The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Berkley Publishing
Group – June 2011
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Source: I own it
My Thoughts: Wow! This
is a powerhouse book, it is filled with so much that I am struggling with where
I should begin. For those of you who
have not read the book, I don’t want to talk about something in particular. But
for those who have, I have a few thoughts: really? How? She so deserved it!
Okay, now that I have gotten that out of the way I can move on. What better
book to read for multicultural month? (Yes, officially February is Black
History Month, but I personally wanted to celebrate all of the cultures that we
will find in this country. While I didn’t get through all of the books that I
wanted to for this month, I will be repeating this theme.) I love the fact that
in the end, the one person that can destroy the trio if the secret ever comes out
is also the one person that can protect their secret-not because she has grown
as character or something deeply moving as that. She has an even bigger secret
to keep, and the only way to protect her is to protect them. I bet she found
that slice of pride even more difficult to swallow.
The time
period of this book is one that is often difficult to discuss, those who feel
bitter and enraged at the atrocities and injustices that occurred and those who
want to repair the damage still have not been able to meet in the middle to
acknowledge and then move on. It was a
time of change and a test of spirit. Not only for the black people that was
living at this time but for the white person as well. What people don’t want to acknowledge is the
struggle that happened in the white community during the civil rights
movement. But what is shown in the
book, is that there was a whole lot of ignorance and a whole lot of let’s not
change things-out of fear of change. We needed
all the Skeeters, Lou Annes, Minnys, Abileens, etc... to make the tide of civil
rights turn for the better. I don’t know
if anyone has ever thought of what the United States would have been like, if
it was only the black people that wanted change to come. No one I know has even breathed those words
out loud. But honestly, where would we
be?
Moving on to
the actual book . . . the writing was superb! I was engrossed in the story
immediately. If it wasn’t for school assignments and work that had to be done,
I would have finished this book days ago. Though, I had to put it down to tend
to other things, I regretted doing so
and even tried to read while doing something else (didn’t work out too well). I don’t think I have found that I despise as
much as Hilly, and though it meant losing everything I am glad that Skeeter was
the one who broke free of Hilly’s stranglehold. Minny, what can I say about her
that will make you understand just how wonderful she is? If I had to choose a
personality to have and live in that time I would definitely choose MInny’s.
Though flawed, especially in regards to her taste in men, she is feisty and
hilarious. She is a thunderous voice to be reckoned with. Abileen is quiet, peaceful and powerful. She
is the voice in the child’s head that secretly erases all of the untruths told
to them over time. She changes the world by the children she tend to and the
example that she sets.
I definitely
enjoyed reading this book, even the moment that made me cringe with anger and sadness
that there had been real situations that we had to survive. Even the parts of brutality that I still don’t
understand. Nothing was glossed over and I really felt as if I was walking
along beside the characters during this unstable time. But it didn’t stay focused on that, it
focused on the change that was coming to this part of Jackson and all of the
people that were involved in creating this change. Yes, the book focused on the
three main people that had a big part in it, but change came because of everyone
involved in it. Everyone had a role to play then. Everyone has a role to play
now.
If you have not read this, then yes you really should and yes it was really that good
Always Shine,
Starr K
I am glad you liked this! I only read it last year myself because I was avoiding all the hype. I am so glad that I did, though!
ReplyDeleteI wanted to read it as soon as I brought it home, but I think this was the perfect time for it.
DeleteI am adding this because I just finished the movie. I liked it. I would be excited over it if I had not read the book, if I did not know what they changed and what they took out. Some of the little things didn't matter. Some of it what was changed mattered. Whereas the book didn't gloss over the ugly truths, the movie did and that made it different for me, and not in a good way. In the book, Skeeter didn't find the redeeming part of the story for her mother. In the movie, though born out of a different situation, she did. I am very glad that I waited to watch the movie after reading the book. And while I understand some things had to be altered due to time constraints of the movie, it felt as though some things were changed because they were uncomfortable. And that says a lot.
ReplyDeleteI listened to this on audio -- which also dealt with the question of dialect-on-the-page that was problematic for a lot of readers, whereas in audio everybody sounded like they were speaking in dialect (for this set of Northern-ears, anyhow) -- and the production was absolutely wonderful. I don't listen to a lot of audiobooks, though I'm trying to learn to be a better listener (heheh), but the three women who read these parts were just astonishingly good.
ReplyDeleteMy only quibble was that the end (of the book anyway, I haven't seen the movie) seemed a little "pat", but, at the same time, I really *wanted* that ending, in some ways, so I was willing to overlook that!
I haven't done much audiobooks, and I know a few people who swear by them. I am relatively new to the e-book craze so who knows what's next. Though I did wonder how The Help would sound if read aloud. Maybe I will check out the audio book.
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