It has come to my attention, or rather....I have decided that this blog needs something. I've noticed my "random, I don't have too much to say" posts are piling up and I don't like that. So, I thought to myself, what can I do to make this blog a little more interesting? And then the clouds opened up and I realized "Duh, Britt...you read!" So today, my dear readers, I would like to introduce a new feature here at the Nest. Brittany's Book Review! (Don't you like the title? Took me all day to come up with that.)
Now folks, I realize I'm no highly acclaimed author, or highly paid editorial correspondent, so please keep that in mind as you read these reviews. These are simply MY opinion on the books, and nothing more. Having said that, let's begin!
My first review is for the best-selling debut novel by Kathryn Stockett, The Help. Normally, I don't read what's on the current bestsellers list. However, after being told about it by several people, I decided to give it a try. I am SO glad I did.
The Help is told from the point of view of several women: Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan, Aibileen Clark, and Minny Jackson. Skeeter is a recent graduate of Ole Miss, with a degree in journalism. She is a member of the Junior League and friends with Hilly Holbrook, the League's president and resident bigot, and Elizabeth Leefolt, another league member and employer of Aibileen. Aibileen Clark is Elizabeth's maid. She looks after Elizabeth's children and is a very nurturing character. Minny Jackson is a smart-mouthed and outspoken character. She starts out as a maid to Hilly's mother, but is fired and rehired by Celia Foote, a woman Hilly despises.
Skeeter begins to notice the unequal treatment these maids receive at the hands of their white employers, and while she is afraid of the wrath of everyone around her, she decides to compile a collection of stories told by the maids in Jackson.
This book is wonderful, with a capital W. Everything from the dialect to the character's motivations seemed so genuine that I felt I was actually in the 1960s. It was as funny as it was infuriating at times...and I couldn't believe some of the beliefs these people held. By the time I reached the end of the book, I felt as if I knew each and every one of the men and women, and I truly felt for them. (The ones that deserved sympathy, anyway.) This probably sounds a little cryptic, but I'm afraid to give too much away!
With such great character development and a story line that I didn't want to look away from, I easily finished this book in three days. I was actually sad to see it end! I hear that the author is working on another novel, so I will be looking forward to reading it. I'm also looking forward to seeing the movie adaptation of this. I just hope it comes close to being as moving as the book was.
So, a big thank you and muchas gracias to those who told me about this book! I truly enjoyed reading it. I'm not sure how often I will do these reviews. I guess it will depend on me finding the time to finish books! Easier said than done when sharing a house with a feisty two year old. At any rate, thanks for reading my first one! See y'all next time.
I saw the trailer for the film and didn't know what to think. I felt like it was written by a white person in a sort of revisionist history. I looked up the author, and yes she is white. I would have felt better about this if it was based on a true story, but here it seems we get stereotypical blacks and a white hero. Anyway, good review and maybe I will pick it up! I love book discussions!
ReplyDeleteThere is a lot of that in the book, that's true. However, the author herself addresses this in her notes after the story. She was aware people would view it that way. There are conversations about this in the story too. I don't think you'll regret it if you read it!
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