Go Set a Watchman (2015)

I didn't know when I started that this not a sequel to To Kill A Mockingbird, so I was decently confused by a certain point. Once I found out that it was just an eairly version it made a lot of since. I haven't read To Kill A Mockingbird since I was in school so my memory in it is hazy. I remember it being better developed and having less long sections of flashbacks and meandering thoughts and overall presenting everything in a way that made a lot more sense to me as a child then this book would have. I can see a lot of the ideas in this book in that one. Overall I can see the issue a lot of people seem to take with this book, but I still gave it a good rating because, while I might not have agreed with all of it's points, there was a lot of points that rang true to things I see happening now. That made some of it, in different parts, more interesting or upsetting. ( )

This book was read in Swedish.

I have avoided reading reviews of this book because I didn't want to read spoilers and I also didn't want other people's thoughts to influence my thoughts of the book.

I also was a bit nervous to start to read it because To Kill a Mockingbird is one of my all time favorite books and well I didn't think this one would be as good, but at the same time since I read how disappointed many was over this book and how angry they were over how Atticus was portraited in this book. And, I can understand that. But at the same time I can understand him since racism against African Americans was very common in Alabama at that time. I also think that the ending with Scout and her uncle Jack discussing her different opinions and how important that she sees her father as human and that it was time for her to stop thinking of him as a God was an important part of the book. And, since I have never put Atticus on a pedestal didn't my images of him shatter when I read about his opinions of African Americans people. I didn't agree with him, but I was also not upset. I was more surprised that it took 26 years for Scout to realize it. But the flashbacks in this book I think showed quite well how little Scout knew and how blind she was and how blind she is.

But I must admit that this book was just not as good as To Kill a Mockingbird. The story in this book had just not the same impact as the previous book had. I was wondering quite a long time while I read the book what the point of the book was. It had some funny moments, for instance, young Scout thinking she was pregnant. But Frankly it feels that this book is not that necessary to read unless you want to know what happened with Scout, Jem, and Dill. And, I missed Jem and Dill in this book.

So in the end all I want to say that I'm glad that the publisher told Harper Lee to write a book about Scout growing instead of publishing this one. Because if they hadn't done that we probably wouldn't have had To Kill a Mockingbird. ( )

It makes me sad that I wasn't a big fan of this one. I guess I just couldn't reconcile my vision of these people with Lee's, even though I know I'm the one who is wrong. Oh well. ( )

I am thankful that I insist on making up my own mind. There are many people actually complaining about this novel. One of the things that is said, is that this book was forced into publication in order for Ms Lee. to pay her bills. I am not sure of this because I have seen interviews to the contrary. My other thought is that many books are published to help authors pay their bills. Also if she hadn't published it in her lifetime, I think odds are pretty good it would be published posthumously.The other major argument is that Atticus Finch is a racist. I wonder if those people actually read this book. Thier statements make it sound as if the book is full of racist comments that no one should read it lest their mind be tainted. Jean Louise (AKA Scout) does come home to what she sees as a different world then she left. It is easy to chose your memories at any age, and to adapt your thinking pro or con to any idea simply because of your viewpoint. As a child it is easy to put adults on pedestals. Sometimes as we grow those pedestals often seem to shrink. Who better than Atticus to give everyone a right to speak whether he agrees with it or not. Who better to be concerned about everyone's rights and protection than his own progeny. It should be every parent's desire to have their child stand up for perceived injustices.
Go Set a Watchman is not an easy read. As a sketch of its several characters I felt like the meanderings may have been more helpful than not, because we are often not linear beings and we wander considerably. This book requires time and focus, but it is worth it. If you watched the news at all in 2015 you are aware that racism is still a considerable problem, maybe the problem is that we are wishing the problem away and not making open and honest conversation about it. This book does that. I hope that it gets larger acclaim and isn't banned for it's use of the "N" word. I want to go read "To Kill a Mockingbird" soon and possibly add the biography of Harper Lee, and then reread Go Set a Watchman.

I am thankful that I insist on making up my own mind. There are many people actually complaining about this novel. One of the things that is said, is that this book was forced into publication in order for Ms Lee. to pay her bills. I am not sure of this because I have seen interviews to the contrary. My other thought is that many books are published to help authors pay their bills. Also if she hadn't published it in her lifetime, I think odds are pretty good it would be published posthumously.The other major argument is that Atticus Finch is a racist. I wonder if those people actually read this book. Thier statements make it sound as if the book is full of racist comments that no one should read it lest their mind be tainted. Jean Louise (AKA Scout) does come home to what she sees as a different world then she left. It is easy to chose your memories at any age, and to adapt your thinking pro or con to any idea simply because of your viewpoint. As a child it is easy to put adults on pedestals. Sometimes as we grow those pedestals often seem to shrink. Who better than Atticus to give everyone a right to speak whether he agrees with it or not. Who better to be concerned about everyone's rights and protection than his own progeny. It should be every parent's desire to have their child stand up for perceived injustices.
Go Set a Watchman is not an easy read. As a sketch of its several characters I felt like the meanderings may have been more helpful than not, because we are often not linear beings and we wander considerably. This book requires time and focus, but it is worth it. If you watched the news at all in 2015 you are aware that racism is still a considerable problem, maybe the problem is that we are wishing the problem away and not making open and honest conversation about it. This book does that. I hope that it gets larger acclaim and isn't banned for it's use of the "N" word. I want to go read "To Kill a Mockingbird" soon and possibly add the biography of Harper Lee, and then reread Go Set a Watchman.