The Help - Kathryn Stockett

I first heard of The Help when the film adaptation was made in 2011. Although I hadn't seen the film, I had heard amazing things about it, and when I saw that my sister was reading the book, I couldn't wait for her to finish so I could get my hands on it.

The Help is set in Jackson, Mississippi, and centers around three main characters, Aibileen Clark, Minnie Jackson and Skeeter Phelan. Aibileen and Minnie are black maids, working in white households, whilst Skeeter is a white university graduate living on her parents plantation.
The book focuses on the interactions between the employers and 'The Help' as well as the various relationships of Aibileen, Minnie and Skeeter. The plot also concentrates on Skeeter, and a book of testimonials from the maids that she is writing.

I really enjoyed the book, and thought it was really well written. Stockett wrote alternating chapters in each protagonist's voice, and I felt that she got the dialect and accents of each character spot on. The storyline was really compelling, and I was sad to finish reading. Aibileen is my favourite character, as she is wise and sensible, however I also love Minnie, who is sassy and funny. Skeeter is an interesting character, as she began the story much like her rich white friends, who had no idea what life was like for their maids, however through her friendships with Aibileen and Minnie, and writing her book, Skeeter begins to understand the hard and often horrible life of black people in the 1960's.

The story really made me think, and I can't wait to watch the film and see if it is as good as the book.

Sunday Post - Graduation

I recently graduated from the University of Liverpool with a 2:1, and I thought I'd do a quick post about it. I had a really nice day despite the very hot weather, and it was good for my family to come up and see me graduate. I spent three years at Liverpool studying History and Ancient History, and I loved the course. Liverpool is such a vibrant and amazing city and I couldn't imagine spending my time anywhere else! Although it is a relief to finish studying and come back to London where my heart is, I'll miss Liverpool and I will definitely miss the student lifestyle!

Norwegian Wood - Haruki Murakami

Haruki Murakami is an author I am somewhat familiar with after reading his strange and captivating Kafka on the Shore. So, after receiving Norwegian Wood (named after the Beatles song) as a gift from my Dad, I had good expectations and I was not disappointed.

Norwegian Wood is set in 1960's Japan (mainly Tokyo), and follows the life of student Toru Watanabe. Essentially a love story, Toru must choose between his first love, the sad Naoko, or his new love, quirky Midori. Toru's decision is made harder by the fact that he feels responsible for Naoko's well-being, as she was the girlfriend of his best friend Kizuki, who killed himself when he was seventeen.

The story is first-person, from Toru's point of view. He is an interesting character, who is compared to Holden Caulfield (Catcher in the Rye) by other characters within the story. Initially, his life seems to revolve around Naoko, with whom he feels a strong connection to as neither have really got over the death of Kizuki. Naoko is sent to a sanatorium by her parents after showing no signs of recovering from the shock of her boyfriends death, and is befriended by Reiko, another patient. After visiting Naoko, Toru and Reiko soon become friends, and eventually Reiko becomes a helpful 'middle man' between the couple. Toru and Naoko have a complicated relationship, and become pseudo-lovers. However, Toru's feelings begin to change when he meets Midori in a cafe one day. Midori, is a breath of fresh air compared to Naoko. She is loud and crass and brings out a different side in Toru. I won't spoil the ending, but I would say that I was happy with the outcome!

Murakami's writing style is simple but humorous, and his descriptions of life as a love-struck student in 1960's Tokyo really transport the reader to Japan. I was able to visualise everywhere he described, and whenever Toru ate (which was depicted in some detail), I felt the need to go out for sushi. I liked the character Toru, and found myself unsure of which couple (Toru and Naoko or Toru and Midori) I was rooting for.

Although not exactly a page turner, Norwegian Wood ticked along nicely, and I enjoyed it. It was an easy read, but took me quite a while to get through, as the story was quite slow relaxed. Although not as unusual and surreal as Kafka on the Shore, Norwegian Wood has definitely affirmed my love for Japanese novels, and I plan on reading (and reviewing) more soon.

The Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett

After watching Channel 4's dramatisation of Ken Follett's novel World Without End, I decided to read its prequel The Pillars of the Earth after coming across it in a charity shop. Set in the fictional village of Kingsbridge during 'the Anarchy' (a civil war in England and France), The Pillars of the Earth, follows the turbulent lives of the villagers, and the changes to England in the mid-twelfth century. There are a number of central characters including a dedicated monk Prior Phillip, who dreams of transforming Kingsbridge by having a cathedral built; William Hamleigh, a spoilt earl controlled by his mother Regan; Jack, son of the mysterious Ellen and step-son to Tom, the builder of Phillip's new cathedral; and the beautiful Aliena, daughter of the deposed Earl Bartholomew. 

The story centers around the building of a new cathedral in Kingsbridge and throughout the book we get an insight into many of the characters personal feelings about the building of the cathedral, and their various relationships with each other. The characters relay their thoughts and actions through an alternating subjective narration. The narrative switches and we read different characters 'sections' throughout, which are not split rigidly into chapters. This allows the reader to fully understand multiple characters' emotions in certain scenes, and also means that we don't have to read a full chapter to know what is happening elsewhere in the story - for example, in 'A Song of Ice and Fire' series the reader could go through a whole book without finding out what happened to Jon Snow (it was a worrying few weeks...), whereas in The Pillars of the Earth we are never left wondering for long. The reader is able to fully understand the motives of the various narrators and this enables us to develop relationships with characters and root for favourites. 

My favourite character was Aliena, a strong female lead. She defies the stereotype of a weak and helpless maiden, and her character develops into a independent and self-reliant woman. I also enjoyed reading Prior Phillip's sections. His narrative give a great insight into life in a monastery in Medieval England - it's a lot more interesting than it sounds! 

The story has everything, from romance to murder, and is compelling throughout. For those of you who love history, this book is definitely for you, but for any non-history fans out there, I would still recommend The Pillars of the Earth, just for Follett's story-telling ability and writing style, which is amazing. I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel, World Without End, which is set in Kingsbridge 157 years later.