Book Review: The Help

Good morning!

You may remember last week, I talked a LOT about reading. In fact, I talked so much about books and reading, that I was inspired the Best. Books. Ever. series. Well, I come with good news! After beginning Kathryn Sockett's The Help last Thursday, I was able to finish all 522 pages of it by Monday night! That's right. FINISHED.

I-read-a-book-during-the-school-year-HOORAY!

Will The Help be a classic piece of literature 75 years from now? I doubt it.  But will it line the shelves in high school classrooms and public libraries for decades to come? Absolutely.

This piece of southern fiction is told through three female protagonists, Minny, Aibileen, and Skeeter in Jackson, Mississippi, 1962. You follow the characters as they deal with deep secrets and insecurities introspectively, while also handling a major national crisis with grace. If you have a young gal in your life who needs something to read, I would definitely suggest this novel. If you're looking for an interesting piece to read on vacation, I would definitely suggest this novel. If you're looking for something thought provoking to draw your own conclusions, I would not suggest this book.

I do think that telling a story through multiple perspectives is a modern trend and I can never decide how I truly feel about it. I think it takes a lot of the guessing game away from the reader. I enjoy having to put the pieces together to figure out the histories of minor characters. Those are the little nuances that really solidify a piece of litetature for me. So, is a novel a failure if it is told throughout various perspectives? Absolutely not. I do think, however, that it is a different way to tell a story compared to the rest of American literature.

My next read: Tina Fey's Bossypants

Have you read The Help yet?

I feel like no matter where I go, there are stacks of copies waiting to be bought, loved, and read. I would love to discuss it with you, if you're interested!

xo,

Liz