The Help
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What a Great Book! Thoughts? What do you think becomes of HIlly?
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Farrah
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rated it 5 stars
May 25, 2011 07:40AM
I just finished it this morning. I couldn't put it down. I like the open style of the ending...Abilene can go off and do anything but most importantly she knows she has to just keep going. I appreciate the research Stockett did for this book. So detailed. I also like thow the book didn't go on to be a super best seller over night and that it was a very real life story. Your thoughts? Opinons? Reviews? What do you think becomes of Hilly?
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I really liked this book. The characters were well done. You can see how difficult it is to change a social system even if it is really ugly and unfair. To lose all social status as Skeeter did. Well I do not think most people in the end are that brave. Although in the end she did find her perfect niche. Hilly probably would never change. And I do not know about her, but, I will not be eating any chocolate pie anytime too soon.
haha it's funny because I made a chocolate pie this week before I got to that part and I couldn't eat it after I read what Minny did. That is the ultimate revenge. I agree in the end..most people are not that brave. Elizbeth is a perfect example of that. I loved Skeeter's character and I actually adored her mother at the end of the book, how she just refused to die becauase of her daughter's bad fashion haha. Such wonderful characters. I don't normally get too emotional reading but this one definitely brought tears to my eyes when Moe was crying
This book was very excellently done. The characters were crafted well and had authentic voices.
I loved this book! I didn't know the movie was coming out august 12th! I heard about it this morning....there isn't as much media frenzy as with "the hunger games"movie
Rebecca wrote: "This book was very excellently done. The characters were crafted well and had authentic voices."I had not heard that they were making this into a movie. Do you know who the actors are?
My friend saw the previews last night and she got a little weepy at the previews. She said it looks amazing
I just googled...Emma Stone is going to be Skeeter Phelan. I like her.
Jackleen wrote: "Rebecca wrote: "This book was very excellently done. The characters were crafted well and had authentic voices."I had not heard that they were making this into a movie. Do you know who the actors..."
Viola Davis as Aibileen Clark
Bryce Dallas Howard as Hilly Holbrook
Emma Stone as Skeeter Phelan
Octavia L. Spencer as Minny Jackson
in reference to the movie...let me add that sissy spacek as Mrs Walters and cicely tyson as lila rogers
and allison janney as charlotee phelan
I love that Octavia spencer who was the voice of minny in the audiobook is playing her in the movie...can't wait to see it
I loved the book because it had such great characters. It makes a great excursion for a book group to read the book, then see the movie a few months later. Of course, the book is usually better.
The characters were very believable to me, and I got immersed in all of their dramas.
I didn't mind Hilly so much, I mean, she was at least upfront about what she did and didn't like...I disliked Elizabeth...she reminded me of those passive-agreesive girls in high school, who would do anything to be friends with the popular girls
To be honest, it has been awhile since I read this book, some characters I was much more sympathetic to, especially the white woman who had the drinking problem.
Hilly was a piece of work. Hard to wrap my brain around her superior attitude. I think she probably lost it at some point in the future due to the fact that many of her neighbors realized that Skeeter was referring to her in the book.
This book was amazing. I felt as if I was sitting around a group of story tellers rather than reading. Each character was so real. I truly related to Skeeter! Her relationship with her mom was so real. Elizabeth made my stomach turn - I wanted backhand her when she fired Aibie and didn't really want to, she just did it to "please" Hilly and fit in - BLECH -See it just gets to you emotionally. As for Hilly... well here is my speculation... Hilly continued to deny that the town in the book is Jackson and yet the truth keeps eating away at her sanity little by little until she loses it completely! I have this vision of her completely losing her composure in public, possible at the Robert E. Lee, or at the Country Club, or Pool, where she turns wild eyed and crazed and starts ranting like a mad woman. Her husband then has no other choice but to send her up North to one of those yankee hospitals, or worse, west to one of those California hospitals! Ok... well that is just how I imagine her life going wrong.I love Celia and her husband. I will stop here otherwise I would just go on and on and you might regret ever posting a question.
Usually I read mystery/thriller genres, so this was out of the box for me. Boy am I glad I judged a book by its cover this time around.
Great book! I agree that Hilly will eventually lose it and become a lonely bitter old woman.Did anyone have a problem with the speech colloquialisms? I have lived in the south, but not Mississippi, and never heard people speak the way the black characters do.
I didn't have a problem with the speech. I am not sure that people actually spoke like that because I didn't live in Mississippi in the 60's but given the amount of research and accuracy of other things in the book, she probably got it right.
I thought it was interesting that the author noted how great of a mother Hilly was to her children which was a stark contrast to Elizabeth's general annoyance with hers. I wondered why she went to the trouble, maybe giving Hilly that one redeeming quality so we wouldn't hate her so much? Excellent book though! I agree with Jeena, I really did like Celia and her husband, her desperate importance to maintain an image for her husband was at times crazy, but such interesting subplot. In such conservative times, everyone had to keep up such an unblemished facade. In today's day and age we've chipped away a bit at such ideas, but they still remain in our fickle, up tight society.
I loved, loved, loved this book. I cannot wait to go see the movie!
I read this last year and it was amazing. We used it in our book club at the library. Excellent read.
Megan wrote: "I thought it was interesting that the author noted how great of a mother Hilly was to her children which was a stark contrast to Elizabeth's general annoyance with hers. I wondered why she went to ..."
I am about to finish it and really like Miss Skeeter but now I like Celia even more. At some points it has been too sad for me.
I am about to finish it and really like Miss Skeeter but now I like Celia even more. At some points it has been too sad for me.
Melissa wrote: "Great book! I agree that Hilly will eventually lose it and become a lonely bitter old woman.
Did anyone have a problem with the speech colloquialisms? I have lived in the south, but not Mississi..."
I lived in MS for a short time and I had too much trouble with the speech also. I attended high school not far from Jackson in either 1964 or 1965, its hard to recall now. I lived at my grandparents home and do not recall encountering any black people but I have a Southern/Texas accent so you would think this would have been very clear to me. It was NOT. I later worked in Dallas and all my friends were black. I had no trouble understanding them at all.
I also own the 1847 El Bethel church book which is crumbling with age. It is the notes from an old Primitive Baptist church there in MS. I typed it up about ten years ago and had some copies made but due to reading this book I am wondering if maybe I should attempt to type it up online somewhere? The spelling is unreal but I tried to preserve it.
I do hope Hilly ends up old and lonely or worse. She was too mean.
Did anyone have a problem with the speech colloquialisms? I have lived in the south, but not Mississi..."
I lived in MS for a short time and I had too much trouble with the speech also. I attended high school not far from Jackson in either 1964 or 1965, its hard to recall now. I lived at my grandparents home and do not recall encountering any black people but I have a Southern/Texas accent so you would think this would have been very clear to me. It was NOT. I later worked in Dallas and all my friends were black. I had no trouble understanding them at all.
I also own the 1847 El Bethel church book which is crumbling with age. It is the notes from an old Primitive Baptist church there in MS. I typed it up about ten years ago and had some copies made but due to reading this book I am wondering if maybe I should attempt to type it up online somewhere? The spelling is unreal but I tried to preserve it.
I do hope Hilly ends up old and lonely or worse. She was too mean.
Lady Alice maybe you should get a blog and post it up there. I would be willing to take a look at it. I can't recall the characters at all. Read it such a long time ago, amid other books I have since read.
Robin wrote: "Lady Alice maybe you should get a blog and post it up there. I would be willing to take a look at it. I can't recall the characters at all. Read it such a long time ago, amid other books I have ..."
That might work. You are like me as I forget most characters in a few months except for Norah Lofts characters and Gone with the Wind. Miss Skeeter was the writer in The Help and Abilene was one of the maids but she uses a strange spelling. Her friend was Minnie. Minnie worked for Celia. Hope they come back for you some.
That might work. You are like me as I forget most characters in a few months except for Norah Lofts characters and Gone with the Wind. Miss Skeeter was the writer in The Help and Abilene was one of the maids but she uses a strange spelling. Her friend was Minnie. Minnie worked for Celia. Hope they come back for you some.
What becomes of Hilly....hmm, sounds like another book to me. How would Hilly handle the women's movement, the increasing divorce rate or her friends giving up their ladies club duties to begin careers (due to financial need or self-fulfillment). Imagine Hilly raising her teenage children.....darlings much like herself. ;) How about menopausal and aging Hilly....not a pretty picture. Can you picture Hilly handling these milestones graciously?
Lady Alice wrote: "Melissa wrote: "Great book! I agree that Hilly will eventually lose it and become a lonely bitter old woman.Did anyone have a problem with the speech colloquialisms? I have lived in the south, ..."
Thank you for acknowledging the speech "oddities," I'm not crazy then.
You should start a blog as Robin suggested, I would read it!
Lady Alice, I do remember the main characters, but who was Hilly. I remember Celia, may have to revisit this book to get the characters straight in my head. Who was Hilly?
Robin wrote: "Lady Alice, I do remember the main characters, but who was Hilly. I remember Celia, may have to revisit this book to get the characters straight in my head. Who was Hilly?"
She was the one who kept firing her maids and fired Minnie and then bad mouthed her so much she was unable to get a job but Abilene found out that Celia needed a maid. When Minnie left she made Hilly a special pie.
Hilly bosses everyone around even her friends. Elizabeth seemed to be in awe of her and if Hilly told her to do anything she would do it. She finally managed to get Abilene fired too toward the end by accusing her of stealing the silver. She was definitely the meanest character of the whole story.
She was the one who kept firing her maids and fired Minnie and then bad mouthed her so much she was unable to get a job but Abilene found out that Celia needed a maid. When Minnie left she made Hilly a special pie.
Hilly bosses everyone around even her friends. Elizabeth seemed to be in awe of her and if Hilly told her to do anything she would do it. She finally managed to get Abilene fired too toward the end by accusing her of stealing the silver. She was definitely the meanest character of the whole story.
Thanks Melissa. I am still considering what to do.
Sandra wrote: "What becomes of Hilly....hmm, sounds like another book to me. How would Hilly handle the women's movement, the increasing divorce rate or her friends giving up their ladies club duties to begin ca..."That does sound like the makings of another book
Lady Alice wrote: "Robin wrote: "Lady Alice, I do remember the main characters, but who was Hilly. I remember Celia, may have to revisit this book to get the characters straight in my head. Who was Hilly?"She was..."
Oh yes, I remember her.
I loved this book. It made me feel as if I were living in the South in those repressive days. I laughed and cried and loved the loyalty shown by all the women.
I just heard a great interview by Studs Turkel of Mahalia Jackson--a gospel singer from the 60s--and she talks a lot of MLK and how different the North and South were. Very interesting stuff!
This is by far my favorite book! i couldnt put it down and i never wanted it to end. im so happy they are making it into a movie because i cant get enough of this story and its characters. does anyone know of any similar books that are worth reading?
I truly enjoyed the book. I think Kathryn Stockett's narrative format was befitting of character who is an aspiring writer. To me, the chapters were presented as I imagined Miss Skeeter would have edited and compiled them for her book. The style of the book is as relevant as the story.
I saw a preview for the movie last night- it looks really good
I can't wait for the movie either!
I want to see the movie, as well.
My sister-in-law absolutely loved this book. She's 10 years younger than me (46). I decided to read it and thought it was pretty good, but not great. I lent it to my mother, who thought it was OK, and said that was just it how was when she was growing (she spent time in the South as a young girl). I think this book is much more popular among the younger women I know, than people my age and older, maybe because it isnt really fiction to us. I grew up in white town; 3 of the 15 or so black kids in high school of 1,200 came from NYC to get a better education, 2 were the kids of the Celtics' coach and the other was the son of one of the town few oldtime families.
I think its strength is that it tells an every day type story - stuff that isn't really covered in history books - most of us know about MLK, Malcolm X but unless you grew up in the south or have studied it extensively, you don't really have any idea of how life was in general
I think unless you actually lived it...we all can't wrap our heads around it Milah. I can't believe the ignorance of this country.
I know. The toilets on the front lawn was classic though! She wrote that scene so well.
I can't wait to see that part of the movie...hopefully it works out well
The film's trailers look great! I heard the author has a small role in the film.
I really enjoyed reading this. And I liked her character descriptions! Living in the North made me appreciate just how difficult it must have been to live in that era. I had forgotten the segregation, remembering riding the bus with my grandmother in Huntington West VA and not being about to understand why I couldn't sit at the back of the bus. I'm not sure I want to see the movie since most movies don't do the book justice!
I love Hilly, the whole book was very good. I am anxious for the movie, hope it does not leave out the main parts of the book.
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