Discussion of "The Help"

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How do you rate?

1 star - poor, recommend against reading it
0
No votes
2 stars - okay, fair
6
8%
3 stars- good, recommend it
31
39%
4 stars - excellent, amazing
43
54%
 
Total votes: 80

Phillymom80
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Re: Discussion of "The Help"

Post by Phillymom80 »

I loved this book, and also the movie, because the movie stayed true to the book in my opinion. But at the same time, it made me mad to see that the with all the changes that have happened over time, if u look at the issues brought up in the book, things really haven't chamged that much at all.. I definitly have recommended this books many times.
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Post by steinhm »

I loved this book so much. I thought it was hilarious, heart-wrenching, heart-warming, and poignant all at once. That's really hard to pull off but this did. Every character was perfect in their own way.

Skeeter and Minny were by far my favorite characters. Skeeter because she was determined to make a difference, to represent this women who had no voice, and acted civil for a time when it was unacceptable. I loved Minny because she provided amusement and a real glimpse into what life was life for African Americans in the south during that time in America.

It's not a proud history, it's something we'd rather not talk about, but I thought this book really gave you a chance to experience it while laughing, crying and the works. Absolutely loved it and would certainly recommend it.
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houseofshawna13
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Post by houseofshawna13 »

I had the pleasure of listening to The Help as an audio book and was blown away by how powerful it was. First of all, Minny has to be one of the funniest characters I have ever read about and I would love to have met her in real life. This book seemed to be very genuine to me and spoke volumes about how all people who participated in civil rights had something to lose and most often did, as seen by Skeeter. I liked how the author really examined how important a social life was to these women, something pretty similar to society nowadays. I felt really deeply for the horrible relationship between Ms. Leefolt and Mae Mobley. It really showed how shallow that woman was and it was no surprise when Aibileen was fired because Miss Hilly ordered it to be done. The Help was amazing and was such a pleasure to read.
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Jesska6029
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Post by Jesska6029 »

I really love this book. It's one that brings me to laugh out loud and cry every time I read it. I love the narrative switch, and getting to know the major characters. I feel like all of the characters are developed beautifully.
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Post by Tanaya »

This is one book that I kinda feel...bad? about liking. I guess you could say it's a personal guilty pleasure of mine. The reasons why I would feel bad about it are redundant at this point in time, but the focus on a white protagonist and the diminished representation of black maids are common criticisms. Despite the critics, I can't help but enjoy the story, especially the friendship between Minnie and Celia!
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Post by Rizbi »

This was an average read for me. A good way to pass my time. Not so sure why, but there were some scenes in the book that felt forced to me – particularly the tearful ones. The characters are not that memorable to me either.

Maybe I was just not fully engaged with it the entire time.
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Post by Amheiser »

I haven't read "The Help", but I recently saw the movie and I like the way the story was told. I would like to read the book sometime so I can compare it to the movie. A lot of times it's hard in a movie to show everything the way things actually happened and get a certain point across. I tend to get more involved in stories that I read than in the same story in movie form. I am curious to see how the characters are developed in the book. I think the characters in the movie told the story well and now that I have those characters in mind when I read the book, I hope I will still like the story.
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Post by triciaishappy »

The Help was an amazing book. It brought so many emotions to the forefront; anger, joy, excitement and laughter. This is one if those books that I read in one sitting. I just could not put it down. I rate this book 4 out of 4 because it was so well written. This is one if those books I will pick up and read again.
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Post by jesscat304 »

I completely agree with Scott. I loved The Help and how seemingly accurate it was, as it brings to light the racial issues that are still unfortunately still facing parts of America to a lesser degree, particularly in the Deep South. The novel was extremely thrilling, but not overdone and emerged the reader in a different world in 1900s.
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Kathleen Wolfe
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Post by Kathleen Wolfe »

I loved "The Help". It was thought provoking and made me feel a variety of emotions. A story with that capability is bound to be recognized and loved by many. It's the type I would read over and over again.
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Mallory Whitaker
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Post by Mallory Whitaker »

I loved this book because I really enjoy movies that can tackle difficult and sensitive issues while also being funny. That's not to say that the issues are funny, but that it can interweave serious issues with humor. It makes it a light-hearted, easy read but it also makes you think when you're done. I was super glad to hear about how Minnie stood up for herself. I was dying to know through the whole book and it was worth the wait.
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Post by Stephanie Runyon »

I thoroughly enjoyed this book when I read it. My mother actually gave me the paperback a few years ago. The book reminds me of, sadly, a saying from a friend of mine "When the chips are down you don't have to be racist but color sticks to its own." I agree and find that society is still stuck in the past.
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Post by Palfree »

l loved the book. Skeeter was trying to fulfill her dream of being a serious writer. At the same time Callie wanted to help people see what life was like from the perspective of a maid. By working together, they were able to help each other fulfill their goals. The author did a great job depicting how risky it was for the maids to speak up. i also enjoyed how the maid's relationship with the child in her care was portrayed.
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Post by Thea Frederick »

I enjoyed the book and the insights into the culture of that day but I felt like the book was a little graphic several times and the language was a little off putting. For these reasons I probably wouldn't recommend the book to someone but I did enjoy it.
The movie is actually a little cleaner than the book (if I remember correctly) and I really enjoyed it.
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wordnerd123
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Post by wordnerd123 »

I'm sure the book is nowhere as near as to how things really "were back then"
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