1AbigailAdams26
Today is the birthday of American novelist Harper Lee. Her bestselling classic, To Kill a Mockingbird, was awarded the 1961 Pulitzer Prize, and was made into an Academy Award-winning film. Have you read "Mockingbird," or Lee's long-anticipated follow-up, Go Set a Watchman?
2ljbryant
>1 AbigailAdams26: I've read, and loved, both, but it has been many years since my last read. I reread To Kill a Mockingbird when Go Set a Watchman came out a bit over a decade ago so that I could have a better comparison while reading.
Unpopular opinion, but I think that Go Set a Watchman made To Kill a Mockingbird an even better novel. Scout's father was shown to not be the saint that Scout thought he was growing up - just a flawed but good man, doing the best he could, with the cultural indoctrination he was subjected to. The fact that he didn't pass his prejudices on to Scout, to a degree that she didn't even notice them until she was older, was such a powerful statement. It's even more impressive given that Go Set a Watchman was written first. I don't know if this was Harper Lee's intent -- she may have shown Atticus as racist because everyone was, then removed that element when asked to write the story from the perspective of a young girl -- but that's still the message I got. I loved it.
Unpopular opinion, but I think that Go Set a Watchman made To Kill a Mockingbird an even better novel. Scout's father was shown to not be the saint that Scout thought he was growing up - just a flawed but good man, doing the best he could, with the cultural indoctrination he was subjected to. The fact that he didn't pass his prejudices on to Scout, to a degree that she didn't even notice them until she was older, was such a powerful statement. It's even more impressive given that Go Set a Watchman was written first. I don't know if this was Harper Lee's intent -- she may have shown Atticus as racist because everyone was, then removed that element when asked to write the story from the perspective of a young girl -- but that's still the message I got. I loved it.
3Cecrow
>2 ljbryant: my impression was that 'Go Set a Watchman' was the original novel she tried to have published. The editor/publisher suggested the real story she should delve into was in the past, the court case that's referred to. Lee went away and wrote 'To Kill a Mockingbird'.
Critically 'Watchman' has been savaged, but I found it worthwhile, both from knowing the above and from seeing how Lee imagined things would turn out. It could be read as a sequel, but was never conceived as such. It could also be viewed as a kind of 'alternative universe', which might make some readers more comfortable with it who don't want to reconcile the two.
Critically 'Watchman' has been savaged, but I found it worthwhile, both from knowing the above and from seeing how Lee imagined things would turn out. It could be read as a sequel, but was never conceived as such. It could also be viewed as a kind of 'alternative universe', which might make some readers more comfortable with it who don't want to reconcile the two.
4ljbryant
>3 Cecrow: That was my understanding as well. Go Set a Watchman was the first book offered for publishing, the publishing house wanted the original story and not the "story of a story", so she wrote To Kill a Mockingbird.
I preferred to view it as a sequel. As I said, I found the story to be very powerful, and compelling, in that fashion. It had the added component of how children idolize their parents, and how things we believed were true simply aren't. I thought the two books together were better than either as a standalone novel. But, I do think I'm in the minority :-)
I preferred to view it as a sequel. As I said, I found the story to be very powerful, and compelling, in that fashion. It had the added component of how children idolize their parents, and how things we believed were true simply aren't. I thought the two books together were better than either as a standalone novel. But, I do think I'm in the minority :-)
5GrammyTammyM
I watched the movie though I haven't read any of her books.
6Nightmusic
They're still trying to ban your book which tells me you did something so very right.
Thank you.
Thank you.
7BookConcierge
I've read TKAM at least 20 times since I first read it as a freshman in high school, when it was a relatively new book. It's my favorite book of all time. Each time I read it I notice something new.
I've read Go Set a Watchman, and thought it paled in comparison, though I could see the writer Lee would become.
And I've seen the movie several times, including when it was first released in movie theaters.
I've read Go Set a Watchman, and thought it paled in comparison, though I could see the writer Lee would become.
And I've seen the movie several times, including when it was first released in movie theaters.
8featherbear
For what it's worth, Amazon is pricing the Kindle edition of To Kill a Mockingbird for 1.99 for a limited time; just downloaded a copy in case I feel like re-reading (I'm not sure if I even still own my original pbk)
