This is the book everyone's talking about, like
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society was in 2009. (Isn't
The Help so much easier to say, though?) Funny, though: like the Guernsey etc., I initially avoided
The Help because of its title. The Guernsey etc. sounded cheesy, and The Help sounded like self-help. Or The Shack. I was skeptical.
I had no idea that Kathryn Stockett's best-seller actually has to do with the help, as in "the servants." I'm a little dense sometimes.
I loved the book. I've heard it compared to
To Kill a Mockingbird, and that's just taking it way too far, in my opinion. But it is excellent. Well written, poignant, never sappy, witty, and just plain readable.
So many bloggers have already reviewed this book. I don't have a whole lot to add to what they've said. I liked it. I think you should read it.
Other Reviews of The Help
The Book Lady's Blog: "
The Help is addictively, compulsively readable. I couldn’t put it down. Stockett’s debut is well-written, and it is clear that she really understands Southern life and has made great efforts to understand what life was like for black women who served white families."
Patricia's Wisdom: "It is a woman’s novel in that it once again shows that when people can communicate and interact – band together they can create change and bring to light oppression, prejudice and racism."
Rebecca Reads: "In the end, I really enjoyed reading
The Help (given I couldn’t put it down!). I didn’t think it was perfect, and I probably won’t ever reread it. Maybe because I went in to it with low expectations, though, I found it a satisfying, engaging read well worth the hype."
Write Meg: "An important novel that tackles Major Issues that still manages to be entertaining, lively, affecting and unbelievably moving? It’s a rare find, friends, and it gets my absolute highest recommendation."
Steph Su Reads: "What could have easily fallen into the clichéd ruts of Southern or black American history instead stands on its own due to its smooth writing and unforgettable characters."
The Book Whisperer:
"It is worth every glowing review, every recommendation and every superlative ever written about it."
A Novel Menagerie: "Ms. Stockett really forced me to think about not only what racial differences have done to our history, but to also consider women’s roles in American history. What stuck with me throughout my read is the truth that a woman’s heart and her love for others has nothing to do with the color of her skin nor the family she derives from."
Sensible Shoes: "The Help is not the great American novel and not particularly literary. Instead, it is an immensely satisfying, story-driven narrative. It is an airplane-book with heart. "
Maw Books: "I could not put this book down, I found myself at the stove with the book in one hand while flipping pancakes with another. At 464 pages, I almost wished it was another 300 pages long. I didn’t want it to end. I read non-stop. It was simply wonderful!"
I picked up Kamala Markandaya's Nectar in a Sieve at my favorite used bookstore because I'd seen the title as one of Glencoe's free literature guides. I thought I might use it someday in the future when teaching World Literature.
