Joe’s review of The Help > Likes and Comments
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I definitely want to hear what you think of this. Some people were surprised at my review.
Well, I've read almost 350 pages in 2 1/2 days, so I can't really say it's unreadable.
I'm definitely going to write a review for it. So look for that. :)
Truly enjoyed your analytical prose: however, what struck me was your revelation that there is "another Joe" roaming the earth. Can this be true? Is mankind really prepared to cope with a world that contains both you and your identical twin? Say it ain't so, Joe!
"Whitey McWhiterson", while she lived and worked in Manhattan at one time, is not a "Manhattanite" but rather a transplant from Jackson, MS, where she was born and reared. Her use of vernacular is not only legitimate, it's accurate.
So, while you set out to hate "Whitey McWhiterson's" book based on her picture and your inability to "hear" the narrator's true voice, you might want to get your facts straight so that if you do dislike something it's for a legitimate reason not for prejudice.
Do wrote: ""Whitey McWhiterson", while she lived and worked in Manhattan at one time, is not a "Manhattanite" but rather a transplant from Jackson, MS, where she was born and reared. Her use of vernacular is ..."
Did you read my review at all? I wound up finding her voice quite authentic. I'm fully aware that she lived in the south and had "help" in her home - she did, in fact, write about her personal experiences in a post-script at the end of the book. If you had read my review clearly, you would have seen that my assumptions were based on the first paragraph (and couple of chapters) of the book. I think it's pretty clear that I owned up to my prejudices against the author.
well said. I was surprised this was as good as it was, and surprised that it couldn;t have been better. But a good first novel, and I hope more will come.
I love that you named Katherine's picture "I'm a white person!"
this is exactly what I did...read a chapter, flipped to the back, saw her picture and thought "oh geez"...haha your review is spot on with my experience :)
awesome review--- as always, just finished the book and quite enjoyed it :)
Question: Do you have like a favorite book list? For this past year or like all time favorites?
THE HELP hmmmmm I thought the book was interesting enough to keep me reading but aibilene's dialect was challening to read (i dislike when authors do that)
However, i appreciate the snap shot view in the life of a maid during that particular time era but was dismayed how the maids was rendered weak, always scared of their employers, and why in the hell did it take the end of the book for Minnie to strike up enough courage to leave her abusive husband.
Interesting enough the author gave us a smidget of what can/does happen with our judicial system be it 1960 or 2011. Not much has changed, hopefully we'll be able to meet as a group to discuss the book.
So what I loved most about this review was the constant back-and-forth of your own war with yourself over liking or disliking the book. I felt much the same way but didn't write about it in terms nearly so funny.
I also agree that there is a real contrast between Aibileen and Minnie that was probably the saving grace of the novel.
You've expressed exactly what I've been wanting to say about this book since I've started it. :)
Enjoyed your review a lot and felt that bi-polar love/hate as you did. Stockett has a real gift for story-telling but it screamed "Hollywood" rather than Pulitzer and I can!t blame her? If she keeps at it, she may become a more nuanced writer.
Florence
I agree. When I first opened the book I rolled my eyes at the vernacular. It seems so old fashioned. Come on, this is what Mark Twain used to do. Get with the times, Stockett. But after a while I got into it. I found it to be authentic, and not at all unreadable (unlike Emily Bronte's "vernacular," for example). So I think she did it just right.
Enjoyed your review, I too, have a love/hate relationship with this book. When I first started to read it, I didn't think I would finish it, but struggled on, until I got the hang of the language, and then things seem to flow a bit better. I took me 5 days to get the book read. It was interesting but not a page turner for me.
I also struggled with some of these things and ended up liking it in the end; however, I'm not sure the ending is as trite as you think (I'll give you a little there, but not the whole thing). Skeeter does get the job, but not without cost and disillusionment. She loses Stuart, mostly because he is scared. She learns her lifelong friends aren't quite so lifelong, and she learns the depth of racism in even her mother.
The end is a bit abrupt, but it is no happily ever after, you-can-have-it-all situation.
Funny review, though, Joe.
I enjoyed the book, just really didn't like the foul language, why do they have to publish a good book and ruin it with bad language??? I would re-read this again. The movie was good also.
This is *EXACTLY* how I read this book. I went "UGH" at the first page of prose, looked at the author photo and went "You've GOT to be kidding me," and persevered and ending up loving it.
I should say, I loved it warts & all. It's not flawless by any means. But I still loved it.
I love your review, I felt the same about several things you mentioned! I loved the book.
haha, this could be my exact review!
My thoughts exactly :) Agree with you 100%
Hah! I also had to look at the author picture and I had the same "oh geez" reaction. Then I proceeded to read the book within 2 days and liked it. Glad to know I wasn't the only one.
The Help is not deemed "Great Literature"? What is great literature? I haven't read The Help but I'm confused now. Is Great Literature anything that isn't wildly successful?
Wow. Nice review. You pretty much articulated what I felt about this book..
Isn't judging someone by their skin color a tad bit racist? If an African-American had written the book, included the "white" character Skeeter, would you have said the same then? :/
Marte wrote: "Isn't judging someone by their skin color a tad bit racist? If an African-American had written the book, included the "white" character Skeeter, would you have said the same then? :/"
Marte, I don't feel like Joe was judging Stockett by her skin color. The straight facts are: Stockett is white. The characters in her book are not. Therefore she can't possibly understand their struggle.
There's no such thing as racism against white people. Is there "classism" against rich people? No, because rich people (and white people) already have the upper hand.
Joe, your review captured EXACTLY how I felt reading this book. Especially the part when you were yelling at yourself to not like it ... those were words taken right out of my own brain!! Thanks for your review, I agree with it 100%.
I'm put off by the fact that you intentionally tried to hate the book just because it was written by a white woman. You took a long time and wrote a lot of mean things just to eventually say Stockett is a good writer and you liked her book. This review really isn't fair to the author.
Your review is spot on! Felt the same and ended up totally absorbed and enjoying the ride.
I read your review, because I wanted to spit at you. Why are white people so offended by the vernacular of brown people? It’s like a knee-jerk reaction to automatically get pissed off. Also, if you want to discuss how someone such as Wally Lamb can get outside himself and write from an entirely different perspective than he can be expected to have, perhaps besides “I Know This Much Is True”, written in a male perspective, though admittedly out of his range of experience, as he is NOT a twin dealing with all the issues arising— perhaps the book that actually put him on the list, so to speak? “She’s Coming Undone.” THAT was what made most of us, dear readers, sit up and pay attention to this author.
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Ally
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Jul 05, 2010 06:48PM
I definitely want to hear what you think of this. Some people were surprised at my review.
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Well, I've read almost 350 pages in 2 1/2 days, so I can't really say it's unreadable. I'm definitely going to write a review for it. So look for that. :)
Truly enjoyed your analytical prose: however, what struck me was your revelation that there is "another Joe" roaming the earth. Can this be true? Is mankind really prepared to cope with a world that contains both you and your identical twin? Say it ain't so, Joe!
"Whitey McWhiterson", while she lived and worked in Manhattan at one time, is not a "Manhattanite" but rather a transplant from Jackson, MS, where she was born and reared. Her use of vernacular is not only legitimate, it's accurate. So, while you set out to hate "Whitey McWhiterson's" book based on her picture and your inability to "hear" the narrator's true voice, you might want to get your facts straight so that if you do dislike something it's for a legitimate reason not for prejudice.
Do wrote: ""Whitey McWhiterson", while she lived and worked in Manhattan at one time, is not a "Manhattanite" but rather a transplant from Jackson, MS, where she was born and reared. Her use of vernacular is ..."Did you read my review at all? I wound up finding her voice quite authentic. I'm fully aware that she lived in the south and had "help" in her home - she did, in fact, write about her personal experiences in a post-script at the end of the book. If you had read my review clearly, you would have seen that my assumptions were based on the first paragraph (and couple of chapters) of the book. I think it's pretty clear that I owned up to my prejudices against the author.
well said. I was surprised this was as good as it was, and surprised that it couldn;t have been better. But a good first novel, and I hope more will come.
I love that you named Katherine's picture "I'm a white person!"
this is exactly what I did...read a chapter, flipped to the back, saw her picture and thought "oh geez"...haha your review is spot on with my experience :)
awesome review--- as always, just finished the book and quite enjoyed it :)Question: Do you have like a favorite book list? For this past year or like all time favorites?
THE HELP hmmmmm I thought the book was interesting enough to keep me reading but aibilene's dialect was challening to read (i dislike when authors do that)However, i appreciate the snap shot view in the life of a maid during that particular time era but was dismayed how the maids was rendered weak, always scared of their employers, and why in the hell did it take the end of the book for Minnie to strike up enough courage to leave her abusive husband.
Interesting enough the author gave us a smidget of what can/does happen with our judicial system be it 1960 or 2011. Not much has changed, hopefully we'll be able to meet as a group to discuss the book.
So what I loved most about this review was the constant back-and-forth of your own war with yourself over liking or disliking the book. I felt much the same way but didn't write about it in terms nearly so funny.I also agree that there is a real contrast between Aibileen and Minnie that was probably the saving grace of the novel.
You've expressed exactly what I've been wanting to say about this book since I've started it. :)
Enjoyed your review a lot and felt that bi-polar love/hate as you did. Stockett has a real gift for story-telling but it screamed "Hollywood" rather than Pulitzer and I can!t blame her? If she keeps at it, she may become a more nuanced writer.Florence
I agree. When I first opened the book I rolled my eyes at the vernacular. It seems so old fashioned. Come on, this is what Mark Twain used to do. Get with the times, Stockett. But after a while I got into it. I found it to be authentic, and not at all unreadable (unlike Emily Bronte's "vernacular," for example). So I think she did it just right.
Enjoyed your review, I too, have a love/hate relationship with this book. When I first started to read it, I didn't think I would finish it, but struggled on, until I got the hang of the language, and then things seem to flow a bit better. I took me 5 days to get the book read. It was interesting but not a page turner for me.
I also struggled with some of these things and ended up liking it in the end; however, I'm not sure the ending is as trite as you think (I'll give you a little there, but not the whole thing). Skeeter does get the job, but not without cost and disillusionment. She loses Stuart, mostly because he is scared. She learns her lifelong friends aren't quite so lifelong, and she learns the depth of racism in even her mother. The end is a bit abrupt, but it is no happily ever after, you-can-have-it-all situation.
Funny review, though, Joe.
I enjoyed the book, just really didn't like the foul language, why do they have to publish a good book and ruin it with bad language??? I would re-read this again. The movie was good also.
This is *EXACTLY* how I read this book. I went "UGH" at the first page of prose, looked at the author photo and went "You've GOT to be kidding me," and persevered and ending up loving it.
I should say, I loved it warts & all. It's not flawless by any means. But I still loved it.
I love your review, I felt the same about several things you mentioned! I loved the book.
haha, this could be my exact review!
My thoughts exactly :) Agree with you 100%
Hah! I also had to look at the author picture and I had the same "oh geez" reaction. Then I proceeded to read the book within 2 days and liked it. Glad to know I wasn't the only one.
The Help is not deemed "Great Literature"? What is great literature? I haven't read The Help but I'm confused now. Is Great Literature anything that isn't wildly successful?
Wow. Nice review. You pretty much articulated what I felt about this book..
Isn't judging someone by their skin color a tad bit racist? If an African-American had written the book, included the "white" character Skeeter, would you have said the same then? :/
Marte wrote: "Isn't judging someone by their skin color a tad bit racist? If an African-American had written the book, included the "white" character Skeeter, would you have said the same then? :/"Marte, I don't feel like Joe was judging Stockett by her skin color. The straight facts are: Stockett is white. The characters in her book are not. Therefore she can't possibly understand their struggle.
There's no such thing as racism against white people. Is there "classism" against rich people? No, because rich people (and white people) already have the upper hand.
Joe, your review captured EXACTLY how I felt reading this book. Especially the part when you were yelling at yourself to not like it ... those were words taken right out of my own brain!! Thanks for your review, I agree with it 100%.
I'm put off by the fact that you intentionally tried to hate the book just because it was written by a white woman. You took a long time and wrote a lot of mean things just to eventually say Stockett is a good writer and you liked her book. This review really isn't fair to the author.
Your review is spot on! Felt the same and ended up totally absorbed and enjoying the ride.
I read your review, because I wanted to spit at you. Why are white people so offended by the vernacular of brown people? It’s like a knee-jerk reaction to automatically get pissed off. Also, if you want to discuss how someone such as Wally Lamb can get outside himself and write from an entirely different perspective than he can be expected to have, perhaps besides “I Know This Much Is True”, written in a male perspective, though admittedly out of his range of experience, as he is NOT a twin dealing with all the issues arising— perhaps the book that actually put him on the list, so to speak? “She’s Coming Undone.” THAT was what made most of us, dear readers, sit up and pay attention to this author.
