The Help
3.5 stars. While I did like the book, I am glad I listened to it rather than read it. I think it was more enjoyable to listen to the dialects, then to read them. I enjoyed the characters. I think Minny was my favorite of all of them. I liked her honesty and no nonsense way of thinking about things. I enjoyed seeing the different points of view from each of the characters. The ending was satisfying. The book definitely takes the reader through a range of emotions.
A couple of things bothered me about the book. First, it was a bit too long. There were probably parts that could be cut out. Second, I was bothered by how naive the maids and Skeeter were while writing the book. Did they really think that people who read it in the town wouldn't recognize themselves? Their surprise at this toward the end baffled me. And last, how does someone as young as 23years old (Hilly) gain so much power in the community? I found that stretching things a bit. And finally, did the book really change things in the end? While Skeeter got her chance to leave town and move on with her life, what really changed for the maids in town? Not much really.
But overall, not a bad book. I'm not sure how the movie will be compared to the book. I'm sure I won't like it since I rarely like movie versions.
