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The Help

By Kathryn Stockett

(257)

| Others | 9780399155345

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Book Review: The Help by Kathryn Stockett Share

Life in the 1960s, in Jackson, Mississippi was difficult for most people. Being a black maid, raising children not your own, was made even more difficult by the times. As Skeeter works on her plan she finds a job with the Jackson Journal. She will wr ... (read full critics)

blogcritics published on Mon, 14 Nov 2011

Book Review: The Help by Kathryn Stockett Part of: Campus Voices Share

During the sixties, segregation was at its all time high. Blacks and whites were separated when it came to about anything. Water fountains, cinemas, and schools are some examples. The South was directly impacted by this cultural trouble. Black women ... (read full critics)

blogcritics published on Sat, 15 Oct 2011

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37 Reviews

2 people find this helpful

Easily one of my new favourites for this year. I found it hard to believe this was a first novel. The characters were amazing and I really had to stop myself from holding my breath. An amazing story from start to finish. If you haven't read it yet, you should be.

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Leahrussell76 said on Oct 4, 2009 | 1 feedback

1 person find this helpful

Vita dura delle domestiche

Gli riconosco il pregio di avermi fatto scoprire qualcosa di nuovo sul mondo dei domestici neri nell'America dei primi anni '60.
Utile per chi vede negli USA il paradiso della democrazia senza difetti, descrive in una narrazione a più voci la vita delle domestiche e la progressiva presa di coscien ... (continue)

Gli riconosco il pregio di avermi fatto scoprire qualcosa di nuovo sul mondo dei domestici neri nell'America dei primi anni '60.
Utile per chi vede negli USA il paradiso della democrazia senza difetti, descrive in una narrazione a più voci la vita delle domestiche e la progressiva presa di coscienza di una ragazza bianca, di buona e tradizionale famiglia che ne convince un gruppo a raccontare le loro storie in un libro. Si rende così finalmente conto di quanto lei stessa sia abituata a rapportarsi agli afro-americani come a un gruppo diverso ed inferiore.
Un po' scucito, a volte lascia brandelli di racconto in sospeso, mentre i caratteri mancano di spessore.
Il plot funziona abbastanza bene, anche se a un certo punto diventa prevedibile, e si legge senza problemi.
E' una scrittrice che deve ancora crescere, ma nella letteratura di consumo puo' rivelarsi interessante.

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mafalda0250 said on Dec 15, 2011 about the Paperback edition | Add your feedback

1 person find this helpful

I don't know if this book will be considered as a classic years or centuries later. However, when I read this book, all I can think about is "IT IS GREAT!". I am an Asian, who only know two historical events mentioned in this book: the assassination of President Kennedy and the speech by Martin Lu ... (continue)

I don't know if this book will be considered as a classic years or centuries later. However, when I read this book, all I can think about is "IT IS GREAT!". I am an Asian, who only know two historical events mentioned in this book: the assassination of President Kennedy and the speech by Martin Luther King, but I would love to hack the website to give the book six stars if I were able to do it. : p
The background of the story is set in Jackson, Mississippi, in 1960s. Unsurprisingly, the main theme of this book is the racial discrimination against African Americans and the civil right movement by then. This novel is unique in showing of the life of colored maids from their own aspects of views, including their observation of the white families that they serve. Under such atmosphere, there are still white families treat their colored maids well, and even becomes good friends with them. This shows that human can behave nobly when a bad discipline is considered as the gold standard. All the major heroins are described in a clear and dominant way, so clear and dominant that I used to think the wise Aibileen, the irascible Minny, and sympathetic Skeeter and the mean Hilly having dialogues in front of me. When this is a book about colored maid, the life of Skeeter in Jackson shows the battle of a girl, which make the book more colorful. As a daughter, most of us have moms whom we disappoint in every way: our dresses, our education, our jobs and our marriage status, but who love and protect us for their whole life. As a girlfriend, we may have to choose between to change to meet lover's expectations, or to be ourselves. As a member of any group, the isolation is not always avoidable, when we have conflicts with the dominant girl of the class, the school, the office or the community. As a friend, we don't what to do when our best friends make mistakes. Likely to be in different formats, but the battle for a girl is not that different now and way back in 1960s.
It may be too ambitious to include so many factors in a novel, but I think the author does a very good job.

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Alveole Wu said on Dec 11, 2011 | Add your feedback

In un Mississippi Anni 60, razzista e pieno di disprezzo nei confronti dei neri, tate di colore dolci e ironiche allevano bambini bianchi trascurati dalle mamme della buone società. Questa contraddizione per fortuna non sopravviverà al vento della libertà che inizia a soffiare. Disperazione, ma anch ... (continue)

In un Mississippi Anni 60, razzista e pieno di disprezzo nei confronti dei neri, tate di colore dolci e ironiche allevano bambini bianchi trascurati dalle mamme della buone società. Questa contraddizione per fortuna non sopravviverà al vento della libertà che inizia a soffiare. Disperazione, ma anche divertimento.

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Letizia Rittatore said on Feb 14, 2012 | Add your feedback

bello!! ma bello che ti fa sorridere e subito dopo ti commuove...Minny e Aibileen sono strategicamente intessute e anche Skeeter è simpaticamente ribelle. Certo, immagino che la questione razziale fosse tutt'altro inferno ma qui c'è almeno la suggestione del disastro e la normalità di un dolore pers ... (continue)

bello!! ma bello che ti fa sorridere e subito dopo ti commuove...Minny e Aibileen sono strategicamente intessute e anche Skeeter è simpaticamente ribelle. Certo, immagino che la questione razziale fosse tutt'altro inferno ma qui c'è almeno la suggestione del disastro e la normalità di un dolore persistente.

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Bucaneve said on Feb 10, 2012 about the Mass Market Paperback edition | Add your feedback

this book based on a true story was an eyeopener. would read it again.

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Kazlawrence said on Feb 8, 2012 about the Mass Market Paperback edition | Add your feedback