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To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
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To Kill a Mockingbird (original 1960; edition 2002)

by Harper Lee

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingConversations / Mentions
78,151143111 (4.37)2 / 2475
The explosion of racial hate in an Alabama town is viewed by a little girl whose father defends a black man accused of rape.
Member:Broderickd
Title:To Kill a Mockingbird
Authors:Harper Lee
Info:Harper Perennial Modern Classics (2002), Edition: Reprint, 2007, Paperback, 336 pages
Collections:Your library
Rating:
Tags:None

Work Information

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (Author) (1960)

  1. 276
    The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers (dele2451, rosylibrarian, chrisharpe)
  2. 3215
    The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd (Caramellunacy, rosylibrarian)
    Caramellunacy: Both stories are about a young girl in the South coming to terms with racism. Secret Life of Bees features an teenaged protagonist whereas To Kill a Mockingbird's Scout is quite a bit younger, but I thought there were themes that resonated between the two.… (more)
  3. 2710
    The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (paulkid)
    paulkid: There are many similarities between these books. For example, a strong father-daughter relationship, where the father teaches by example by taking the moral high ground in protecting a persecuted minority - also kids that break down the barriers between secluded and socially awkward neighbors through books and sundry shenanigans.… (more)
  4. 194
    Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor (Caramellunacy, Anonymous user, Anonymous user)
    Caramellunacy: Both stories about a young girl coming of age in the South and racial intolerance. Also both beautiful reads! To Kill a Mockingbird is told by Scout Finch - the daughter of the town lawyer called upon to defend an African-American man accused of rape. Roll of Thunder is told from the point of view of the daughter of a cotton-picking family who only slowly grows to realize the extent of prejudice her family faces.… (more)
  5. 173
    Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson (EerierIdyllMeme)
    EerierIdyllMeme: Very different novels exploring similar themes
  6. 111
    Peace Like a River by Leif Enger (atimco)
    atimco: These books share a precocious narrator, vital family relationships, and themes that are funny and sad and thought provoking all at the same time. Extremely well written and engaging.
  7. 100
    Native Son by Richard Wright (DanLovesAlice)
    DanLovesAlice: An African-American facing an uphill battle against a highly prejudiced jury and public. Wright, like Lee, explores the dangers of the stereotypes created by insular and ignorant societies.
  8. 90
    Other Voices, Other Rooms by Truman Capote (Othemts)
    Othemts: These books are two sides of the same coin of life in a small Alabama town. Where there's dignity and hope in Mockingbird, Other Voices is decadence and demoralization
  9. 112
    Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns (bnbookgirl)
  10. 81
    Good Night, Mr. Tom by Michelle Magorian (eclt83)
    eclt83: Goodnight, Mr Tom is as touching as To kill a mockingbird. Problems in society causes pain for the weaker.
  11. 61
    The Ox-Bow Incident by Walter Van Tilburg Clark (mysterymax)
    mysterymax: This book also explores mob/vigilante thinking and is a classic in its own way.
  12. 50
    The Stones of Mourning Creek by Diane Les Becquets (Sadie-rae_Kieran)
    Sadie-rae_Kieran: Similar setting, 1960's in the south. Deals with some similar issues as well,including racism/discrimination. Though sad at times, a beautiful and touching story.
  13. 72
    Inherit the Wind by Jerome Lawrence (kxlly)
  14. 50
    Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (sturlington)
  15. 94
    The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy (aamirq)
  16. 61
    A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines (rarm)
  17. 73
    The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner (LKAYC)
  18. 62
    Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson (chrisharpe)
  19. 51
    Scottsboro Boy by Haywood Patterson (lilithcat)
    lilithcat: For the real story of race relations in Alabama in the thirties, read this autobiography of Haywood Patterson, one of several young black men judicially railroaded for the rape of two young white women, and sentenced to death. A national and international campaign ultimately resulted in their exonerations, but their lives had already been destroyed.… (more)
  20. 51
    Dovey Coe by Frances O'Roark Dowell (meggyweg)

(see all 45 recommendations)

1960s (43)
AP Lit (32)
Romans (41)
. (1)
1970s (638)
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» See also 2475 mentions

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Showing 1-5 of 1349 (next | show all)
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.
Find this review on The StoryGraph.

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.
( )
  Law_Books600 | Mar 18, 2024 |
I've seen the movie several times, but never read the book. While the movie follows the book closely, I think reading the book added a layer of charm and feeling hard to convey in a movie.

The writing is amazing, you are effortlessly pulled into the lives of the characters and feel transported to a time of hot steamy summers in a small southern town. I will be reading this again. ( )
  RuthInman123 | Mar 12, 2024 |
I love this book! I started reading it again on the anniversary date of its publication. What a great book! ( )
  Cathie_Dyer | Feb 29, 2024 |
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.
( )
  simonpockley | Feb 25, 2024 |
Wonderful book. Sad to think how little has changed... ( )
  mjphillips | Feb 23, 2024 |
Showing 1-5 of 1349 (next | show all)

» Add other authors

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Lee, HarperAuthorprimary authorall editionsconfirmed
Birdsall, DerekCover designersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Blackmore, Ruth BentonEditorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Brouwer, AafkeIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Coleman, Sarah JaneCover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
D'Agostino Schanzer, AmaliaTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Darling, SallyNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Edinga, HansTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Elster, MagliTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
French, AlbertIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Gaskin, NinaDesignersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Hausser, IsabellePostfacesecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Healy, Timothy S.Afterwordsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Hemmerechts, Kristiensecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Hewgill, JodyCover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Johnson, DavidIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Kooman, KoTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Lamb, CharlesIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Lualdi, Frank P.Editorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Malignon, ClaireTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Millman, DavidIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Nissen, RudolfEditorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Noli, SuzanneCover designersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Pines, Ned L.Editorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Porta, BaldomeroTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Prichard, RosesNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Ross, KatherineIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Sønsteng, GryTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Smith, ShirleyIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Spacek, SissyNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Stoïanov, IsabelleTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Westerlund, MaijaTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Westrup, Jadwiga P.Translatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Wilson, Andrewsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed

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Epigraph
Lawyers, I suppose, were children once.
~ Charles Lamb
Dedication
For Mr. Lee and Alice
in consideration of Love & Affection
First words
When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow.
Please spare Mockingbird an Introduction. (From the Foreword by Harper Lee)
Quotations
Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird.
People generally see what they look for, and hear what they listen for.
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.
Not from, but about To Kill a Mockingbird, with apologies:

Monroeville, Alabama
January, 1966

Editor, The News Leader:

Recently I have received echoes down this way of the Hanover County School Board’s activities, and what I’ve heard makes me wonder if any of its members can read.

Surely it is plain to the simplest intelligence that “To Kill a Mockingbird” spells out in words of seldom more than two syllables a code of honor and conduct, Christian in its ethic, that is the heritage of all Southerners. To hear that the novel is “immoral” has made me count the years between now and 1984, for I have yet to come across a better example of doublethink.

I feel, however, that the problem is one of illiteracy, not Marxism. Therefore I enclose a small contribution to the Beadle Bumble Fund that I hope will be used to enroll the Hanover County School Board in any first grade of its choice.

Harper Lee
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(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
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Wikipedia in English (3)

The explosion of racial hate in an Alabama town is viewed by a little girl whose father defends a black man accused of rape.

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Book description
"To Kill a Mockingbird" was my absolute favorite books to read in school. I would maybe wait to have students read this until middle High School but I think it can be a great learning experience for students. The topics of this book raises awareness about rape, racial inequality, and family. The way that my teacher in High School set up her lesson was that she had everyone in her classroom dress up like a character from a book and make everyone talk and act like that given character. It was fun to watch what everyone wanted to dress like so it will for sure go into my teacher toolbox.
Haiku summary
Scout recalls her youth
Mad dogs, rabid mob threaten
Lawyer Dad defends.
(pickupsticks)
Dad says it's O.K.
To kill a blue jay. But not
A mockingbird. Why?
(pickupsticks)

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