Yesterday I finished reading To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. You guys. I can't believe I had never read this book before! I've never heard somebody say they didn't like it, and now I know why. What a phenomenal novel. I don't really know where to start so I'ma just copy the blurb off the back of the book. (Usually, I'm against reading the back of a book, but this one is pretty good and especially vague on actual details so I'm down with it.)
"One of the best loved stories of all time, To Kill A Mockingbird has been translated into more than forty languages, sold more than forty million copies worldwide, served as the basis for an enormously popular motion picture, and was voted one of the best novels of the twentieth century by librarians across the country. A gripping, heart-wrenching, and wholly remarkable coming-of-age tale in a South poisoned by virulent prejudice, it views a world of great beauty and savage inequities through the eyes of a young girl, as her father--a crusading local lawyer--risks everything to defend a black man unjustly accused of a terrible crime."
I would highly recommend this book. I couldn't put it down. The way Harper Lee tied this story together from beginning to end was masterful. I laughed. I cried. I got angry. I was touched. Her characters were all convincingly believable. I could relate to Scout's Southern upbringing. I loved the relationship the children had with their father Atticus and the wisdom Atticus imparted to his children. And I was so impressed with how Lee brought everything together at the end of the story. There were times throughout the book that I wondered why this was such a central part of the plot when it seemingly had nothing to do with that obviously bigger aspect, but at the end, it all was wrapped up into one beautiful package of a novel.
If you've never read To Kill A Mockingbird, you're missing out. I would advise that if you're younger than...14 maybe?...or if you're a parent and want your child to read it, that you be deliberate about discussing the book together as it deals with some pretty tough issues and uses terms typical of the 1930s that are not acceptable today. I mean, the book is about the prejudices between white people and black people: do the math there. But having said that, I would encourage any parents to read this book with their children when said children are at an age to have some of those difficult conversations as I think it would create a wonderful opportunity to open up some lines of communication for those hard topics.
Now, having given my little recap and recommendation, I have a question. Has anyone read the sequel that was recently released and should I read it? I've heard a lot of mixed reviews, and having finally read To Kill A Mockingbird, I can understand the apprehension. I would hate to have any of the characters tainted in any way, particularly Atticus. I'm intrigued to follow up with these characters 20 years later (I think that's when Go Set A Watchman is set), but if they're all bitter and don't have healthy relationships with one another, I might just want to leave it well enough alone. Thoughts?
"One of the best loved stories of all time, To Kill A Mockingbird has been translated into more than forty languages, sold more than forty million copies worldwide, served as the basis for an enormously popular motion picture, and was voted one of the best novels of the twentieth century by librarians across the country. A gripping, heart-wrenching, and wholly remarkable coming-of-age tale in a South poisoned by virulent prejudice, it views a world of great beauty and savage inequities through the eyes of a young girl, as her father--a crusading local lawyer--risks everything to defend a black man unjustly accused of a terrible crime."
I would highly recommend this book. I couldn't put it down. The way Harper Lee tied this story together from beginning to end was masterful. I laughed. I cried. I got angry. I was touched. Her characters were all convincingly believable. I could relate to Scout's Southern upbringing. I loved the relationship the children had with their father Atticus and the wisdom Atticus imparted to his children. And I was so impressed with how Lee brought everything together at the end of the story. There were times throughout the book that I wondered why this was such a central part of the plot when it seemingly had nothing to do with that obviously bigger aspect, but at the end, it all was wrapped up into one beautiful package of a novel.
If you've never read To Kill A Mockingbird, you're missing out. I would advise that if you're younger than...14 maybe?...or if you're a parent and want your child to read it, that you be deliberate about discussing the book together as it deals with some pretty tough issues and uses terms typical of the 1930s that are not acceptable today. I mean, the book is about the prejudices between white people and black people: do the math there. But having said that, I would encourage any parents to read this book with their children when said children are at an age to have some of those difficult conversations as I think it would create a wonderful opportunity to open up some lines of communication for those hard topics.
Now, having given my little recap and recommendation, I have a question. Has anyone read the sequel that was recently released and should I read it? I've heard a lot of mixed reviews, and having finally read To Kill A Mockingbird, I can understand the apprehension. I would hate to have any of the characters tainted in any way, particularly Atticus. I'm intrigued to follow up with these characters 20 years later (I think that's when Go Set A Watchman is set), but if they're all bitter and don't have healthy relationships with one another, I might just want to leave it well enough alone. Thoughts?
