Harper Lee (1926–2016)

Representation: Black and biracial (half Black and half white) characters
Trigger warnings: Assault mentioned, racism, sexism, racist and sexist slurs, gun and knife violence, animal death
Score: Two points out of ten.
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I didn't enjoy To Kill a Mockingbird at any point in the book. I saw this one circling my recommendations, making me want to read it. When I discovered my library had this, I immediately wanted to pick it up. Soon enough, it was time to read it, and I initially thought it would be enjoyable, but it wasn't.

Spoilers ahead. I've warned you.

It starts with the first people I see, Scout and Jem Finch, recounting their lives in a small town named Maycomb. Nothing much happens in the opening pages (actually the first 150 pages,) until a court case occurs involving a Black person being accused of assaulting a white person. To say To Kill a Mockingbird was disappointing only scratches the surface of how abhorrent it is. To Kill a Mockingbird portrays a white saviour narrative as the white lawyer, Atticus Finch, swoops in and solves racism for the Black character, Tom. That has to be one of the most unrealistic rendering of racism I've seen.

To Kill a Mockingbird ignores the fact that Black people and other minorities stood up for themselves to stop injustice and instead sends a message that only white people can stop racism for them. I would've liked the characters if they didn't play the white saviour. All I see is racism from the white perspective, and never hear from any of the Black characters. The last 100 pages weren't much better as all the characters in this fictional composition reflect on what happened, but not before one of them delivers a speech on colourblindness and how race doesn't matter and they are all only people.

To summarise, this piece of fiction from the author initially seemed promising, but when I closed its final page, I felt disgusted. You can read other books concerning discrimination like The Hate U Give instead of this.… (more)

Many seem to have read this when quite young - probably as a school text. I missed it back then but although I'm old now I felt at ease with this book's warm southern American tone - largely developed through the voice of Scout the narrator and assisted by occasional passages of gentle humour. A deliberate and cleverly constructed contrast to the intractable depth of prejudice and injustice in the USA (just as bad in Australia). The book is a beautifully sustained series of interconnected life-stories that peaked for me during the meeting of Aunt Alexandra's missionary circle where, 'the ladies were cool in fragile pastel prints: most of them heavily powdered but unrouged;...'

'His food doesn't stick going down does it?'
Miss Maudie said it. Two tight lines had appeared at he corners of her mouth. She had been sitting silently beside me, her coffee cup balanced on one knee...
'Maudie,, I'm sure I don't know what you mean,' said Mrs Merriweather.
'I'm sure you do,' said Miss Maudie shortly.
She said no more. When Miss Maudie was angry her brevity was icy.

… (more)