Picture
Usually I read a book and then see the movie (then I'm filled with regret and frustration). Sometimes I see a movie and then read the book. Rarely do I see a one minute trailer that convinces me that I need to read the book the movie was based on. 

The trailer for The Help was that kind of rare. It convinced me, so I tried to get it on my Kindle but was too expensive for me to justify buying it. I did the next best thing: I checked out the library. I hoped and prayed that it would just be sitting on the shelf waiting for me like The Forgotten Garden and Secret Daughter were. But no. There was a waiting list. 

So I waited. And waited. Until, one day I happened upon the library and there it was waiting for me! 

So I dived right into the lives of Miss Skeeter, Aibileen, and Minny in Jackson, Mississippi. Times were changing and a story is told of black maids who practically raise white people's children yetbecause of the colour of their skin are forced to use a separate washroom. Out of this comes courage and the unveiling of stories that need to be told. 

When I read books about people trying to change things or even keep them the same, I always try to imagine what I would do in the situation. Would I be for separation or would I be for integration? It's hard for me to imagine because of the time and place I live in now but the struggle, determination, and love that is found within the yellow covers of this book made me think long and hard about a lot of things. 

So please read and enjoy. But you might have to be on a waiting list too, so just prepare yourself for that...

The Wakeful Dreamer

Ps. I have not watched the movie yet but it came out in August so I know I'll get to see it at sometime and I'll remember to keep my expectations at a moderate level. Just in case you were worried. 
9/22/2011 10:50:26 pm

This is one of the best books I've read in a long time, and although the movie was definitely not as good as the book it's a worthwhile watch!

Reply
Liza
9/23/2011 12:35:04 am

I really enjoyed the book with its grit and detail, the suspense and the joy, following the daring women in the time when it was scary to be different.

It feels so foreign to believe that separations existed not so long ago in a time that my mother remembers so well. This shows how society has changed so much in so little time and I hope more for the better for our future!

I watched the movie, which varies slightly from the storyline, but I enjoyed that twist in it as well...

Reply
Nhi
9/23/2011 12:40:41 am

Good book! I really enjoy books like this, especially when it becomes a bestseller. Not only because lots of people are reading it, but because I get to hear about the responses. A lot of people in our generation think they understand what racism is. However, I don't think a lot of them have truly seen a real-life examle, or they may see one but not realize it. Although I'm of the belief that peopole can't really empathize until they've experienced firsthand, I do think they can certainly be more sympathitic. So it's great to remind younger generations of this with a book & movie!

P.S. I followed up reading The Help with Slaughterhouse Five, the combination of which messed up my thinking for a good long while haha.

Reply



Leave a Reply.