English (To Kill a Mockingbird) / Italiano

«When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow»

Alabama. Early 1930s. The Great Depression. Maycomb, an imaginary town. Tom Robinson (black), falsely accused rapist. Atticus (white), lawyer instructed to represent him. Scout and Jem (white), sons of Atticus. Dill (white), friend of Jem and Scout. Calpurnia (black), maid from Atticus house. Arthur "Boo" Radley (white), mysterious neighbour. Mayella Ewell (white), victim of a sexual assault. Bob Ewell (white), father of Mayella. Take all the elements listed above, add racism, ignorance, humanity, mix them up and you get the masterpiece of Harper Lee.

Sponsored even by the former president of USA Barack Obama, the message of the novel gets loud and clear: do the right thing, bravely, at all costs.

Vote: 9

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«Jem, mio fratello, aveva quasi tredici anni all’epoca in cui si ruppe malamente il gomito sinistro»

Alabama. Inizio anni 30. Grande depressione. Maycomb, cittadina immaginaria. Tom Robinson, nero, accusato ingiustamente di stupro. Atticus, bianco, avvocato incaricato di difenderlo. Scout e Jem, bianchi, figli di Atticus. Dill, bianco, amico di Jem e Scout. Calpurnia, nera, domestica al servizio di Atticus. Arthur "Boo" Radley, misterioso vicino di casa. Mayella Ewell, bianca, vittima di stupro. Bob Ewell, bianco, padre di Mayella. Prendete tutti gli elementi elencati, aggiungete il razzismo di alcuni, l'ignoranza di altri, l'umanità di altri ancora, mescolate tutto ed otterrete il capolavoro di Harper Lee.

Sponsorizzato finanche dall' ex-presidente degli USA Barack Obama, il messaggio del romanzo arriva forte e chiaro: fai la cosa giusta, a qualunque costo, con coraggio.

Voto: 9

A wonderful piece of literature, great characters, plot and prose. There is sadness and happiness, racism and equality, immaturity and maturity, injustice and redemption.
Atticus is a man we could all love and look up to a grounded just and fair man he sees beyond race and finds the goodness in people. His cook Calpurnia Is honest good black lady who you just gotta love in this story, she works for a nice family who are about to go through some obstacles and testing times.
A lot of the story is told through a young girl and is enjoyable to see things from a young perspective for example this excerpt...
"There was a man Dill had heard of who had a boat that he rowed across to a foggy island where all these babies were; you could order one— “That’s a lie. Aunty said God drops ‘em down the chimney. At least that’s what I think she said.” For once, Aunty’s diction had not been too clear.

"You know the truth, and the truth is this: some Negroes lie, some Negroes are immoral, some Negro men are not to be trusted around women—black or white. But this is a truth that applies to the human race and to no particular race of men."

“Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.”

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Some trivia about the book and movie...
Finch was writer Harper Lee's mother's maiden name.
Despite the novel winning the Pulitzer Prize, the studios were not interested in buying up the film rights as they deemed it lacking in action, there was no love story and the villain doesn't get a big comeuppance. Producer Alan J. Pakula disagreed however and persuaded director Robert Mulligan that it would make a good film. Together they were able to convince Gregory Peck who readily agreed.

Truman Capote, who grew up with Harper Lee, also knew the inspiration for "Boo" Radley, and had planned to base a character on him in one of his short stories. After seeing how well the character was realized in Lee's novel, however, he decided against it.

Some images..


Harper Lee on the right.












http://more2read.com/?review=to-kill-a-mockingbird-by-harper-lee

The concept of the one hit wonder is well known in pop music – who can forget such timeless classics as "Sugar Sugar" by The Archies, or "99 Balloons" by Nena, "Who Let the Dogs Out" by the Baha Men or, indeed, "Kung Fu Fighting" by Carl Douglas. ("They were chopping them up/They were chopping them down!")

But you can believe that all these people released a bunch of other singles. It’s just that the public didn’t buy them so they only got one large hit and nothing else ever.

The one hit wonder in literature is a much purer concept than that though. It’s when an author writes an acknowledged timeless classic novel beloved by millions and then writes no other novel at all. No follow up. Nothing.

Looking at all my favourite novels I found ten which could be described as one hit wonders. But the definition is a little tricky.

For instance, I include The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte and A Death in the Family by James Agee. But I’m not happy with those because the authors died before they could even get to think about a follow up. In fact James Agee died before his novel was published.

Then, I have Love me Back by Merritt Tierce, Problems by Jade Sharma and Fourth of July Creek by Smith Henderson. Okay, they are not yet timeless classics beloved by millions, but they should be soon. Give them another 50 years or so. They’re already beloved by me! But they can’t be included either because they’re these authors’ first novels, so even as I type, they’re all probably working on their second one. So delete those. That leaves four.

Caleb Williams by William Godwin
-tAn example of a guy who had so many irons in the fire, he just never got round to writing another novel. I do admit this one is probably not beloved by millions, but it is a timeless classic. A very early thriller (1794)

Diary of a Nobody by George and Weedon Grossmith
-tYou might have thought they would try a second novel because this was as big a hit as "Who Let the Dogs Out" easily.

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
-tHe was a vastly successful playwright and then he got into a spot of bother & probably didn’t have the time or inclination after that

& so finally for me the greatest literary one hit wonder (no surprise) is To Kill a Mockingbird. It irritated me to death when Go Set a Watchman was issued in 2015 in a blatant and successful attempt to cash in while Harper Lee herself was not in a position to object. If she’d thought it should have been published she had 55 years to make that decision and didn’t. Anyway, Wikipedia says Go Set a Watchman is “widely accepted as being a first draft” of To Kill a Mockingbird so therefore I say it doesn’t count.

If your own favourite one hit wonder does not appear in this list, say for instance A Confederacy of Dunces or Catcher in the Rye that's because I hate those ones. And I haven't read Gone With the Wind yet.

I can't quite remember how many times I have read this Pulitzer prize winning, coming of age, Southern American classic novel, I first read this most loved of books at school and I think this is the fifth of my readings in these most anxious of times. The novel spawned the unforgettable award winning film starring Gregory Peck playing the unforgettable role of the most iconic lawyer of all time, the compassionate Atticus Finch. I think there cannot be many who are unaware of this timeless, emotionally compelling story and its characters, it is embedded so deeply in our cultural history, life and memories. Set amidst the harsh realities of 1930s Alabama in the small town of Maycomb, it touches on the most universal of themes of race, class, gender, inequality, injustice, hypocrisy, cruelty, hate, courage, the power of kindness, family and innocence, seen through the eyes of the young Scout (Jean Louise) and her brother, Jem, the children of Atticus.

This novel still inspires wonder, with its message of it being a sin to kill a mockingbird, it was a joy to re-encounter Boo Radley, Calpurnia and Tom Robinson et al, my love for it remains strong and undiminished, it is still one of my all time favourites, and I can see future generations loving it as much as me. Many thanks to Random House Cornerstone who are publishing a special edition.

Prevarication
To Kill a Mockingbird is Harper Lee’s masterpiece that many (including me) consider one of the best books ever written. From its poignant narrative and tapestry of unforgettable characters to its timeless themes, this novel stands as a beacon of literary excellence, earning a solid 5-star rating.

“Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin To Kill a Mockingbird.”

Harper Lee's skill is evident from the first page, drawing readers into the small Southern town of Maycomb, Alabama, with vivid imagery of a time when racial discrimination was systemic and malicious. Through the eyes of six-year-old Scout Finch, her older brother Jem, and her friend Dill, we witness the unfolding drama of her lawyer-father, Atticus Finch, defending a black man on the charge of raping a white woman. Lee's ability to tackle weighty issues of racial animosity with grace and sensitivity is remarkable. Leveraging these issues into a child’s growing inquisitiveness and innocent perceptions, it drives home the magnitude of racial injustice, moral courage, and the complexities of human nature.

One of the novel's greatest strengths lies in its characters, from the noble Atticus Finch, whose unwavering commitment to justice serves as a guiding light, to the cruel, bigoted and compassionless Bob Ewell, who would kill a mockingbird, to the enigmatic Boo Radley, whose quiet presence speaks volumes. Each character is crafted with depth and nuance. It's impossible not to become emotionally invested in their journey, rooting for them through every triumph and tribulation. I read somewhere that the discussions between Harper Lee and her publisher caused multiple changes to the POV approach. Scout's first-person narrative was brilliant and perfect for creating a personal view of a growing recognition of societal prejudices.

Perhaps what makes To Kill a Mockingbird truly timeless is its exploration of universal truths. Through the lens of racial prejudice and social injustice, Lee delves into the essence of humanity itself, challenging readers to confront their own beliefs and biases. The novel's message of empathy, compassion, and standing up for what is right resonates just as powerfully today as it did upon its initial publication. Nowhere do we expect equality more than in a courtroom where the laws of the land both defend and hold to account, every defendant and prosecutor.

“The one place where a man ought to get a square deal is in a courtroom, be he any colour of the rainbow, but people have a way of carrying their resentments right into a jury box.”

In addition to its thematic richness, Lee's prose is elegant yet accessible, drawing readers into the story's heart effortlessly. Her keen eye for detail breathes life into every scene, transporting us to a bygone era with remarkable clarity.

There is a reason To Kill a Mockingbird appears on many 100 best book lists of all time because it is one of the best novels of all time. Its powerful message, unforgettable characters, and storytelling prowess make it a truly unforgettable read. I would highly recommend reading this book; whether you're revisiting Atticus and Scout for the umpteenth time or experiencing it for the first time, this novel is sure to leave a lasting impression.

"Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing."

To be honest, reading the first part of this book felt a bit strange - seemed like it was moving a little slow - while not making it clear in which way the story is being steered. But, one will not feel like stop reading it because of style of narration, the implied mystery in certain areas, and the wonderful memories of protagonist and his brother.

"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view -"

But then things get much momentum, and keep on until the end. Aside from the obvious entertaining events of the story - namely the realities and hardships of racism - the author has succeeded in expressing the correct morals a person is supposed to have, through the dispositions of the main characters, empathy being the main one in my opinion. Loved the book and will definitely re-read this in years to come.

"The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience."

"It's never an insult to be called what somebody thinks is a bad name. It just shows you how poor that person is, it doesn't hurt you."

Firstly this entire book is stated from the perspective of a child so I am amazed at the creation! I am speechless, honestly!
Anybody who is about to read this review, I promise you, you will derive more wisdom about life from this novel than you may have ever been taught you entire life so don’t let the superfluous, flowery praises for the book appear as mere mention of a genius’ creation. No! This book makes you look inside yourself and ask if you have quite learnt to deal with life as nobly as you will come to appreciate it amongst certain characters in the book!

Once in a while a book comes along as a paintbrush and you are the canvas it had been seeking for quite sometime….in this event, as the artist and the platform collide, it is perfection happening. This perfection begins to materialise and exist in space from then on and is an eternal entity thereafter….

So, Harper Lee’s creation selected me as its perfect canvas and in this mental space of me, it denied the presence of the other canvases it had selected before. The perfection of the art it sketched over my berth has strengthened to immortality and there is literally no other way to describe it! Even “masterpiece” is too disqualified a description here and this is no masterpiece—this is a painting :) over a headspace of a quiet Indian!

But this paintbrush took the liberty of coming into my canvas for a bigger reason I believe—it was seeking to offer me a light to travel through the darkness of the world! Because that is the ultimate residual whisper the brush left me with—“I came to show you the way in through this worldly mess!”



Lessons and little statements of pure wisdom that will live with me till I cease to exist:

1. People in their right minds never take pride in their talents.

2. At the beginning of chapter 25, Scout is playing with a roly-poly bug on the porch, and Jem intervenes before she can squash the harmless bug. When Scout asks why she cannot smash the bug, Jem replies, "Because they don't bother you.”

I gave it a lot of thought and realised insects don’t mean to hurt us. They merely exist and only mosquitoes and cockroaches bother us because of what they do. However, I find it verrrrry challenging to go by this line when it comes to certain insects!

But it definitely holds so much wisdom for our ways in the world.

3. “Closed doors meant illness and cold weather only”

4. ”You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view - until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."

5. Atticus said that it was a polite thing to talk to talk to people about what they were interested in, not about what you were interested in.

6. Atticus once hung around a conversation with Uncle Jack, stating his concerns around the townsfolk behaviour his kids would inavariably invite as a result of his law duty towards Tom Robinson. That night Uncle Jack stated these words to Uncle Jack when nobody was inside the room:

“Right. But do you think I could face my children otherwise? You know what’s going to happen as well as I do, Jack, and I hope and pray I can get Jem and Scout through it without bitterness, and most of all, without catching Maycomb’s usual disease. Why reasonable people go stark raving mad when anything involving a Negro comes up, is something I don’t pretend to understand…..I just hope that Jem and Scout come to me for their answers instead of listening to the town. I hope they trust me enough…..”

This helped remind me of a time when my own father scolded me very bad for wanting to learn figure skating against medicine (it was something I badly wanted to do in this lifetime but the time, resources and availability for the same were scarce). So my pursuit of something so far-fetched had infuriated father. Years later, one day, I discovered out of a relative that my father had secretly been asking her about ways to access figure skating grounds abroad (in colder countries I mean). This made me acutely aware of the fact that parents always want your best, only wish for your best and nothing else. So, thank you to the writer of this book!

7. Atticus taught me the importance of not going around defending myself simply because people failed to notice my contribution anywhere. He says, “…..you just hold your head high and see those fists down.” My own father said something very similar recently——“When you boss yells at you for an honest, unintended mistake, you just hold your head high and swallow the words like taking one of the most bitter medicines available around—Quinine, for Malaria, responding (not reacting), “I will be learn madam.” I became aware of similar things father had often told me in the past that I hadn’t followed back then as a child. He said that just because somebody tried offending you, it doesn’t mean you alter your ways and hurt them back. Atticus and my father have such similar traits!

8. One mesmerising lesson I learnt in page 251—> This is where Jem and Scout, Atticus’ children discover in absolute clarity the truth—that even when the people in their kith and kin fought around who was superior in literacy and who wasn’t, even if they rejoiced in their veritable, prideful airs of being a Flinch tribe, they really were all just mere folks in the world. Just people. As in all are equal. So, if they were all real the same——that is merely people—why couldn’t they just get along with each other?

9. It is not okay to hate anybody. According to Atticus—“you never really understand people until you consider things from his point of view…..until you climb into his skin, and walk around it.” So both ultimately mean the same almost!


(These are only some of all)

This part of the novel caused me to pause and stare at the page for a full minute. I have NEVER EVER READ any fiction novel touch upon eternal truths of this kind! Never!


So the book came to be a surprise teacher in my journey of life. There is so much I learnt from the novel and incorporate everyday in my life now every moment.



Another take….

So many times... so many times I found myself laughing I can barely count by now. Two kids plodding into their father, Atticus’ business over and over again, not once, not twice, but 100s of times, mostly for reasons well-meaning from the point of view of a child but  bunching, in the process, entire loads of chaos or order (yes! Order!) into the adult gatherings, or solitary adult lives (Boo Radley’s) they were trespassing in. Along every bump that they stumbled across, they gradually discover traits of gold within Atticus, their father, and quietly discovered, despite the reproaches and commands, a genuinely honourable human who relentlessly taught his children the importance of living in quiet dignity, of nodding past venomous comments from townsfolk over a man’s undying support and humanism for black-coloured people.

I couldnot contain myself in many places of humour throughout the novel:

---> Sending blood-hounds to locate furniture
—-> damn-ham
——>a name synonymous with ‘Jackass’
—->….ear trumpet so enormous that Jem declared it was a loudspeaker from one of those dog Victrolas
——> There was a part about Scout dressing up as a “Pork”….I just read that part and I started laughing in the middle of so much work!


There are some which are soooo good in inducing laughter that I fear I will be giving too much away if I post them. I laughed so much in the recollection of them yesterday that my parents thought I had lost it! I Suddenly became acutely aware then that in life, nothing really needs to be right, you can just laugh through and through! Laugh at the mayhem! (That is a irrelevant to the story but it just struck me)


There was one lady in the book whom I wanted to punch really hard for her nasty remarks. She was by the name Mrs. Dubose. Ohh! Reading her part made all hell break lose in me, I so would have punched her straight through the pages. But the discovery of her underlying mental illness robbed me of this craze and made me aware of the volumes of odd pleasure I derived in the await of justice when the storms heralded her nastiness. 


The reason I mentioned the last paragraph was to provide a peep into one of the finest character-creation I have ever come by from any author around.  I repeat I would have absolutely punched this woman if I were Jem. 



A glimpse into the mastery of English literature that is nowhere discontinuous:

“Buzzed with talk, none of which was complementary”

“But her death caused hardly a ripple”

“…..contributing to the aberrations of nature.”

“Felt extremely noble for having remembered and remained noble for 3 weeks”

“Mr. Tate blinked again, as if something had suddenly been made plain to him.”

“Nothing is more deadly than a deserted waiting street.”

Mrs. Merriweather states: ‘Maudie, I am sure I don’t know what you mean. ,’ said Mrs. Merryweather.
‘I’m sure you do,’ Miss Maudie said shortly.
She said no more. When Mrs. Maudie was angry, her brevity was icy.

Its windows were merely open spaces in the walls, which in the summertime were covered with greasy strips of cheese cloth to keep out the varmints that feasted on Maycomb’s refuse.

The varmints had a lean time of it, for the Ewells gave the dump a thorough gleaning everyday, and the fruits of their industry (those that were not eaten) made the plot of ground around the cabin look like the playhouse of an insane child: what passed for a fence was bits of treelimbs, broomsticks, and tool shafts, all tipped with rusty hammer-heads, snuggle-toothed rake heads, shovels, axes and grubbing hoes, held on with pieces of barbed wire.




At a point in my reading of the novel, I very interestingly aligned with Scout, the 6-year old girl of Atticus, who was peeping into Atticus’ business.
Let me frame it well…..
At about ten o'clock, Jem, accompanied by Scout and Dill, sneaks out of the house and follows his father to the town center. From a distance, they see Atticus sitting in front of the Maycomb jail, reading a newspaper. Jem suggests that they not disturb Atticus and return home…

I recall myself sneaking into my father’s clinic, peeping into his business through the door adjacent to his main work-room at precisely the same time I was at this page of the book. I had come to read the novel next to him in his clinic! I see so many traits of Atticus in my own father. Harper helped me recognise so much more about my own father. I am so proud of him honestly!


Also, the paintbrush splashed colours, many many many layers in order to depict one undeniable truth—the truth of irrationality and human stupidity. Humans in this painting spoke things like this—> “around here, once you have a drop of Negro blood, that makes you all black!”

For the first time ever, I began glimpsing for real the sad plight of black discrimination that existed in parts of the western world, the true colours of this irrationality hitting me with the force of an anvil. It has been something I read about, discuss with my father sometimes but to sink to its bottom, to live a portion of their lives, makes me acutely aware of how foolish the world is!

Einstein’s words——“Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe”——is breaking past all doorways of doubt this time.


Honestly, I am appalled not merely by the writing but by the throes of human prejudice and its ever-escalating degrees in the world as revealed in the book! No wonder some people choose to become sages!

So you will learn about what happened to Tom Robinson and when you do, if you are deeply contemplative, you might want to question if this person ever existed. This is what Google provides—> The origin of Tom Robinson is less clear, although many have speculated that his character was inspired by several models. When Lee was 10 years old, a white woman near Monroeville accused a black man named Walter Lett of raping her.

However, maybe the case, the truth remains unshakable.
The more I reflect on how their world judged/judges black people and mouthed the plight of Tom Robinson, the more I realise it is only delusion that we are living with. All of it! Delusions multiple-layered, deca-layered covering what nobody knew by direct experience with a human…. I considered how slander works in the community. It does the exact same way!
And even if I hold the whole story back, I will allow you to glean into a fractal of this delusion in law from this story of someone I know:

Someone very dear to me who stays in Arizona was stripped off his hard-earned designation as a doctor simply because some infamous pictures had found their way into his computer. He once told me in an exchange where I had stated that I was a writer at heart, “For me it has always been to be a doctor.” But by then, his degree had been severed for good. All law efforts had failed to restore it back in place.

You know what, this cousin of mine is one the most innocent persons I have ever come by. I know for certain he never carried infamous things, that it was mere bad luck of internet or someone else’s ploy, or a virus or something. And look at what happened!

You will be appalled by the messiness of law in Maycomb, very similar to what you read above. Sadly this is precisely how law functions in most of the world.


When you believe in a slander, even if it is from a dear person, you have leapt into a delusion of your own (This I learnt overarchingly from this novel)…
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If only I could meet Harper Lee once to tell her how much she changed my life….

If there is one person in any book who resembles my father completely, it has to be Atticus! I can’t believe a writer I never met did that!!

Humbled, that’s what I am—about someone’s creation, about what I learnt about someone I deeply honour, and love from my own life—my father, about life, about black people’s pain, and mostly about not knowing so much about the world! Mostly, I understood the importance of family while also making use of your own brains to question things in a family that don’t stand as healthy.

As I shut this book and recollect the streams of images it created in me, I smile at the memory! It’s so beautiful a keepsake!

I will remember this book for good! I was crying very hard at the last page-not because it was sad but because it was ending!
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A short, important, and powerful classic that deserved all its fame.

This will be a short review, there’s nothing else I can talk about here that hasn’t been discussed for the past 50 years and more.

Racism, prejudice, rape, false accusation of rape, all of these are abhorrent and really should have never existed in the first place within our world and society. However, it does. I find it insanely sad that even though this book was published more than 50 years ago, has also been used as an educational book for countless young students and even with countless histories to learn from, it seems that some human will never ever learn from hem and the main problems depicted in this book is still very evident in our time.

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“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.”

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I’ll be honest, I didn’t understand how important the message this book tried to give when I was a kid; it bored the crap out of me and I didn’t make it to the exceptional court scene. Maybe same as the main character in this book, I didn’t truly understand the gravity of the situation yet when I was young. Now though? Let’s just say I realized why this book became one of the most highly famous and well-received classics.

One last thing, Atticus Finch is truly a role model to aspire to, as a father, a lawyer, and most of all, a human being; truly a well-written protagonist.

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“They're certainly entitled to think that, and they're entitled to full respect for their opinions... but before I can live with other folks I've got to live with myself. The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience.”

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If it wasn’t for some part in the first half that bored me, this would’ve received a 5 stars. But if we’re speaking about the message to be taken from this book? this was without a doubt an important and wonderful short read.

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“Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing.”

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Amazing job on writing this book, Harper Lee. May you rest in peace.

You can find the rest of my Adult Epic/High Fantasy & Sci-Fi reviews at BookNest

This is one book that I think is more relevant today than when it was first published.

I love how Scout is adamant about who she is. Others keep trying to tell her who to be, what it is to be a female. However, she wants to play, get dirty, run around with her brother. She couldn't care less about wearing dresses and sitting perfectly upright in a chair with knees pressed together in shoes you can't walk in.

Incredible to imagine that this was published before the internet.

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MartCaptain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Berniere
AprtWar and Peace
MaytThe Woman in White
JuntAtonement
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I loved the movie and of course the book as well. My favorite is Scout, she is just one cool little kid. Scout and Jem's friend Dill is a hoot!

I really hated what happened to Tom in this book, but that is the way of nasty men and people in this world. I'm glad Mr. Ewell got what was coming to him.





I love Calpurnia and all of the ladies on the street. The stories of the kids and Boo Radley was great, but I liked in the movie better when they finally got to meet him. It seems like there was more to it in the movie, but maybe that is just me. I do wish they would have maybe did a short chapter on how they became friends and visited with one another after the night in the woods. I also wish Scout could have visited Calpurnia's home.

But overall I liked it a lot!

Happy Reading!

Mel

This rates possibly as my favorite novel. It has no down side. Wonderfully written, amazing characters (based on reality), and marvelously readable.

A side issue, I can at times hate preachy, self righteous, or PC books. This book carries it’s moral compass proudly and does it well. Atticus Finch, is in many ways the man I wish I was.

I love this book and could not tell you how many times I’ve read it. Don't miss this book...for whatever reason. This is THE AMERICAN NOVEL.


Update: 5/30/2012

Read and reread this novel succeeds and needs to be recommended on so many levels that it's hard to limit anything said in specifics to a manageable size for a review. Above I simply said great, don't miss it.

From the relationship of child to child to the relationship of child to father this is a stunning read. Of course the matters of racial hate will be front and center to any reader who picks the novel up. It gives a look at the world as it was in America not so very long ago. It gives us a picture of those who actually do view all people as equals and how this inspires hostility, anger, acrimony and (as noted) hatred from the people too weak, stupid and ignorant to understand this.

Scout's experience in school reminds me a bit of the way school was when I began. I grew up on a farm and we had for a long time very little money, yet still it wasn't like the depression. This book is great on so many levels it must rank as one of the best even greatest novels of all time.

Again I recommend, don't miss it, revel in it. Take time to absorb it, experience it. Five stars + and the highest recommendation I can give.

Our June classics book! Discussion on the blog Friday 6/26, in preparation for the sequel releasing in July.

My re-read is on audio, with Sissy Spacek as narrator.