Precious by Sapphire

Posted on | June 14, 2010 | 19 Comments

Precious by Sapphire is a book -and adapted film – that is emotionally draining; I hasten to use the word “harrowing” as I know it is a word that can immediately deter readers of novels from a blurb, but it is a story of social deprivation; child abuse and molestation; incest; teenage pregnancy; sexual disease; illiteracy; so harrowing events are at a premium. Do read this short novel if you sometimes require your fiction to be hard-hitting and depict raw and disturbing events without coddling you. Precious is painfully evocative, often shocking, and the rawness of Precious, the protagonist, is palpable.

Precious Jones is a sixteen-year-old black girl living in Harlem, who is illiterate and pregnant by her father for the second time; Precious already has a daughter, who she gave birth to at age twelve, named Little Mongo because she has Downs Syndrome. Precious is subjugated by her mother and raped by her father; her name, Precious (her middle name), is ironic as her parents do not treat her as if she is precious. Her school exclude her due to her second pregnancy and she is entered into an alternative teaching programme; in the Each One Teach One programme Precious is taught to read and write by her inspiring teacher, Ms Rain. The novel is in the form of a diary, a writing exercise for her class; Precious tells her own story and some of the abuse is only ever hinted at, although some of the subtle inferences are even more shocking than the matter-of-fact announcement of her father regularly forcing herself upon her. To say that the story of Precious and her desire to improve herself is powerful and moving is understating the novel’s effect; Precious’ resilience is inspiring and ultimately there is a message of hope, even if the devastation that befalls Precious is unrelenting.

There is a noticeable development in language, spelling and articulation in both Precious’ narration and her writing examples; her ignorance is intentionally shocking and often difficult to understand. From the opening passage, Precious is honest and displays her innocence as well as her lack of education:

I was left back when I was twelve because I had a baby for my fahver. That was in 1983. I was out of school for a year. This gonna be my second baby. My daughter got Down Sinder. She’s retarded. I had got left back in the second grade too, when I was seven, ’cause I couldn’t read (and I still peed on myself). I should be in the eleventh grade, getting ready to go into the twelf’ grade so I can gone ‘n graduate. But I’m not. I’m in the ninfe grade.

I got suspended from school ’cause I’m pregnant which I don’t think is fair. I ain’ did nothin’!

It is not an easy book to read -in terms of both narrative accessibility and subject matter- but I think it is a necessary one. I did not find it exploitative or emotionally manipulative but I can understand the concerns of people who do and who suspect it of being disingenuous. I have not read A Color Purple by Alice Walker but can still draw comparisons; there are several references made to the Pulitzer-winning novel and to Celie. The film is as equally distressing -to see some of the abuse enacted is sometimes stronger than imagining it- but there are some artistic distancing techniques as well as some similarly clever allusions to other cultural representations of black female experience, as in the poster of For Colored Grls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf (as mentioned here).

Simon of Savidge Reads raved about Precious earlier this year and it is to him that I owe my gratitude as otherwise I may not have read it; I did so in March but allowed the book to settle for some time before posting my thoughts (as well as having a backlog of other book reviews to contend with). Precious is a book that I am glad I read; it is not an enjoyable read but one that evokes sorrow and outrage in equal measure. The big issues of social deprivation, race, and child abuse need a wider audience in literature and recognition in Hollywood, which Precious (the film) received. In Mo’nique’s Oscar acceptance speech, best supporting actress award for the role of Precious’s mother, she said that “sometimes you have to forego doing what’s popular in order to do what’s right”; sometimes you have to forego what is comfortable and read what is distressing in order to learn and empathise with that you do not understand.

Category: Book Reviews
Tags: Bloomsbury

Comments

19 Responses to “Precious by Sapphire”

Care
June 14th, 2010 @ 12:56 pm

TERRIFIC review.
Kals
June 14th, 2010 @ 1:01 pm

I’ve been apprehensive about reading the book or watching the book because of the tough, depressing theme. ‘Emotionally draining’ as you put it isn’t really the kind of book I’m ready for now. But thank you for the heads-up!

My cousin who watched the movie raved about it too.
Kals
June 14th, 2010 @ 1:02 pm

Argh..bad typo. I meant ‘watching the movie’.
Felicia
June 14th, 2010 @ 1:10 pm

Great review. I had the same feelings when I read Push (Precious). I read it in anticipation of seeing the movie. Needless to say I wanted to close the book after only a few pages. A friend who had read it told me to press on and boy am I glad I did. What Monique said about doing what’s right has never been more right.
Novel Insights
June 14th, 2010 @ 1:16 pm

Great review Claire, I so want to read this. MUST get my hands on a copy!
sakura
June 14th, 2010 @ 1:42 pm

This is the type of book that I don’t read very often, but feel that I must once in a while. I probably won’t get to it for a while, but I’ll keep it in mind. As you said, it’s important to mix the difficult reads with what’s comfortable.
LizF
June 14th, 2010 @ 3:35 pm

What a great review, thank you. You have made me want to read this although having just read Veronique Olmi’s Beside the Sea, which is an equally difficult read in terms of the emotions it provokes, I think that I might leave it a little while.
Jackie (Farm Lane Books)
June 14th, 2010 @ 3:55 pm

I have been wanting to read this for a while. As you know I am a big fan of ‘harrowing’! I’m planning to read the book at the same time as watching the DVD. I just have to wait for my DVD rental service to deliver a copy. I think I might have to wait awhile though – there is probably a long queue.
Buried In Print
June 14th, 2010 @ 5:11 pm

I really enjoyed your review. I read this when it was first published (1996) as Push; I wonder whether its critics were as vocal with their concerns back then, or if they more readily accepted the book/author/film’s intentions when it was a quiet, hardly-known first novel…
anothercookiecrumbles
June 14th, 2010 @ 8:35 pm

Hadn’t heard of this book until now, but it sounds like something that’s worth a read, despite being “harrowing.” Even before you brought up “The Color Purple,” the book came to mind. It’s one of those books that made me feel really queasy and almost sick to the bone, but, I’m glad I read it.

Figure Precious will be the same. Thanks for the review – will definitely be reading it at some point in time!
Nadia
June 14th, 2010 @ 9:42 pm

Fantastic review! You are spot on with your review of this important book. As for The Color Purple – bloody brilliant! I hope you get the chance to read it at some point. With regards to Precious – it most definitely is a disturbing read, but that is because the experiences within the text are the realities of so many young girls around the world. Its hard to read truth, even when disguised as fiction – but its important that we do. Great review, Claire!
Jenny
June 14th, 2010 @ 11:04 pm

I’ve probably said this before, but you have to read The Color Purple. It’s got a lot of sad bits but I don’t think it’s overall a sad book – which it sounds like this one is. I’ve thought of reading Precious but so far haven’t – it is that concern that it’s manipulative. But good to know you didn’t find it so!
Stephanie
June 15th, 2010 @ 1:05 am

Reading this book along with watching the movie was so touching. It was a difficult read because of Precious’s situation but the hope she was still able to espouse was inspiring.
Chris
June 15th, 2010 @ 3:21 am

I couldn’t agree with your review more! I finally read this book this year and thought it was incredible. Definitely a hard one to read, but a necessary one to read. It’s certainly something that needs to be talked about more. The truth is that lives like Precious’ exist and it’s not something that can just be ignored. Fantastic review!
Karen
June 15th, 2010 @ 8:58 am

A wonderful review Claire – you certainly put forward a compelling case for reading this one. I think I might actually watch the DVD instead… Is that sacreligious??!!
Vasilly
June 15th, 2010 @ 1:41 pm

Great review, Claire! I read this book years ago when I was still in high school. I didn’t know books like this existed and it opened my eyes to the experiences that others have. This is definitely a necessary read. For some reason I found the movie harder to watch than reading the book.
Black North American Authors « Diversify Your Reading
June 16th, 2010 @ 12:23 am

[...] Sapphire (Wikipedia) Precious (Push): Reviewed at Paperback Reader [...]
Michelle
June 18th, 2010 @ 2:02 am

I have been struggling to decide whether I wanted to read this book. It’s been so controversial. Thank you for pushing it into the Must-Read list!
Booksploring
June 22nd, 2010 @ 12:23 am

I had heard that this book is “harrowing” and I guess that’s why I haven’t read it yet…thanks for a great review. I guess I really should just read it!