push by sapphire
Indeed, I still haven’t seen Precious. But this morning, in less than three hours, I devoured Push by Sapphire, the novel that the film is based on.
And yeah, I get why this is such a powerful phenomenon now.
What a remarkable novel. It’s the kind of novel that takes you into the depths of human suffering and misery — pushing you into places you aren’t sure you are capable of survive — while simultaneously reminding you of the joy and power and potential of human beings. “Push” is literally the command the wise teacher gives protagonist Precious: when you’re too tired to write, when you’re too sad to read, when you’re too downtrodden to work, you much push through, push past, and push forward. “Push” moves from being what Precious hears as she labours through the birth of her father’s children to being the mantra that helps her believe in a better possible life.
Sapphire’s characterization of Precious is so full and life-like, and the pace of the novel is almost breathless. I understand all the concerns that have been raised about the use of dialect in the novel, but for me it helped to make Precious real and her own person, rather than a construction — it made her life real, both the horrors and the triumphs. The novel is painful to read in parts, but it’s also gloriously uplifting. The journey Precious takes is tragic, but it’s also incredibly brave. Her strength and her ability to seek help make her singularly fascinating. You can’t help but cheer for Precious.
