The Help - Kathryn Stockett

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52 of 52 Ciao users found the following review helpful

catsholiday

Member since 03/03/2003

Reviews written: 951

Her first but hopefully not her last! 24/01/2012

User recommends the product

Advantages Good story told well
Disadvantages None for me

“THE HELP” BY KATHRYN STOCKETT I have been given this book twice by two of my daughters so I think they must have thought it was a book that I would like. Indeed they were right it was just the kind of book that appeals to me. It was set in America and as I studied American Studies at University I have always enjoyed books set in this country. I also have an interest in black history in America and this was an area that I studied in depth so this book hit the spot in both setting and the content. There have been some wonderful books set in America’s deep south ranging from ‘Gone With the Wind’ ... more
84 of 84 Ciao users found the following review helpful

rosebud2001

Member since 04/05/2009

Reviews written: 444

A Colourful Read
Review with images
20/11/2010

User recommends the product

Advantages Skilful prose, strong characterisations and vividly descriptive passages
Disadvantages The use of stereotypical "black" language for one character

There are rare occasions in your life when you come across a book that touches you in a way few others can do. One such book for me was To Kill a Mockingbird, which I had foisted upon me at school when I was sixteen years old. Back then I read all the books I had to in English lessons as more of a chore than a pleasure, despite my enjoyment of the subject. Shakespeare didn't come easily to me for instance, but I got a glimpse of the American Deep South from Harper Lee's classic, and from The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams. Williams' play has remained with me as a classic example of how ... more
61 of 61 Ciao users found the following review helpful

Mildew82

Member since 25/03/2010

Reviews written: 171

Every side has a story to tell 23/09/2010

User recommends the product

Advantages Brilliantly written, gritty and powerful storyline, mixture of emotions
Disadvantages None

Undeniably, a vast and unflattering portion of American history is made up of centuries of struggle for African Americans fighting for equality. Living in today's "civilised world" with so many laws to prevent inequality it is really hard to understand the cruel injustices these African Americans suffered as a result of white supremacy taking full force but it happened. I think to understand the significance of the book "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett it is necessary to understand its place in the tortured Black American history. Apologies for the boring history lesson coming up... Boring ... more
39 of 39 Ciao users found the following review helpful

charlsayslol

Member since 01/03/2006

Reviews written: 384

They Had A Dream 27/06/2010

User recommends the product

Advantages Beautifully written, excellent story, atmospheric
Disadvantages None

"All my life I'd been told what to believe about politics, coloureds, being a girl. But with Constantine's thumb pressed in my hand, I realised I actually had a choice in what I could believe." I remember buying this in Waterstones about six months ago after reading the back and being intrigued by the subject matter and the beautiful writing style of the excerpt shown there. The Help is set in 1960's Mississippi, and so unsurprisingly revolves around the racial divide and de jure segregation of the southern states of America during this decade, as well a the slow changes which led to more ... more
33 of 33 Ciao users found the following review helpful

lj1989

Member since 01/03/2010

Reviews written: 461

What was life really like as a black maid?
Review with images
31/03/2012

User recommends the product

Advantages Plot, characters, a different book than I would usually choose
Disadvantages None

I kept seeing this advertised but I didn’t ever look into reading it because it didn’t look like it would appeal to me and I hadn’t heard from family or friends that it was a must read. However, when I heard they were making it into a film I decided it must be worth looking into so after reading the product description on Amazon I decided to give it a go even though it didn’t sound like my usual light hearted chick-lit. Plot The book is set in 1960’s America in a town called Jackson. There was still segregation between black and whites at this time and a lot of white families had black maids ... more
43 of 43 Ciao users found the following review helpful

emsi

Member since 02/01/2006

Reviews written: 105

Sometimes no matter the risk, a story must be told! 20/12/2010

User recommends the product

Advantages Fantastic characters, very well written, informative.
Disadvantages None for me.

The Help is a story based in Jackson, Mississippi in 1962 and it tells the story of the differences between the lives of Black and white women. In Mississippi in the 60's the whites and blacks were still segregated, they still have seperate stores, seperate buses and even seperate libraries. But the white women relied on the black women for some very important things mainly to clean their homes and raise their children, while they were off at bridge club or being part of local societies to raise money for poor children in the third world. We learn more about the lives of the women of Jackson ... more
23 of 23 Ciao users found the following review helpful

pmcds

Member since 07/11/2005

Reviews written: 1198

Segregation exposure! 24/10/2012

User recommends the product

Advantages Writing style, characters and depth, stays true to itself
Disadvantages Nothing, although you need to give it the patience it deserves

I find it easy to motor through most books, but every now and then I like to read something with more depth and intensity. Following World Book Day and the release of the supposed 100 best books ever written, I have decided to try and make my way through the list, as I am doing with Empire's top 500 films of all time. I have only read a few from the list, and Kathryn Stockett's The Help was one on there. Not normally the sort of book I would read either in terms of style or subject. It's much more my wife's sort of book, but even she gave up on it about a third of the way through, and this had ... more
48 of 48 Ciao users found the following review helpful

wigglylittleworm

Member since 28/08/2008

Reviews written: 309

Dare To Dream 09/07/2010

User recommends the product

Advantages excellent story and characters
Disadvantages none

Minny has a smart mouth and so has a tendency to get fired from her jobs as a maid for white families. Aibileen throws her heart into caring for white children and showers her current charge little Mo Mobley with love since her own mother ignores the child. Skeeter grew up feeling like an outsider in the wealthy white community she grew up in and misses the love and security given to her by her maid Constantine when she was growing up. Jackson, Mississippi in 1963 In racially segregated and so these three women seem like unlikely allies but they come together in order to write a book about the ... more
37 of 37 Ciao users found the following review helpful

iallan

A Fabulous Read 10/01/2011

User recommends the product

Advantages a great read
Disadvantages none

The Help by Kathryn Stockett draws you in to the life of Jackson, Mississippi in the early 60’s where there is a deep segregation between the races and the civil rights movement is gaining momentum and where black maids raise white children but often have to put up with appalling behaviour from their white employers. The book follows three people and the amazing story they have to tell. There’s Aibileen who tragically lost her own son but has raised 17 white children and currently is employed by Miss Elizabeth Leefolt. Her friend Minny has her own problems, while she is an excellent cook she’s ... more
27 of 27 Ciao users found the following review helpful

tecnomars

Member since 01/11/2006

Reviews written: 314

An interesting and insightful read! 31/01/2011

User recommends the product

Advantages engrossing, great characters
Disadvantages english a little difficult to begin with, ending a bit abrupt

Having read many glowing reviews about The Help I added it to my reading list and when I spotted it in the library I promptly checked it out. Set in Jackson Mississippi in the early 1960's The Help gives a fictional account of the relationship between black maids and the white ladies that they work for. We learn how the maids are entrusted with the most important job of bringing up the children, but are scrutinised when polishing the silver. Set in the backdrop of the civil rights movement, these are turbulent times. There is general rest amongst the black community on how they are treated as ... more