From the Bookshelf of PopSugar Reading Challenge en Español…

La flor púrpura

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie,

Laura Rins Calahorra (Translator)

Start date: January 11, 2019

Finish date: January 20, 2019

Discussion: 2019 Reto Avanzado - Archivo

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2019 Reto Avanzado - Archivo

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44. Un libro “elige tu propia aventura”
By Dani (IG: dan… · 17 posts · 110 views

last updated Dec 30, 2019 11:14PM

46. Un libro que ha inspirado una frase de uso común o una expresión
By Dani (IG: dan… · 14 posts · 130 views

last updated Dec 30, 2019 02:20AM

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What Members Thought

Jan 11, 2017 El Cuaderno de Chris rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: e1

Desde hace unos años quería leer este libro, siento que estaba predestinado a leerlo, una fuerza oculta hacía que lo deseara. La historia es narrada por Kambili, una chica nigeriana de 15 años, que nos cuenta como las cosas en su familia empiezan a cambiar desde que visitan a su tía. Kambili nos narra la educación restrictiva que reciben por parte de su padre, hombre millonario y un religioso empedernido que de puertas para fuera es un hombre bondadoso, pero que en su hogar es un tirano. Este li ...more

11 likes · Like · see review

Dec 02, 2017 Paloma rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: literatura-africana, reading-challenge-2017, borrowed

This book is simply beautiful: a powerful, touching story about growing up, about a country’s problems, about war, about life. I must confess that during the first part of the book I was thinking the story was not of the same quality or level like Half of a Yellow Sun” or Americanah and that it was obvious how Chimamanda’s style had grown, being ”Purple…: her first published novel. But soon enough I was proven wrong. This is not the story of a wealthy teenage girl -Kambili- living with a strict This book is simply beautiful: a powerful, touching story about growing up, about a country’s problems, about war, about life. I must confess that during the first part of the book I was thinking the story was not of the same quality or level like Half of a Yellow Sun” or Americanah and that it was obvious how Chimamanda’s style had grown, being ”Purple…: her first published novel. But soon enough I was proven wrong. This is not the story of a wealthy teenage girl -Kambili- living with a strict, religious father that suddenly discovers there are other possibilities in life. No -it is deeper than that and it takes some time to fully understand it, to grasp the horror of it.

The girl, her brother Jaja and her mother Beatrice have lived in a perfect household, with no material needs but under the strict code of conduct of a fanatical man -their father. Everything for him is basically a sin and thus, he raises his children under strict discipline allowing little room for any freedom. But both Jaja and Kambili are really unware of it, because that’s the only thing they’ve known -the way things are and must be.

Until the civil war begins and they go to Nsukka with Aunty Ifeoma, her father’s sister and mother of three children. She is a good woman, a Catholic but not as religious as her brother Eugene. She has raised her children alone and in complete freedom to breath. Both Jaja and Kambili find themselves surprised and unable to reach in such a new environment -where you can actually laugh, speak out and just live. That changes everything, particularly for Jaja. And one they go back home, without them really being aware, they are bolder, braver -and we see Eugene completely out of his mind, inflicting cruel punishments upon his children. The only escape turns out to be a family tragedy.

But as dramatic as this plot might appear, it is not. This is a powerful story and I dare say, tender at some points because leaving Eugene aside, it shows the power of family bonds -between brother and sister, mother and children, aunts and nephews, and those of friendship as well. Even Eugene -he is a bit crazy indeed but in the end, he’s not a bad person. He acts in that way because he is doing right: he does love his children and helps his friends in times of war. Though it is impossible not to hate him, for me he is a clear example of the duality in humans -sometimes things are not black or white, but gray.

Aunty Ifeoma is also a wonderful character -the strong, female characters the author knows to depict so well and who inspires both Jaja and Kambili to live their lives at their fullest.

We go with each of the characters through terrible, cruel situations but also through wonderful evenings under the hot Nigerian sun, in wealthy houses and old compounds of university life, through silence and music and laughter. Chimamanda builds this atmosphere in a perfect way that though it is a hard story, it is also inspiring and moving. What I also admire a lot from the author is how she is able to depict a country’s political problems to show us a reality but linked perfectly in the lives of the characters.
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Jun 15, 2024 Eliana Rivero rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle

Lo dije y lo repito: Chimamanda es una gran narradora. Sus historias no son necesariamente originales, pues ficcionaliza situaciones reales, pero la forma que tiene de envolver y contar lo que sienten y piensan los personajes es maravillosa. Tuve ansiedad toda la novela porque sabía que algo malo iba a suceder, aunque para ser sincera, estaban pasando cosas malas desde el principio. "Medio sol amarillo" sigue siendo mi favorito, pero "La flor púrpura" es un debut novelístico muy recomendable y a ...more

1 like · Like · see review