We read The Help for book club this past month. I liked it. I did not, however, love it with the fiery passion of my first born. I had definite issues with parts of it, as well. Mostly the ending. But we'll get to that.
The good: it was a great story. It was engaging and the characters were all very vivid. She didn't scale back the ugly, which was highly important to the story. I found myself very upset, which is clearly the plan. I hated Hilly and Skeeter's mom. The part of the entire story I identified with the most - that really spoke to me - is how dominated women were. It made me angry again and again. In a good way. Well, mostly good way. I may have spoken out at church last Sunday when someone was trying to pin a trait of a husband as something unique about the wife when I should have just let it go (or maybe not...) and I fully blame the book for reigniting my still flaming feminist ways.
The bad: She spent 400 pages setting up this grand story. 400 pages! And then she just...ends it. The ending left a LOT to be desired. Such a huge build up and the ending was such a let down. I was FINE with how it ended, but it seemed...hurried. Build up and then, oh crap. I really need to finish this so I will, um...now. It really bothered me. The other glaring thing that really bothered was the secondary story lines. Some of them I liked and some I didn't, but all of them seemed unfinished. I loved Celia Foote. She was one of my favorite characters but her entire storyline seemed moot at the end. Which was a shame because I think, if done correctly, it could have been a much, much stronger storyline than it ended up being.
The movie: It's important to know that I did not cry. Not even a little bit. And I'll tell you why. They screwed up basic characteristics of the characters in ways that they lost every ounce of integrity they had carved out in the book. Hilly and Skeeter's mom had bouts of humanity and conscience. Aibeleen lost all of her calm resolve and became mouthy. It was disconcerting, to say the least. Emma Stone was lovely, as always, but I was dismayed by how her and Stuart's relationship was portrayed on film. I know that much had to be altered for film, but these were things that didn't stay true to the characters and that simply...bothers me. Make changes to fit a film format, sure, but keep the character's traits in sync with the book. At the very least.
So I liked it. I'm not sure why it's gripped the nation so, but it's definitely worth reading. Maybe if I had gotten to it before the hype I would have loved it more. Or maybe I would still think the ending was rushed and the secondary plot lines weren't fully developed instead of focusing on the fact that Skeeter was somehow able to escape an insufferably stilted life as a wife, eschewing her goals in the process. Oh, wait. Maybe I got that point, still, loud and clear.
(from a friend to a friend, pajama club)
2 clever comments:
I agree. I loved this book! I loved thinking with a southern accent. I really empathized with the judgement. You are so right...400 pages of what is going to happen!? Will they be okay? Will they get hurt? Then it just ended. I wasn't satisfied. I still wasn't sure how the people would be! I still loved it. I am glad the story was told. I keep thinking that we would like to think we have come far in equality and not being judgemental(sp?). I really don't think we have. It may not be about color but about other things. There's just been a switch. We are still riding the same carousel just on a different horse if you will. I sat next to a black woman whom I had never met before that night. She hadn't read the book. It was interesting to hear her thoughts. Her thoughts weren't what I thought they would be. She was actually angry at the girls being mean to Hilly! She said that ain't right. Well, she's right technically. Oh my! Didn't mean to write this much!
Ooooh. Interesting. I don't think Hilly got NEARLY as much as she deserved!
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