Sign in with Facebook
Tatiana's Reviews > The Help
The Help
by Kathryn Stockett (Goodreads Author)
by Kathryn Stockett (Goodreads Author)
Tatiana's review
bookshelves: abandoned, why-the-hype, historical
Oct 18, 2016
bookshelves: abandoned, why-the-hype, historical
Read on January 24, 2011
I don't think this could be any more obvious, trite and cliche-ridden. The book's only aim is to make white people feel better about themselves (you know, that same old a-brave-white-lady-savior story you've read and a few dozen times before). Guess it worked. Again. Hence, its bestseller status.
Sign into Goodreads to see if any of your friends have read
The Help.
Sign In »
Reading Progress
| 03/30/2016 | marked as: | abandoned | ||
Comments (showing 1-17 of 17) (17 new)
date
newest »
newest »
message 1:
by
Penny
(new)
Jan 24, 2011 10:50PM
Good to know. I've been told to read this book several times but I've been putting it off. Now I won't bother with it, or feel guilty for not bothering with it.
reply
|
flag
*
IDK how many times it was recommended to me. Books about race are hard to write and this one is not one of the good ones.
Heh. I haven't read it, but it's being made into a movie starring Easy A's Emma Stone. I liked Easy A. I liked Emma Stone. So, I'm most likely going to watch her upcoming projects as well (Spiderman Reboot, The Help)
Wow, I was surprised to see that one lonely star because so many people have told me it's really good!
Interesting! For some reason, this book hasn't appealed to me, but SO many people have recommended it. I'm thinking I'll hold off on it. I tend to trust your opinion :)
IDK about you, but I tend not to like bestsellers. However they are bestsellers for a reason - they do have general appeal, so I am always reluctant to advise against reading such books. The majority of my GR friends loved it.
Same. I'm usually a bit wary of bestsellers, too. They always seem to be more hype than anything else. I'm often disappointed. Then I feel guilty having to tell the friends who recommended the book that I don't like it.
This book feels way to cliche for me right now. I'm not all the way done with it, but how many times do we have to write this same story?
I thought it was an excellent book, I certainly didn't feel better about myself (as a white person) and you haven't read it, how can you rate it?
Lucy wrote: "I thought it was an excellent book, I certainly didn't feel better about myself (as a white person) and you haven't read it, how can you rate it?"there are lots of books people (view spoiler) don't completely finish (for whatever reason (view spoiler)) and they still rate them. so what?
or you can look at the bright side of it. This book was written on the way blacks were actually treated. Some were treated well, and some weren't. That's what the author is trying to show. She is not try ing to white people feel better about themselves.
My first thought at Sofie's comment: If she wasn't trying to make white people feel better about themselves, why did she show those blacks that were supposedly treated well? Because that time was oh so warm and cuddly?
What a shame, not only was this book well written but it truly is a moving story.
How is it supposed to make white people feel good about themselves? I felt ashamed for those fools all through the book. Did this book teach you nothing? That there should be no lines between people when there doesn't need to be?
Well, I'm white and I certainly didn't feel better about myself reading about how badly ladies treated their maids and how racist they were in the 60s. What is it precisely that you didn't like about this book?
I'm white; I'm not finished reading but so far I feel embarrassed and ashamed on behalf of my race for having been as irrationally ignorant as some of the characters in this book
Uh no. You obviously misinterpreted the point of the novel. The message was to show how life was like back then and to convey several hidden messages about life and social interaction.
