I read about 10 chapters last night and then sat and finished it this afternoon (without my glasses) which resulted in a massive headache. Reading headaches are so bittersweet!
I was just trying to think of a character that I didn't absolutely LOVE, and I can't. They were all fabulous, and by the end of the book I loved them all, even Hilly.
I thought the last chapter ended very abruptly; I was really hoping for more closure with Aibileen and in fact let out a "what the hell"? when I turned the page ready for the next chapter only to find the Acknowledgments.
Going to search for a few fave quotes now. Good choice, Joy!
I'm just about halfway through and really loving it. Normally I don't like it when books switch from character to character because I find it disrupting and yet it really works for this book. It makes sense to have each character narrate their part while still keeping the larger narrative moving.
I have a quotes to mention, hopefully these won't spoil anyone's reading!
From Ch. 3: "I look down and see the fool doesn't have any shoes on, like some kind of white trash. Nice white ladies don't go around barefoot." It must be that I'm white trash, because I go barefoot most of the summer and a good share of the winter!
Also from Ch. 3: "White people. I mean, I have cleaned everything from refrigerators to rear ends but what makes that lad htink I know how to clean a damn grizzly bear?" Then her description of how she cleans it makes me laugh too. Again, being white trash- I completely get this.
From Ch. 4: "If I'd played Mammy (Gone With the Wind), I'd of told Scarlett to stick those green draperies up her whilte little pooper. Make her own damn man-catching dress." I almost rented Gone With the Wind just so I could start adding comments like this. I think that would be a blast, if only I had someone to share it with.
And finally, for now, I thought Stockett did a great job describing how white women get even in Chapter 14. The whole section was well done, I thought.
Okay, back to work. I'll write more after I finish, which will probably be this weekend.
I did like Angie, and after a certain point in the book (not saying what point so I don't give anything away) I couldn't put it down. Which would also explain the lack of favorite quotes from the second half of the book- I was reading to fast to mark the pages with the parts I liked! Again, great choice, Joy.
I cannot, however, say that I love Hilly. After your comment, Angie, about even loving Hilly by the end of the book, I kept expecting her to do something to redeem herself and she never did. I think her and Elizabeth were great characters but I don't love them. Although I might love despising them...
I liked the ending, I think it gave us a nice feel for where she was headed in her life. I would have liked more discussion of the fallout for the other maids, though.
Who do you think was the best woman to work for? (I think we have a pretty good idea who was the worst.) I'd have to go with Louann. She did so many and said (at least to the maid) so many nice things- it must have been the easiest.
My favorite section in the whole book had to be Minny describing Celia's preparations for the Banquet. I had to read it out loud to Ken because I found it so amusing.
I just finished and loved the book too. I had a library copy and have decided this one is worthy of buying my own copy.
I didn't feel the book ended too quickly. Aibileen had a job and did have some income so she was "ok". I too would have liked to know more about the other maids.
I also can't say I loved Hilly or Elizabeth. I enjoyed their characters since there are certainly people like them.
Some of my favorite parts ironing the 65 pleats (as mentioned before) cleaning the grizzly the Shinalator Miss Skeeter driving the truck hauling a trailer behind loaded with a tractor the "relaxing room" everything concerning Celia (especially her check to Hilly - 2 slice Hilly) and Minny's reaction to the pink benefit dress "I might as well be little Stevie Wonder I am so blinded by that dress" the toilets in Hilly's yard
And the sentimental parts: the copies of the book presented to Aibileen with the church signatures the maids leaving their $ for Yule May's boys' education saying goodby to Mae Mobley
I think I like Minny the best. She said it as it was, put up with all the crap life gave her and went on.
Here's the thing about this book -- I did the same as M and read too fast to stop and make notes. This weekend I sat down with it with the intention of thumbing through to my fave quotes, etc. but every page I turned there was a line that I just loved or a scene that was noteworthy. There's so much to comment on that I'm having trouble commenting at all.
RE loving the characters, although I don't always like or enjoy Hilly or Elizabeth, they were just so well written that I love them too. However, least of all Elizabeth. Hilly was awful, but at least she loved her kids and was in charge of her life. Elizabeth was such a follower! I think the description of her visit to the pool at the country club really summed it up.
As far as the best person to work for, I think I would say Celia. Louann was nice, but also depressed and apparently suicidal. I would think that would make a stressful environment for the maid.
At one point Hilly and Elizabeth were talking and one said to the other how they were worried for Skeeter (I think) because "there are some really racist people out there" or something to that end. (can't find that quote - Grr!) I found that one of the most telling things in the whole book. These women didn't see themselves as racist - racists are violent. I also enjoyed the description of how white women get even. Much more cunning and destructive than the man's approach.
I LOVED Celia at the ball. I just kept thinking "Law!" =)
M - Did you get the impression that Johnny was abusive? I think the reader is intentionally misled as to his personality up until we actually meet him because we only hear about him from Minny, and that was the devil she was wrestling.
Overall I didn't particulary care for Stuart either -- and I found it hard to believe that in all the time he was dating Skeeter they never once discussed integration until the night he proposed!
RE the ending for Aibileen, she seemed to be so finantially unstable - just the $10 / week for the column and a bit here and there for the book royalties. Plus, it seemed like she might be getting "the treatment" from Hilly. I worry what happens to her...
Also, I was asking Joy, do you think the book that we read was supposed to be Skeeter's book, or a book that Aibileen wrote about the writing of Skeeter's book? I think it could go either way.
My favorite parts: Minny burning the caramel Elizabeth sewing slip covers Celia at the ball Martian Luther King Aibileen's stockings on the night of the shooting Constantine and the ceiling fan Toilets in Hilly's yard Minny making Johnny a sandwich (can't have no sandwich on no raw bread) Skeeter contemplating how many breakfast preferences maids must remember Skeeter's mom's list of clothes she wasn't to wear after she died Constantine's daughter applying to the DAR.
I don't think that Johnny was abusive (Celia's husband, right?- sorry, I had to return the book to the library and can't check.) I think he really just loved her, but didn't understand female society and why it was so hard for her.
I don't think the book was meant to be Skeeter's or Aibileen's book, but rather just show the process for them. It is deceptive, with it having the same name. However, Skeeter's book seemed set up very different.
I agree he was not abusive, but we were led to think that he was, until he actually entered the action, and we saw how nice he was and his love for Celia. It reminded me that when characters are narating you can't always trust what they say (Minny was biased in this way, I think) and you have to rely on the actions of the other characters to see who they really are.
9 comments:
I read about 10 chapters last night and then sat and finished it this afternoon (without my glasses) which resulted in a massive headache. Reading headaches are so bittersweet!
I was just trying to think of a character that I didn't absolutely LOVE, and I can't. They were all fabulous, and by the end of the book I loved them all, even Hilly.
I thought the last chapter ended very abruptly; I was really hoping for more closure with Aibileen and in fact let out a "what the hell"? when I turned the page ready for the next chapter only to find the Acknowledgments.
Going to search for a few fave quotes now. Good choice, Joy!
I'm just about halfway through and really loving it. Normally I don't like it when books switch from character to character because I find it disrupting and yet it really works for this book. It makes sense to have each character narrate their part while still keeping the larger narrative moving.
I have a quotes to mention, hopefully these won't spoil anyone's reading!
From Ch. 3: "I look down and see the fool doesn't have any shoes on, like some kind of white trash. Nice white ladies don't go around barefoot." It must be that I'm white trash, because I go barefoot most of the summer and a good share of the winter!
Also from Ch. 3: "White people. I mean, I have cleaned everything from refrigerators to rear ends but what makes that lad htink I know how to clean a damn grizzly bear?" Then her description of how she cleans it makes me laugh too. Again, being white trash- I completely get this.
From Ch. 4: "If I'd played Mammy (Gone With the Wind), I'd of told Scarlett to stick those green draperies up her whilte little pooper. Make her own damn man-catching dress." I almost rented Gone With the Wind just so I could start adding comments like this. I think that would be a blast, if only I had someone to share it with.
And finally, for now, I thought Stockett did a great job describing how white women get even in Chapter 14. The whole section was well done, I thought.
Okay, back to work. I'll write more after I finish, which will probably be this weekend.
I did like Angie, and after a certain point in the book (not saying what point so I don't give anything away) I couldn't put it down. Which would also explain the lack of favorite quotes from the second half of the book- I was reading to fast to mark the pages with the parts I liked! Again, great choice, Joy.
I cannot, however, say that I love Hilly. After your comment, Angie, about even loving Hilly by the end of the book, I kept expecting her to do something to redeem herself and she never did. I think her and Elizabeth were great characters but I don't love them. Although I might love despising them...
I liked the ending, I think it gave us a nice feel for where she was headed in her life. I would have liked more discussion of the fallout for the other maids, though.
Who do you think was the best woman to work for? (I think we have a pretty good idea who was the worst.) I'd have to go with Louann. She did so many and said (at least to the maid) so many nice things- it must have been the easiest.
My favorite section in the whole book had to be Minny describing Celia's preparations for the Banquet. I had to read it out loud to Ken because I found it so amusing.
I just finished and loved the book too. I had a library copy and have decided this one is worthy of buying my own copy.
I didn't feel the book ended too quickly. Aibileen had a job and did have some income so she was "ok". I too would have liked to know more about the other maids.
I also can't say I loved Hilly or Elizabeth. I enjoyed their characters since there are certainly people like them.
Some of my favorite parts
ironing the 65 pleats (as mentioned before)
cleaning the grizzly
the Shinalator
Miss Skeeter driving the truck hauling a trailer behind loaded with a tractor
the "relaxing room"
everything concerning Celia
(especially her check to Hilly - 2 slice Hilly) and Minny's reaction to the pink benefit dress "I might as well be little Stevie Wonder I am so blinded by that dress"
the toilets in Hilly's yard
And the sentimental parts:
the copies of the book presented to Aibileen with the church signatures
the maids leaving their $ for Yule May's boys' education
saying goodby to Mae Mobley
I think I like Minny the best. She said it as it was, put up with all the crap life gave her and went on.
I can't wait to see this as a movie!
Here's the thing about this book -- I did the same as M and read too fast to stop and make notes. This weekend I sat down with it with the intention of thumbing through to my fave quotes, etc. but every page I turned there was a line that I just loved or a scene that was noteworthy. There's so much to comment on that I'm having trouble commenting at all.
RE loving the characters, although I don't always like or enjoy Hilly or Elizabeth, they were just so well written that I love them too. However, least of all Elizabeth. Hilly was awful, but at least she loved her kids and was in charge of her life. Elizabeth was such a follower! I think the description of her visit to the pool at the country club really summed it up.
As far as the best person to work for, I think I would say Celia. Louann was nice, but also depressed and apparently suicidal. I would think that would make a stressful environment for the maid.
At one point Hilly and Elizabeth were talking and one said to the other how they were worried for Skeeter (I think) because "there are some really racist people out there" or something to that end. (can't find that quote - Grr!) I found that one of the most telling things in the whole book. These women didn't see themselves as racist - racists are violent. I also enjoyed the description of how white women get even. Much more cunning and destructive than the man's approach.
I LOVED Celia at the ball. I just kept thinking "Law!" =)
M - Did you get the impression that Johnny was abusive? I think the reader is intentionally misled as to his personality up until we actually meet him because we only hear about him from Minny, and that was the devil she was wrestling.
Overall I didn't particulary care for Stuart either -- and I found it hard to believe that in all the time he was dating Skeeter they never once discussed integration until the night he proposed!
RE the ending for Aibileen, she seemed to be so finantially unstable - just the $10 / week for the column and a bit here and there for the book royalties. Plus, it seemed like she might be getting "the treatment" from Hilly. I worry what happens to her...
Also, I was asking Joy, do you think the book that we read was supposed to be Skeeter's book, or a book that Aibileen wrote about the writing of Skeeter's book? I think it could go either way.
My favorite parts:
Minny burning the caramel
Elizabeth sewing slip covers
Celia at the ball
Martian Luther King
Aibileen's stockings on the night of the shooting
Constantine and the ceiling fan
Toilets in Hilly's yard
Minny making Johnny a sandwich (can't have no sandwich on no raw bread)
Skeeter contemplating how many breakfast preferences maids must remember
Skeeter's mom's list of clothes she wasn't to wear after she died
Constantine's daughter applying to the DAR.
Oh another fave part - when Skeeter's family finally gets air-conditioning and blows fuses when it is on HI.
I don't think that Johnny was abusive (Celia's husband, right?- sorry, I had to return the book to the library and can't check.) I think he really just loved her, but didn't understand female society and why it was so hard for her.
I don't think the book was meant to be Skeeter's or Aibileen's book, but rather just show the process for them. It is deceptive, with it having the same name. However, Skeeter's book seemed set up very different.
I agree he was not abusive, but we were led to think that he was, until he actually entered the action, and we saw how nice he was and his love for Celia. It reminded me that when characters are narating you can't always trust what they say (Minny was biased in this way, I think) and you have to rely on the actions of the other characters to see who they really are.
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