After Purple
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Author Description
Purple is the colour of violence, passion, penance and panache; the symbolic shade of kings and emperors, of cardinals and popes. It is also the punch-drunk colour of Wendy Perriam's extraordinary new novel which combines outrageous sex with radiant religion, redeems sin with resurrection and capsizes comedy with shock.Thea Morton, the crazed yet childlike heroine, seeks her absent father in every man she meets. Having rejected the kindly, bookish Adrian with his stifling economies and pedantic word-power, she taunts and worships Leo - darkly violent and disturbingly erotic - who lands her in hospital with broken teeth and bloody mouth. Disillusioned with mortal men, she turns to priest and God, seeking to seduce the one and consume the other.In her quest for God and father, Thea travels to the Marian town of Lourdes, that hopeless, hoping shrine of the Catholic church, where, in seeking a miracle she is granted instead a mission so shocking and stupendous, it changes the whole tenor of her life. St Bernadette herself becomes a character in a novel which adds the supernatural to an already powerful range of themes.Thea crumbles, along with the Marian shrine. Returning from Lourdes already shocked and chastened, she finds her world at home disintegrating, and her last spiritual refuge becomes a violent sexual nightmare.After Purple is a tale of sex, violence and religion, with a strong dose of comedy to wash it down. But the deeper levels and underlying symbolism give Wendy Perriam's always fertile imagination a new force and power.'An extravagant big dipper of a book... displaying a boldness, and exuberance and sharpness of eye... not for the weak of stomach.' The Times
Menrva's Summary
THE PULSE
Thea Morton’s desperate search for paternal validation and spiritual transcendence leads her into a volatile cycle of destructive relationships and religious obsession. Thea navigates a world where the boundaries between carnal desire and divine devotion blur, forcing her to confront the consequences of her impulsive choices. Opposed by the violent nature of her lover Leo and the rigid expectations of her former partner Adrian, she attempts to reconcile her internal chaos through a pilgrimage to Lourdes. The narrative follows her trajectory from domestic instability to a supernatural encounter that fundamentally alters her perception of reality.
INSIDE THE PAGES
- Exploration of the intersection between eroticism and religious fervor
- Use of Lourdes as a symbolic setting for spiritual crisis
- Incorporation of supernatural elements involving historical figures
- Examination of the psychological impact of paternal absence
- Juxtaposition of dark violence with elements of dark comedy
- Character-driven narrative focusing on the protagonist's internal disintegration
- Themes of penance, obsession, and the search for identity
- Non-linear progression of the protagonist's mental state
THE COLLECTIVE ECHO
Readers and critics often note the provocative nature of the prose, which balances intense thematic weight with a sharp, satirical edge. Discussion frequently centers on the author's willingness to push boundaries by blending the sacred with the profane in a way that challenges conventional narrative structures. Many observers highlight the protagonist's erratic behavior as a focal point for the book's exploration of trauma and faith. The pacing is described as rapid and disorienting, mirroring the protagonist's own descent into crisis. Ultimately, the work is recognized for its bold, uncompromising look at the human capacity for self-destruction and the search for meaning in extreme circumstances.
Page Count:
1
Publication Date:
1983-01-01
Publisher:
Penguin Books
ISBN-10:
0140064192
ISBN-13:
9780140064193
Contemporary
Satire
British literature
Religious Fiction
Psychological
Contemporary
