The Help

Locations
Call Number: Fiction / Stockett, Kathryn
On Shelf At: Downtown Library

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	Fiction / Stockett, Kathryn	4-week checkout	On Shelf

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

Library Journal Review
Booklist Review
Publishers Weekly Review
Summary / Annotation
Fiction Profile
Excerpt
Author Notes

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Just amazing submitted by sbaccouc on February 7, 2010, 6:21am This book was amazing...it draws you in, and I didn't want it to end...I wanted to live with the characters more!

More Insight submitted by shdara on June 9, 2011, 1:13pm The Help has made my list of all-time favorite books. The story is what caught my attention; one I'm sure was played out in most Southern societies. I enjoy learning about history through fiction and this one placed in the 1960's Civil Rights era showed me a picture a lot different from my own. I was a teen during those times and, totally involved in bell-bottomed pants and the Beatles, living in white Northern middle-class suburbia with little awareness about the lives of other women in a different part of our country. Stockett's writing made the characters' experience and stories seep into me, the characters coming to be women I felt I knew, their heartaches mine. There is a lot to think about here.

Good Historical Fiction with Strong Characters submitted by Sara W on June 21, 2011, 9:55am The narration alternates between three characters every few chapters which keeps the story fresh and gives very different impressions of the events. Aibileen was definitely my favorite narrator, then Minny and Skeeter, but I loved the chance to hear directly from each of these three women. And the character of Hilly just captures all that close-minded, power-hungry attitude of the small-town elite. Oh, she's awful.

Stockett does a great job building up her story of civil rights on the domestic front, introducing the indignities of being household help that were considered common and even necessary to 1960s families in Jackson, Mississippi. This is a pretty big book, around 450 pages, but it's very well-paced, so events never feel rushed or stretched out.

I've heard great things about the audio as well, so if you are an audiobook fan, this might be one to listen to instead of read. And although I didn't notice the inconsistencies, I liked that Stockett acknowledged in her author's note that she took liberties with time, including songs that weren't yet released and mentioning products that weren't yet available. I found their inclusion to just be good details, but I liked that she owned up to borrowing them from the future.

awesome submitted by tcaldera97 on June 22, 2011, 11:19am this book switches between a lot of things... i wont tell you the characeristics of this book that make it amazing but u can find out for yourself

A Favorite submitted by emetz on June 22, 2011, 8:43pm I really really enjoyed this book. Like the above reviewer, I did not want the book to end, but I also wanted to know what became of the "project" the women worked on. It challenged me to see evaluate what I might have done in the narrator's position. Take the time to read this book, I doubt you'll be disappointed.

great submitted by honordenver on June 26, 2011, 4:56pm the characters in this book were great

wonderful book submitted by adimarzo on June 28, 2011, 1:11pm This is one of my favorite books of the last several years. The writing is smooth, the characters are richly developed, the dialogue is authentic and the story is compelling. This is one of the few books our entire book club read and enjoyed. I highly highly recommend.

Yes this is great submitted by bbelalggazali on June 30, 2011, 7:36pm this book keeps me speachless

what joy thinks submitted by joiemma on July 1, 2011, 7:12pm good

great submitted by readingking on July 6, 2011, 11:16am amazing book

nice submitted by sandylib123 on July 8, 2011, 1:28pm looks like a nice book need to check out

Mixed Value submitted by angejohn on July 11, 2011, 8:55pm Overall, an informative and rich read for those who know little to moderate info. about life for African Americans during this time period. I delighted in the variety of personalities visited as we saw the story through each protagonist's eyes in rotation. However, I do believe some realities were toned down a bit for example the type and level of violence, the type of behavior tolerated from the blacks in this story. As an African American woman whose parents and grandparents lived through the Civil Rights period (in the North AND in the South), I have heard stories of what the more accurate reality might have been for characters in "The Help" But, of course, this is a work of fiction and some things are probably best left to the imagination - especially for those who would like to forget what really happened....

One of the best books I've read recently submitted by klsyking on July 19, 2011, 12:42pm This book was simply amazing. I loved every minute of it. The stories of the three strong, brave women wove so well into each other that I felt like I was there with them. I highly recommend the book on tape version. They have three different readers for each of the three main characters and it really brings the story to life. The thing I liked best (and worst) was the way the author was able to convey the respective relationships of the parents and children and the help and the children. Although the experience doesn't compare, a woman helped raise my brother and I, and I know how complex the relationships can get between help, parents, and children. I was simply amazed at how well those feelings came across in the narrative. Bravo!

great book submitted by aschulte on July 21, 2011, 4:09pm this is off the chizzain! :oD

me submitted by shailu on August 1, 2011, 3:39pm all time fav

Great book submitted by ashflowtuff on August 14, 2011, 8:12pm I really enjoyed this novel. It had great characters and a story that pulled you in right away. Also really appreciated the author's note at the end.

Must read submitted by ckuranz on August 22, 2011, 7:52am This is a fantastic book! I read it over a few days because I simply could not put it down. The development of the main characters is amazing and keeps you wanting more. My only criticism is that I didn't want it to end.

Funny submitted by glennauerbach on June 17, 2012, 2:48pm Some parts of this were funny, especially the one with the "chocolate" pie.

Good book submitted by mingtecheng on June 17, 2012, 6:17pm I also recommend watching the movie

Fun, Touching, Engaging. submitted by Lea on June 22, 2012, 7:48pm This was read by my book group. Everyone loved it, and has lots to say about it. I really enoyed how the story was told through different voices. It is a quick book, well worth the read! The movie is good too.

Wonderful! Great for a mother/daughter read! submitted by fizzleskittle on June 23, 2012, 7:48pm This book was a wonderful mix of historical fiction and gripping storytelling. I was transported back to the era and really connected with (and despised some) characters. The moments of humor were perfectly timed to keep the reading "beach read-y" enough for a "right before bed" book. I enjoyed reading this and then suggesting it to my Mom. We had a fun time talking about the book and then watching the movie.

Amazing submitted by rivermyles on June 24, 2012, 1:22pm I absolutely loved this book!

AMAZING submitted by hongzheng on July 26, 2012, 4:05pm This is a wonderful book that everyone should read at least once in their life.

Entertaining submitted by semartin on August 30, 2012, 1:13am It took awhile to get into it, and most of all get used to the speech she uses for the maids. However, once you do, it becomes a ride that you don't want to get off of until you reach the end. Quite enjoyable.

Worth waiting for! submitted by andrea on August 31, 2012, 6:57pm People have been telling me to read this for ages, and I had to wait a while for it to become available at the library, then it took me a while to find the time to read it. I finally sat down with it this summer and couldn't put it down. I finished it in two days. The characters are beautifully written and absolutely believable. I feel like I have spent time with each one of them in real life.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book submitted by smgop on July 17, 2013, 8:39pm Liked the movie too, but the book was way better! Characters well developed.

the help submitted by a2sue on July 25, 2013, 9:36pm well-developed characters

Great book submitted by palanijr on August 2, 2013, 2:28pm Great

5 stars submitted by Susan4Pax -prev. sueij- on July 10, 2014, 1:40pm Incredibly well written, thought provoking, and insightful. Many people have written many things about this, so I think I won't bother.

(slight hint of a spoiler included at the end of this paragraph.) The one thing I didn't like was that after a whole book of first-person perspectives (and it was this that gave the book its greatest power and impact), the one chapter near the end that was in third person felt completely disjointed. That was astonishingly distracting for me. And do you really think they wouldn't have noticed about the L-shaped crack? I find that hard to believe....

A book I will always remember submitted by kjshaffer on August 9, 2015, 4:17pm This book is so memorable. I find myself thinking about and referring to it even years after reading it. It made a big impression on me, it was very eye opening. It's also a great re-read.

Excellent book. submitted by tbbrown76 on July 11, 2017, 9:46pm Better than the movie, which was good. A real eye opener as far as race relations.
TB

A wonderful poignant and thought provoking story submitted by Jhopson on July 13, 2017, 9:55am A wonderful poignant and thought provoking story about a time in the not-so-distant past of the American south. Narrated alternately by three extraordinary women, the story lets you into their lives and their homes and shows you the stoic bravery of speaking out for change.

Get the kleenex submitted by KOH on August 4, 2017, 9:05pm This is one of tbe only books that made me cry! Wonderful characters and story... It wrecked me!

Beautiful submitted by somewhere.gone on June 18, 2018, 8:46pm This book is so good, you'll need a box of tissues next to you!

Love submitted by afanz99 on June 26, 2018, 8:41pm I love this book!

Amazing submitted by Writingreader on June 29, 2018, 5:52pm Once I picked up the book I could not put it down

Great book submitted by melissahimich on July 8, 2018, 7:08pm This was a great book. It really helped me understand how that time period was for black women employed in the home

Great read submitted by elepling on August 6, 2018, 10:53am Love the book just as much as the movie. Keeps you wanting to read more.

Great book! submitted by treechild on June 21, 2019, 1:22am Great book about the complex relationships between the upper middle class whites the and black women who served them. Read the book first!

The Help submitted by avrogers1 on June 21, 2019, 9:16am I abosulutely loved this book. Its very well written and hits ya right in the feels. I was also impressed with how well the movie turned out. However, I was glad to have read the book before they made a movie. It was a fantastic book.

The help submitted by _desai_ on June 21, 2019, 10:02am Good book

goood novel submitted by gogo on June 21, 2019, 5:52pm are you guys just getting codes????

Not as good as everyone says. submitted by lauramason89 on June 24, 2019, 6:50pm Not a great book. I mean, sure, the pacing was good, the writing decent, and the characters interesting, but it whitewashes history and paints a rosy picture of racism, segregation and life in the south for black people. Not only does Stockett downplay the violence and fear of black people's painful lived experiences of life in the south, she centers whiteness and white women. Overall I think it's exploitative and deeply problematic.

5/5 submitted by anita.lautenbach on June 28, 2019, 7:19pm This is a worthwhile read that makes you think!

Great Book submitted by patpatel3025 on July 3, 2019, 8:59pm Great book. Didn't want to put it down.

Awesome book submitted by TLW1998 on July 10, 2019, 9:43pm This book is one of my favorite and better than the movie.

good read submitted by harrietpooky on July 11, 2019, 1:34pm Very enlightening.

Interesting read submitted by naikanuja on August 3, 2019, 2:13pm I had heard great things about this book and it was right.

Well written submitted by crp on August 12, 2019, 10:00pm Well written historical fiction

Help submitted by Clown81 on August 31, 2019, 2:13am Wicked.

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A treasure submitted by lgoff on August 6, 2020, 2:36pm A beautifully written book with complex characters and a memorable storyline.

Fun story and setup, quickly becomes a white savior story submitted by gladaaro on July 29, 2021, 10:31pm The start is fun and has interesting character setup, but about halfway it becomes preachy in a bad way. Definitely whitewashes history and becomes a white savior story. There are many other good books that are better reads to learn about civil rights, racism, and social issues that plague the US and the world.

really fun submitted by angie. on August 24, 2021, 9:30pm really great. loved it, and it was so amazing :)

Ok submitted by HockeyDude on August 26, 2021, 2:48pm ok

So good submitted by Harlowamy on August 28, 2021, 5:11pm Better than the movie

Awful submitted by courtneyhooper on August 13, 2022, 12:09am Black people are not here to teach white people. We should and can educate ourselves and learn to treat others with dignity. This book is full of “magical negroes” and is offensive. Understand Black people as fully realized humans. It’s not that hard.