is giving back to her emotionally.Basically, the flower is so beautiful, that she feels that it has a personality that wants to spiritutally connect to her.Instead of her leading the dog, the dog is leading her, and she can just feel free to spiritually experience that without having to be the leader--its a book about accepting the moments of life as they come, and the spiritual contact we sometimes don't experience because we are too busy thinking and planning for the next thing.

It's a beautiful book that makes you stop and realize that there is so much happening around us that we just tune out to, but if we just don't think so much and just feel and try to emotionally identify with nature and it's beauty and the beauty inside of us, there is beauty all around us.Its a book about feeling joyful and rejoicing--at least that is what I felt this BEAUTIFUL BOOK is about.

The illustrations are simple but very colorful, but that is what the book is about--the simplicity of life and its wonders---how nature can touch us if we don't try so hard to touch it.Just sit back and let the flower give something to you without reaching out to it---the flower will reach out to you.Without taking a pen to write about yourself, don't try so hard and let the pen write you---JUST LET GO--sometimes we try so hard to be happy, instead of just letting go and letting what's around us speak to us and take us where we need to go.

Beautiful poetry and illustrations
This is a book that both young children and their parents can enjoy.The illustrations are detailed and beautiful, accompanying the poetry perfectly.The use of language to describe the sensations and spiritual experiences is both beautiful enough to make lovely poetry, and descriptive enough to engage young (and not so young) children.This book is a wonderful addition to any children's collection.

Morning has broken
I'm a contrary critter. At random moments, never when I can predict their appearance and never when I can guard against them, I will suddenly be beset by a case of the contraries. The very first time I laid eyes on an ad for Alice Walker's, "There Is a Flower At the Tip of My Nose Smelling Me", the contraries hit me full-force. Alice Walker's trying her hand at another children's book, eh? I was unimpressed. Oh sure, it looked cool. So do Madonna's books for that matter. It means nothing. So for months and months and months I refused to read the book. There's no explanation for it. I was simply being petulant. Sight unseen I'd made up my mind that I wasn't interested and that, ladies and gentlemen, was that. Such an attitude might suit a hermit living in a cave somewhere, but it is hardly befitting of a children's librarian. It was hard for me to ignore the fact that slowly the roar surrounding Walker's book has grown louder. It's on one best book of the year list.. no, two! No, three! I couldn't stand idly by and let this happen. If I was going to dislike this book, I was at least going to give myself a reason. So I picked it up and read it cover to cover and wouldn't you know it? It's not bad. Not bad at all. Certainly finding the right illustrator was key to the book's success, but nobody can say that Walker hasn't found a topic appealing to child-reader set. It's admittedly not the kind of poem I'd immediately gravitate towards, but I'd be lying to you if I said the book wasn't oddly beautiful. Not a first choice, but certainly a worthy one.

A young girl, her face visible only in the lower right-hand corner of the page, sniffs a pale pink bloom. Says the text, "There is a flower at the tip of my nose smelling me." Turn the page and now the girl is embedded within a deep black/blue/purple sky. Here eyes are the clouds that float before her face, stars dotted everywhere. "There is a sky at the end of my eye seeing me." Working with this inside-out look at the world, the girl goes on to discover rain, dances, oceans, and finally, "There is a story at the end of my arms telling me!"

In her "Note from the Author" at the end of the book, Ms. Walker explains how the inspiration for this poem came to her. Basically, she was walking in a forest near her house and "the wonder of myself as part of all this overcame me. I began to sing: 'I come out of You, my Love. I come out of You!' ". She later remarks that, "I wrote this book, which was not a book then, but a thank you note." It wouldn't be too much of a stretch then to interpret this book as a religious meditation on God's wonders. On the other hand, it would be equally easy to see this as an example of personal empowerment. After all, the book is all about me me me. I guess that in addition to creating a book where kids can bend their minds around statements like, "There is a pen nestled in my hand writing me", Ms. Walker leaves its spiritual significance wide open. The bookflap of this title describes the poem as a, "gently provocative text", which seems like wishful thinking on the publisher's part. Still, there's is definitely an allure here that's hard to pin down.

It's a pity that the book doesn't happen to mention how illustrator Stefano Vitale created the art. From what I can tell it may have involved painting directly onto a wooden canvas, but that's just guesswork. Certainly Walker's poem is quite nice. Kid-friendly and simple, but with just the right hint of something deeper involved. Still, it's not hard to imagine what could have happened had her words been paired with a less than stellar artist. Some might have taken her story and filled it with pastel puppy dogs, bubbles, and butterflies. Someone else might have gone the opposite direction and gone all mod on us. Maybe this would have been all adult-centered three-toned shades of brown and the occasional representational object for kicks affair. Vitale's strength with this book is that he's willing to make his work both child-friendly AND easy on the eyes. His images jump close to his subject matter, as with the picture of a sunrise where we can make out a quarter of the girl's face, prominent and striking, on almost half a page. Mr. Vitale is currently a resident of Venice, and perhaps his attachment to that particular city is at work in this book. The girl's masklike (though by no means unemotional) face, the colors, the sinuous use of line, etc. all give the book a distinctly European air. Or maybe I'm just saying that because I know where Mr. Vitale currently makes his home. Dunno. All I can say for sure is that if Mr. Vitale were to turn his image of the girl blending in with the indigo-hued night sky into a poster, he'd be set for life.

I'm a sucker for simplified openings. For example, you pick up this book and you open the front cover. The endpapers are just a shaded rainbow spectrum, continuous and unblemished. You turn the page. Here too is the image we saw on the cover on our left. Below it are two small dedications. On the right is the title page. After that the story starts, and all the remaining publication info is squeezed into the back of the book. There's nothing like a little good design to help a title of this type along.

It's still not my favorite book of the year, but that can't really be attributed to anything but personal preference. Alice Walker's latest hits all the right notes and is a thoughtful piece as well. Worth your time and consideration.

Great for the imagination
My 22-month-old loves the illustrations and is intrigued by the "reverse" thinking (a flower smelling her?)What a fun, creative and enticing book for all children!

Great Book Not Only For Grade School Kids!
I really loved the brilliant color and the way each of the reader's senses was brought out in the book.For small children the colorful pictures will be irresistible, and for school age children it is an in depth look at the way our senses enhance our everyday life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (48)

Enthralling
This is a book that I will always remember! I was completely enthralled in it. I loved the memorable characters in this book. I also loved how each character continued to grow and explore things about themselves. I found this book very easy to relate too.

Tells instead of Shows
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
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
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
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. ... Read more

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. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

"Understanding war I do not harm myself."
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
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!
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
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
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. ... Read more

Book Description

Term paper due tomorrow? Need to cram for a test? Or just looking for the best information about a favorite literary work?

Turn to "Short Stories for Students" to get your research done in record time. Brought to you by Thomson Gale--the world's leading source of literary criticism and analysis--this e-doc contains: plot summary; character analysis; author biography; an overview of the story's themes, style, and historical context; a compendium of in-depth critical material; study questions; suggestions for further reading; and much more.

Why choose "Short Stories for Students"? Because no other source offers so much in such a compact package. Trust the experts: Thomson Gale--and "Short Stories for Students."Download Description

Term paper due tomorrow? Need to bone up for a test? Or just looking for the best information about a favorite literary work?

Turn to "Short Stories for Students" to get your research done in record time. Brought to you by the Gale Group--the world's leading source of literary criticism and analysis--this e-doc contains: plot summary; character analysis; author biography; an overview of the story's themes, style, and historical context; a compendium of in-depth critical material; study questions; suggestions for further reading; and much more.

Why choose "Short Stories for Students"? Because no other source offers so much in such a compact package. Trust the experts: The Gale Group--and "Short Stories for Students." ... Read more

Book Description
My Life As My Self
By Alice Walker

Through her books The Color Purple, The Temple of My Familiar, and Possessing the Secret of Joy, Alice Walker is familiar to millions of readers. Who is this woman, who rose from the shadows of the segregated South to win the Pulitzer Prize? How did she find the courage to address with grace and wisdom the most difficult cultural issues of our time? On My Life as My Self, Alice Walker takes you into her private world and summons the powerful spirits and events that have shaped her life: how she learned to fight oppression through her creativity - her reconnection to ancestral roots and the natural world - and her emergence as a courageous artist, recognized for both her brilliance and her compassion. In this rare, intimate conversation, she peels back the veneer of cultural "evolution" and exposes how we have been conditioned to think and act the way others want us to.When you hear the words of Alice Walker, you will see mirrored in her life the greater struggle each of us!faces: to be who we truly are. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Deeply Comforting
I used to have a great deal of trouble sleeping.It was a mixture of insomnia (due to a great deal of worry) and fear of going to sleep (due to inevitable nightmares).Thank God(dess) that I came across this audio interview with Alice Walker.There is nothing more soothing to a frightenned child in the night than the sounds of a voice of a loving mother.
This tape includes an interview as well as poems that Walker recites with an occasional backdrop of Bluegrass/Folksy music.She discusses with genuine concern issues such as the creative writing process, religion, the repulsive act of Female Genital Mutilation (which she has researched and written about elsewhere), anger and rage, remorse, reunion, animals, racism, meditation, silence, personal identity, and many other topics.
This interview took place in Walker's home in Northern California and you can sense the utter peace, silence, and a very deep spiritual focus surrounding her dwelling.Her presence (from just hearing her voice) is deeply mysterious with a quiet power.
It is probable that only die-hard Walker fans will search this tape out.This is really a shame.But, I suppose (as Patti Smith once said) those who seek feel the glow.

The voice of an angel of fire
I loved Alice's writing early on, but when I heard this audiotape, I was mesmerized by her soft, breathy lovely voice. It was then I got a sense of the fullness and width of the lady's heart, social conscience, love, and grounded spirituality. This is a lady of courage and integrity. A wonderful introduction to the author. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (3)

lovely story about the connection between people
I remember reading this book when I was a little girl and being so moved at 7 or 8 years old by the sensitivity of the relationship between the little girl and old man and the accute sense of personal loss at his death.Now that I am older, I appreciate even more the emphasis of human connection that shines through in this book.How wonderful to be a child and have a friend like Mr. Sweet. Although written in a style that younger children can easily relate to, it is a beautiful story to be appreciated at any age.I still have my copy twenty years later. The only hesitation would be the title which may make some parents nervous but again, I was never negatively influenced by it and the story's positive message far outweighs this one flaw. Beautiful illustrations as well.

Read at your own risk!
Even if the ALA gives it a horrible review, this book is the side kick to literature such as The Bluest Eye, and Color Purple, believe it or not I would not consider this book for even my 5th graders, but rather the graduate level Library Science students!I had to read it twice and stop along the way, take in the details and realize how this miserable man's life had touched a young bright girl.At a time when so much is against African Americans a book comes along and you see a different reality.A reality whites choose to dismiss altogether, I'm Latino and in many ways I cannot relate to this story, however; it was a story that proves people wrong in so many ways.

BEAUTIFUL BOOK!!!
Beautifully written, beautifully illustrated.My mother insisted on reading this book to me when i was at the age where i was "too old for children's books!"When she finished, i asked whether maybe i couldkeep the book... ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (2)

Her words speak to your heart...
I first read this in high school and I fell in love with her words and the power that she has in her writting.After going through a difficult break up... I re-read her poems and was filled again with her honesty andstrenght and I can unclench my teeth long enough to tell him so.

True to Her Spirit
Alice Walker not only writes astounding books, but her poetry is real, familiar, and powerful. This book was originally published in 1975, one of her earlier works, but rings with the same truth today as then.Soft-spoken, Walker nonetheless is sure of her truths, and diligent incommunicating them. Love poems for her people, for all people, and for themen she has been accused of hating. Thanks, Alice, for your spirit. ... Read more

Book Description

Term paper due tomorrow? Need to cram for a test? Or just looking for the best information about a favorite literary work?

Turn to "Novels for Students" to get your research done in record time. Brought to you by Thomson Gale--the world's leading source of literary criticism and analysis--this e-doc contains: plot summary; character analysis; author biography; an overview of the novel's themes, style, and historical context; a compendium of in-depth critical material; study questions; suggestions for further reading; and much more.

Why choose "Novels For Students"? Because no other source offers so much in such a compact package. Trust the experts: Thomson Gale--and "Novels for Students."Download Description

Term paper due tomorrow? Need to bone up for a test? Or just looking for the best information about a favorite literary work?

Turn to "Novels for Students" to get your research done in record time. Brought to you by the Gale Group--the world's leading source of literary criticism and analysis--this e-doc contains: plot summary; character analysis; author biography; an overview of the novel's themes, style, and historical context; a compendium of in-depth critical material; study questions; suggestions for further reading; and much more.

Why choose "Novels For Students"? Because no other source offers so much in such a compact package. Trust the experts: The Gale Group--and "Novels for Students." ... Read more

Book Description
Alice Walker's first book recounts the lives of three generations growing up in Georgia, where the author herself grew up. Grange Copeland is a black tenant farmer who is forced to leave his land and family in search of a better future. He heads North but discovers that the racism and poverty he experienced in the South are, in fact, everywhere. When he returns to Georgia years later he finds that his son Brownfield has been imprisoned for the murder of his wife. But hope comes in the form of the third generation as the guardian of the couple's youngest daughter, Grange Copeland, who glimpses a chance of both spiritual and social freedom. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

A Best
I was mesmerized by this book.I believe it is her best.

what do we make of life?
I rarely read a book in one day, not enough time, but this one I did. Obviously I have no way of knowing what it was like for a black man during the years of this book but every time Brownfield blamed someone else for his pitiful life I wanted to scream, grow up!!Brownfield blames everything wrong in his life on the white people, especially the men. Jealousy is really behind his rantings. He sees what they have and he doesn't. Could he have done better for himself and his family? I would hope so. Drinking and beating your wife until she hates you are not living. Then he starts beating his daughters. Only after he kills Mem and Ruth goes to live with her changed grandfather, Grange, do we see what black men can do to change their lives. Grange changed his. He puts his entire life into Ruth. He learns and he passes it on to her. He adores her and she him. Grange is exactly what a child like Ruth needed after living through hell with Brownfield.I do not want to give the ending away so I am not going to comment except that perhaps a circle was broken.
I liked the book, but got very sick and tired of Brownfield's whining and whining. Get up and do something with your life then.

Excellent early Walker
Often, if an author writes a book that becomes immensely popular and a mainstay in modern literature, their career is then divided up between before and after. For the majority, I'd say their entry point to an author's canon usually is the well-received work, so it's fun to browse an author's "backlog" and experience their earliest achievements.Having been a fan of Alice Walker for many years but only having read two novels (plus a great deal of short stories and non-fiction), I figured it was time to give her first published novel, "The Third Life of Grange Copeland," a try.

Had this been written by anybody but Alice Walker, I'd say this was one of the most impressive debut novels I've read.Since it *is* written by Walker, I should have known to not be surprised by the eloquence, the poetry and the grittiness of this book. Alice Walker is a storyteller with gifts bordering on the supernatural; if the Southern U.S. landscape could talk, it would sound a lot like Alice Walker. This is the story, told in razor sharp prose, of a man and the effect his actions have on his family over a period of many years.It's not an easy novel to read as there are hard truths in the story of Grange and Brownfield but there are lessons that will stay with the reader. This is also an interesting study on the actions of an individual, and who is to blame; society or the man/woman? There are no such easy answers in this book and I found myself wavering between sympathy and outright hatred for some of the characters, but it's the mark of a great read when I can feel so much for a story.

Exceptional book.As fresh today as it was 30 years ago.
Exceptional writer!Vivid easy flowing language.Not only adresses pregidous, but addresses how humans of any color can sometimes be their own worst enemy.

Not a happy book
This is a beautifully written, eye-opening tale of life for poor blacks in the mid-twentieth-century South. I highly recommend it for lending perspective to the lives of oppressed people. However, it is an EXTREMELY DEPRESSING book, particularly for a white person who wishes her own race to be less horrible to others. ... Read more

Book Description
In the CliffsComplete guides, the novel's complete text and a glossary appear side-by-side with coordinating numbered lines to help you understand unusual words and phrasing. You'll also find all the commentary and resources of a standard CliffsNotes for Literature.

CliffsComplete Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland   is revered as both a work of childhood whimsy and nonsense and as a satirical examination of the nature of language, Victorian morality, and the English legal system.

Embark on your own adventure through magical worlds and social commentary — and save yourself valuable studying time — all at once. Enhance your reading of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland with these additional features:

•  A summary and insightful commentary for each chapter
• Bibliography and historical background on the author, Lewis Carroll
• A look at the historical context and structure of the novel
• Discussions on the novel’s symbols and themes
• A character map that graphically illustrates the relationships among the characters
• Review questions, a quiz, discussion topics (essay questions), activity ideas
• A Resource Center full of books, articles, films, and Internet sites

Streamline your literature study with all-in-one help from CliffsComplete guides! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Not Worth Buying
I bought this book thinking that I was going to get an extensive commentary about Alice In Wonderland.This book is by no means an in-depth commentary on the piece.There are no more than ten pages of commentary in the whole book.The rest of the book is just the actual text of Alice In Wonderland with large side-margins that occasionally include definitions of words or phrases.

Definitely one of the worst book purchases I have made in the last few years... ... Read more