Rated of 5
by Mary fun read- could use a bit more depth
I must agree with previous reviewers, the book is a page-turner and certainly was entertaining. I was, however, occasionally frustrated with the author's failure with small historic details from music to fashion that made the timeframe a lot fuzzier than I feel was her intention. I was very surprised that the editors didn't fact check and remove.
As a native southerner I did appreciate the author’s efforts toward portraying the complexity of racial, but feel that it fell slightly short of making either black or white characters more than flat caricatures. The characters all had the feel that they had been portrayed before. I had higher hopes for a revolutionary novel, but give it props as a good choice for a book club with readers who are more interested in social discussion than literary analysis.
Rated of 5
by Anne B. A Great Read
While the author was a little fast and loose with historical events, I enjoyed this book quite a bit. Extremely readable, with characters that draw you in.
Rated of 5
by Cynthia Finney HIstorical accuracy lacking - bad dialogue
Anachronistic details distracted me and undermined my enjoyment of the story. (I would leap out of bed to find a pen to note down things like " Womens' pantsuits in 1962!!!" or "Typewriter ink!!!") I saw at the end the author acknowledged her error in the date of the Dylan song and Shake and Bake. And left them in the book. But mini skirts in 1963 - 64? Mary Quant invented them in 1965. Referring to people as hippies years before the Summer of Love? If you are going to use details to set the mood of an era, perhaps research is in order. People over 40 (like me) might read the book. I found the dialogue, esp the "white" dialogue mostly stilted and unrealistic. Try some of it out loud and see how it sounds. Characters were one dimensional. All black people (except Minny's abusive husband) are good. All white people are bad. Why did Skeeter (shades of Scout - couldn't the author have been a bit more creative with the name?) develop a sensitivity to racism that others in her circle don't? Maybe because she isn't pretty or engaged? Only ugly girls are smart? This book made me realize I need to be more involved in choosing our next Book Club read.
Rated of 5
by Anne L. Worth Reading
Since I had already read "To Kill a Mockingbird", and "The Secret Life of Bees", this book seemed like a repeat of themes of southern sociology, but with a different twist. It was entertaining, but I kept thinking I had read it before.
Rated of 5
by Barb C. Best Book I have ever read!
Without a doubt the best book I have ever read (and I read a lot). I loved it so much I gave 15 copies as Christmas gifts this year. One of my friends that received it said she was mad at me for giving it to her. When I asked why she said "I did not accomplish one thing for the 2.5 days it took me to read The Help."
I actually shed tears when I finished The Help, not because it was sad, but because there was no more of it to read.
Rated of 5
by Nancy Gould Chuda Boundaries
Is the human condition for compassion blinded by the color of skin? The Help is an awakening for anyone who has ever cast fear or doubt that humanity can and does triumph from truth. Set in the south as told by a white author, Kathyrn Stockett weaves the lives of three unique characters into a tapestry of unforgettable reality. Rosa Parks crossed the line to define a new historical boundary for blacks in America and Stockett's The Help confirms why.
A bold, mesmerizing novel about the woman known as "Typhoid Mary," the first known healthy carrier of typhoid fever in the burgeoning metropolis of early twentieth century New York.
Two Lives is a memoir written by international best-selling author, Vikram Seth. In this interesting and engaging book, Seth writes about his great...
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Z, the novel about the life of Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald is at points charming and; like another reviewer, I kept thinking of the movie, "Midnight...
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Although heavy on the scientific details, which slowed down the story for me (OK, I admit, I was one of those liberal arts majors who skipped out on...
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Judge rules unused Borders gift cards to be worthless(May 23 2013) Borders owes nothing to holders of roughly $210.5 million of gift cards that had not been used by the time the bookstore chain shut down, a Manhattan federal...
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