The Help

"I put the iron down real slow, feel that bitter seed grow in my chest, the one planted after Treelore died. My face goes hot, my tongue twitchy. I don't know what to say to her. All I know is, I ain't saying it. And I know she ain't saying what she want a say either and it's a strange thing happening here cause nobody saying nothing and we still managing to have us a conversation" (The Help by Kathryn Stockett)

To the point.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett appeared by all apparent sources to be a great pick (not mine but my interest was definitely peaked). A HUGE best seller at the moment and was so popular at the time I was trying to purchase it that I had to wait 3 back orders for it to come in).

I usually reserve my blogs for books that I have liked or have been challenged by in some way. No need to be a hater. Kathryn Stockett, however, isn't hurting for book sales (especially now that the movie has come out).

To the point - A great concept but poorly executed across the board. Not unlike some of the other pop fiction, teen novels currently flying off the shelves, the writing style was self explanatory and annoyingly evident. The problem with this was that unlike its national best-seller teen lit cousins, it wasn't placed in that category. The multiple voices narrating the book, of which varied in age and race, appeared overlapped and at times forced. Accents wavered and truth be told at times I found myself picturing a white girl awkwardly mimicking an african american maid - no Kathryn's "Too Little Too Late" section didn't make up for this in the back of the book. A section where she stumbles over her words to apologize for any misgivings in the novel.

Yes - it is a strong and important topic - one that deserves an opportunity to garner far more attention in pop culture venues than it has previously but it can be strongly argued (as is now) that while this book may have been planned as a literary breakthrough - even forecasted as the next To Kill a Mockingbird - it ended up being a big hot mess.

Okay okay, a hot mess that made a ton of money. To each their own.