Busy, Busy, Busy

So many books, so little time. But, I've made progress.

The Help, by Kathryn Stockton. This book has gotten great reviews. I don't get it. Maybe it's that I didn't grow up in the South. Maybe it's that the 60s are too far in the past for my mind to grasp. Maybe it's that I don't believe even the most vindictive person would do what one of the characters did. Either way, I found the plot relatively thin, often demanding a huge suspenseful buck, only to give a tiny little bang. Moreover, that the character would do what she did seemed completely inconsistent with the way she was described. I can't fathom that someone like her would do what it would take to carry out what she is described as doing.

To the extent it piqued my interest in the 60s and the relationship between black maids and the whites they worked for, it was good. But otherwise, the risk of the "secret project" seemed overblown. On the other hand, some of the worst parts of the life of a black maid were skimmed over. There was character growth, and some funny parts, but overall, I'm just missing the greatness of this book.

Daisy Miller, by Henry James. A quick short read, in which James, once again, explores the effect Americans and Europeans have on each other. Daisy breaks all the rules of proper European conduct for a wealthy, single woman, ignoring the snobbiness demanded of her. Yet, there is little redeeming about her. She is flighty and shallow and downright silly. Poor Daisy. It doesn't end well.

So what am I reading and listening to now???
Reading: Angels and Demons by Dan Brown. I am also reading Washington Square, by Henry James, the second book in the same volume as Daisy Miller. I put down Washington Square to try to get A&D done so that I can see the movie.


Listening to: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, by Junot Diaz. So far, pretty good. A little bit of history of the Dominican Republic, and a Dominican family that defies description. A little more than an hour to go.