Book to Movie: The Help

So, I know I'm a little late to the party with this one. I was so excited to see the movie version of The Help that I watched the trailer over and over again. However, I didn't get the chance to see it until it had been out for several weeks. However, I wasn't disappointed with this mostly faithful adaptation of the film.

I do remember leaning over to my husband several times while watching this film and saying, "It was different in the book here," or "In the book they did this." However, the details that were different were mostly insignificant -- insignificant, at any rate, that they didn't completely change the story line, which happens more often than not in film adaptations (Slumdog Millionaire, anyone?).

I was very happy with the characterization. The portrayals of Skeeter, Aibileen, and Minnie were perfect, just how I had pictured them in my mind. Hilly was a little bit different -- I pictured her more chubby and outspoken rather than pretty and subtly evil. I've always enjoyed villains that are so awful you can't help but be in awe of them while you hate them, and Hilly's character in the movie was one of those characters. I wanted to slap her throughout the movie, but at the same time I was in awe of how smoothly she manipulated everyone, how everyone lived in fear of her and did what she wanted.

I've heard criticisms of both the book and the movie saying that they make light of the inequality issue. I personally found the book to be powerful; it was amazing especially to see Aibileen emerge from being mistreated to someone who was well aware of her talents and abilities. Maybe the story didn't show some huge, overwhelming victory in the civil rights movement, but I think it did show personal growth and strength in the individual characters, which is essential for big things to happen. Small victories precede the big ones, and I thought it was moving to see these women on both sides of the issue learning to overcome their prejudices and their inhibitions and come closer to the lives they actually wanted.

So overall, this was enjoyable to me. I liked that it was fairly faithful to the book and I enjoyed watching it.

The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown

Title: The Weird Sisters

Author: Eleanor Brown

Genre: Contemporary fiction

Publisher: Amy Einhorn Books/Putnam, 2011

Source: Purchased on Kindle

Rose, Bean, and Cordy (aka Rosalind, Bianca, and Cordelia) live with a Shakespeare fanatic. Their early lives consist of their father's quotations and their strained relationships with each other. Once they reach adulthood, they all lead very separate lives, until their mother's breast cancer brings them all back home. Are they going to get through the experience by tolerating each other, or will they make some kind of peace?

Okay, first of all, kudos to Eleanor Brown for taking a concept that could have been really gimmicky and making it work. I am a Shakespeare novice, but still an avid admirer thanks to an awesome middle school teacher that took us to the Boise Shakespeare Festival every year. I loved the quotes the sisters' father used to answer questions, and I loved the parallels drawn between the sisters and the characters they were named for - Rose's lifelong search for an Orlando, Bean's need to escape the shadow of her older sister, and Cordy's place in their father's affections. The concept was well executed. Second of all, the cover is beautiful. Can I get that font somewhere?

In my mind, there is a fine line between chick lit and good literary fiction written mainly about women's relationships. I read both genres, but chick lit is more of a guilty pleasure, something to peruse when I need a break from life, and literary fiction about women is more nourishing and less stereotypical. I wasn't sure which I would be getting with The Weird Sisters. There are elements of both, but I think it leans more strongly to the literary fiction side. Reasoning: while it does abound in drama and there are a few scandalous situations, in general the point of the book is to explore the deeper meaning of sisterhood and self-fulfillment as a woman. (Another example of a book that straddles this self-invented line in my mind and falls off on the more intellectual side is The Help by Kathryn Stockett). I am getting a bit off topic. My point is that this story explored some terrain worthy of extra thought. One of the story lines that most interested me was Rose's journey to assuming she needed to do everything for everybody to wondering if that drive was really an insecurity related to the fear that people wouldn't like her for any reason other than her competency. (This struck a chord with me because almost everything about Rose spoke to me - I am definitely the Rose in the family, minus the homebody tendencies). Cordy experiences the question in reverse - can she be accepted and live a life in her hometown instead of running away from the expectations and potential disapproval? Bean's line of exploration asks how she can redeem herself from the somewhat criminal life she lived before returning home. They each find answers to these questions, but with some major setbacks along the way.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the characters, given that they all had some very unlikeable traits. I genuinely had the emotional reaction to them that Brown was trying to elicit. Sometimes in books, I know that I am supposed to hate X character because they did Y horrible thing, or that I should love Handsome Prince number 1 because he possesses Excellent Quality number 87, but often that desired emotional response never gets past my intellect. With The Weird Sisters, I not only knew that Cordy was the lovable, fun sister - I liked her instinctively, even though she had some flaws that really bothered me. I especially reacted to Rose, again, because I felt a kinship with her. I am the oldest of three siblings as well, although we have a brother thrown in, and I am known in the family as the goody goody. I broke curfew once in high school and I think I only skipped class once. As a result, like Rose, I am sometimes left out of the loop while the younger siblings whisper secrets to each other. And I'm sure, like Rose, I come off as bossy and controlling at times (although I try to minimize that as much as possible). It was interesting to read about a character who had so many of the same responses to life as I did (although magnified in Rose). I think this book is about learning who you are and then learning to both transcend and accept that person. This is how Father Aidan, the town priest, sums it up:

We all have stories we tell ourselves. We tell ourselves we are too fat, or too ugly, or too old, or too foolish. We tell ourselves these stories because they allow us to excuse our actions, and they allow us to pass off the responsibility for things we have done - maybe to something within our control, but anything other than the decisions we have made.

Maybe it was because of the characters and how real they seemed that I didn't hate the "we" narration. I loathed it in The Jane Austen Book Club and felt pretty uncertain about The Weird Sisters once I learned it was used in that book as well. However, it brought a feeling of solidarity to the story - despite the fact that the three sisters were so different and butted heads so often, they were telling it together. They influenced each other and helped each other to grow, and I don't think the story would have worked as well if it had been told in the third person or alternating first person.

This post is getting too long, but I have to share one more aspect of this book that I adored. It is getting to be a theme in my reviews, and I'm sure you've already guessed - bookishness. The Andreas family is obsessed with reading, and their book perusal is a delightful piece of the story. "How can we explain what books and reading mean to our family, the gift of libraries, of pages?" Bean in particular seems to love books, and I have so many quotes underlined it is hard to choose which one to share (I am saving up some of them for my Quotables feature). The one I'm including might shock my mom a little bit, but it made me laugh at loud -

She had long ago given up being offended by men who compulsively showered after sex. It was an excellent time to get a little reading done without anyone trying to talk to her.

Baha. For me, prime reading time is when my husband brushes his teeth (not quite so scandalous) - it takes him almost five minutes and is the perfect chance to swallow a chapter.

Overall, I had a great experience with this book. It had the lightness and fun of a chick lit book with a more serious exploration of self and family.

4 stars

Warnings for the sensitive reader: Some swearing with a few scattered f-bombs, non-graphic sexy scenes, and one random incident involving pot.

Retro Review: The Help by Kathryn Stockett

I've been blogging for about 9 months, but I've been reading for 18 years, so there are many wonderful books I've picked up along the way that I haven't reviewed for this blog. While I obviously can't get to all of them, I thought it would be fun to occasionally go back and write some of my thoughts on earlier reads. I noticed yesterday when I was leaving work that The Help just came out in paperback, so I thought it was the perfect time to write a little "retro review."

Title: The Help
Author: Kathryn Stockett
Genre: Literary fiction, historical fiction
Publisher: Amy Einhorn Books, 2009
Source: Personal copy/Audio file from Audible

I read this book around this time last year, which means that glorious period in the college students life: finals. We had picked this title for out book club selection, and I'd promised myself I would not get started until after I'd finished my finals, because I knew (from my roommate Katie's behavior) that once I started I would be no use to anyone. Sometimes it is good to just stay up all night and finish a book, but not when that book is 464 pages long. However, Katie was so excited about the book that she wanted me to start it so we could start talking about it. Generous friend that she was, she lent me her iPod, which had the book on it from Audible. (At the time, I worked 40 minutes away from my apartment, and had to make the drive three times a week). So I listened to the first half or so of the book, and then when finals were over, read the rest on my Kindle.

For those not familiar with the book, The Help is a story told by three women in the south, and the complicated relationships between the white women and their black help. The two worlds seem to exist in parallel, the same setting but completely different experiences of life, until Skeeter, a white writer dissatisfied with her life, society's cultural expectations, and inequality, decides to write a book told from the perspective of black women about their white employers. The creation of the book leads Skeeter and the women she interviews on a journey of self-discovery, at times touching, at times dangerous.

Honestly, when I read this book, I found no flaws. Granted, I was not reading critically at the time, but I was swept up by the voices in the story. The Help is told in a light-hearted, humorous way, but carries a strong undercurrent of passion and importance. The intertwining of the serious subjects of racial inequality, lynching, and abuse combined with the hilarious descriptions and escapades of the characters (particularly Minnie). I was dying to know what happened next- good thing I did wait (mostly) until I had finished finals before reading the book. My roommate, when she was listening, would walk around the apartment with her headphones plugged in, and even wore them when she was grocery shopping. She also went running more often than usual, because she couldn't get enough of the story. Stockett keeps back tantalizing details, keeping the reader engaged until the opportune moment to reveal them. (Prime example? Chocolate cake. You'll get it if you read it).

I loved the characters as well. They are all distinct from each other, all slightly awkward and unpolished, but absolutely delightful. Stockett gives many small details to personalize each character and bring them to life - Minnie, who sweats all the time (except for about ten minutes in January). Skeeter, who can't get her hair to look good unless she spends hours treating it with hair goop. Abileen, who began writing her prayers instead of saying them when she had to drop out of school and wanted to practice her writing, and who is known in her church for having the faith to pray down miracles. The minor characters are also enjoyable - I loved/hated Hilly, who is so vindictive and nasty, but so hilariously rendered.

Writing this review makes me want to reread the book, especially since it is the same time of year and thinking about those weeks brings me back. The Help is a fun and entertaining book that touches some deep issues. I highly recommend it!

Overall: 5 (since it's been a while since I've read the book and I wasn't reading critically, I'm not going to break down my reasons for recommending it. Just be aware that my writing is completely subjective).