Book Review: The Help
So I’m late to the party.
I just finished reading Kathryn Stockett’s novel The Help.
I know, I know already.
It’s a movie.
It’s in the theatre right now.
Oh well, I’ve never been a bandwagon girl. Everyone knows that – right?
So maybe I put off reading the book until now.
(Actually, I never heard of the book until after it became a movie so I really never made a conscious choice about it in any direction at all.)
One sentence: I adored this novel.
It made me cry.
And maybe I am a glutton for punishment – that is possible – but I love a book that makes me weep.
For me, that means I’ve connected. Characters have become more than characters. They have life. I think I could meet them in the store. Or wherever.
And I have read a pretty good long list of novels that have made me cry for sadness.
(The Dollmaker – saddest book I ever read.)
But I cannot recall the last time a novel made tears come to my eyes out of sheer joy – out of pride for what the characters were doing.
Like I felt their joy rise in me and I could hardly sit still.
I had to set the novel down for a few minutes and walk away.
What me sad, made me terribly sad every time I sat down to read, was that the book was going to end.
I let out a little sigh every time I looked at my bookmark and realized that the pages I HAD read were growing larger than the pages I had NOT read.
I wanted this book to last for days.
Give me twelve sequels of a thousand pages each.
I would still keep reading.
I couldn’t stop talking about this novel either.
I pretty much retold the story to Kevin about every other evening and he patiently listened to the retelling of a novel he never intended to read for himself.
The characters had such original voices and the story was unique and beautiful and heartbreaking, yet uplifting.
If you decide to pick up this book, and I hope you do, you should really try to block out some free time for yourself, because you might not be able to get anything else accomplished until you finish the last chapter.
6 Comments
tiffany day
Oh, fantastic book – great movie – try lisenting to it on CD – talk about the charactors coming to life! I was so sad when I was done listening to it on CD – I have a 45 minute drive to and from work – and when I was done, I missed all those women – well maybe not Hilly – but I missed them. I want a seqel – I want to know how Skeeter does in New York, and so on…. truly a GREAT book!
xoTiffany
LaceyKeigley
Oh yes – on CD. I bet that was great.
I could not seem to forgive Hilly. The rest I could sort of excuse, but Hilly – she was a tricky one.
I want to know what Abileen does as the tides of culture change.
shelley
Ooooh . . . I picked up this one on the way to the beach and read it in one week. Loved, loved, loved. Did not love the movie so much. Movies are never enough time to develop the characters like the book is. Could have definitely done without the movie! It makes me happy that you loved this book too : )
LaceyKeigley
Glad you loved it too.
But I am a little sad to hear the movie let you down – I was looking forward to watching a film so soon after reading a book – that rarely happens for me.
Amy
I felt the same way about this book. I too was sad as I realized I had read more than was left. It felt like I lost a really good friend when I finished. Lets call Kathryn and beg her to write many, many more.
LaceyKeigley
I guess you should have a little extra time to read novels and catch up on blogs while you nurse sweet Jude late into the night – eh? 🙂
I'll be thinking of you!