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To Kill a Mockingbird

by Harper Lee

4.18 · rating details · 883,101 ratings · 29,384 reviews

The unforgettable novel of a childhood in a sleepy Southern town and the crisis of conscience that rocked it, To Kill A Mockingbird became both an instant bestseller and a critical success when it was first published in 1960. It went on to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1961 and was later made into an Academy Award-winning film, also a classic.

Compassionate, dramati...more

Paperback, 323 pages

Published June 1st 2006 by Harper Perennial Modern Classics (first published July 11th 1960)

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To Kill a Mockingbird
by Harper Lee
Win a Blu-ray/book bundle of To Kill a Mockingbird to celebrate the film's 50th Anniversary and Blu-ray release, available on January 31!

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[close] Win a Blu-ray/book bundle of To Kill a Mockingbird to celebrate the film's 50th Anniversary and Blu-ray release, available on January 31!

To Kill a Mockingbird, one of the screen’s most beloved and critically acclaimed films, celebrates its 50th anniversary with a commemorative Limited Edition Collector’s Series Blu-ray™ Combo Pack as well as on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and DVD from Universal Studios Home Entertainment on January 31, 2012. The powerful and poignant adaptation of Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel hits the half-century mark, digitally remastered and fully restored from high resolution 35MM original film elements, plus more than three-and-a-half hours of bonus features chronicling the making of the cinematic masterpiece.
The Limited Edition Collector’s Series Combo Pack of To Kill a Mockingbird: 50th Anniversary Edition will include a Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Copy of the film, packaged in a hardcover book featuring exclusive movie memorabilia including script pages with Gregory Peck’s handwritten notes, storyboards, poster art and much more.

Released theatrically in 1962, To Kill a Mockingbird won instant accolades for its nuanced performances, splendidly crafted narrative and bold endorsement of racial tolerance, fairness and honor, a combination that still resonates with audiences today. It earned eight Academy Award® nominations and three wins including a Best Actor statuette for Gregory Peck in one of his most iconic roles asthe principled Alabama lawyer Atticus Finch, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Art Direction. The prestigious American Film Institute lists To Kill a Mockingbird as one of the 100 Greatest American Films and also names Atticus Finch as the No. 1 Film Hero of All Time. A timeless, enduring classic that remains as relevant and impactful today as it was at its release, To Kill a Mockingbird’’s appeal continues to span generations.
In honor of its centennial anniversary, Universal Pictures proudly salutes 100 years of unforgettable films that have entertained audiences and touched the hearts of millions around the globe. In celebration of our first 100 years, Universal Studios Home Entertainment is proud to present a selection of our many beloved movies as part of an extensive year-long program that underscores the studio's rich cinematic history and indelible cultural impact.
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(showing 1-30 of 1,095,915)

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Sep 22, 2011

Bird Brian marked it as celebrity-deathmatch

CELEBRITY DEATHMATCH REVIEW*
(* entertainment purposes only)

Huck Finn v. To Kill A Mockingbird

Decision 2011

(Dramatic newsy-type music, accompanied by a very polished voiceover):

...And now live, from Tacoma, Washington: the BirdBrian News Nework brings you the latest election coverage.

(fade in)

(A late 50's BirdBrian with a bad toupee sits behind the news desk, with a map of the U.S. on the wall behind, indicating incoming election ...more

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Jan 25, 2008

Denise rated it

Recommends it for: Everyone

Recommended to Denise by: Bookgroup

Shelves: books-i-love-so-much-i-bought, classics, made-into-movie, bookgroup

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I looked up Harper Lee online this is her only published book. However, she did write a few articles that one can find and read online:
Love in other Words - Vogue
Christmas to me - McCalls
When Children Discover America
Romance and High Adventure

Her full name is Nellie Harper Lee - I bet she dropped the Nellie part so publishers would mistakenly think she was a man and read her material. She is also still alive and living in Monroeville, Alabama. And once you rea...more

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Oct 24, 2009

Kim rated it

Shelves: cultured, frosh, mmix

Why is it when I pick up To Kill A Mockingbird , I am instantly visited by a sensory memory: I’m walking home, leaves litter the ground, crunching under my feet. I smell the smoke of fireplaces and think about hot cider and the wind catches and my breath is taken from me and I bundle my coat tighter against me and lift my head to the sky, no clouds, just a stunning blue that hurts my eyes, another deep breath and I have this feeling that all is okay.

Why? Why this memory? I mea...moreWhy is it when I pick up To Kill A Mockingbird , I am instantly visited by a sensory memory: I’m walking home, leaves litter the ground, crunching under my feet. I smell the smoke of fireplaces and think about hot cider and the wind catches and my breath is taken from me and I bundle my coat tighter against me and lift my head to the sky, no clouds, just a stunning blue that hurts my eyes, another deep breath and I have this feeling that all is okay.

Why? Why this memory? I mean, this takes place in Alabama and mostly in the summer, well there is that one climatic scene on Halloween, but I bet it’s still hot enough to melt the balls off a brass monkey.

It must be the school thing, my daughter just finished reading it, prompting me to give it another go, to fall back into Scout’s world and pretend to be eight and let life simply be.

How is that? How can life for Scout be simple? I mean, she lives in the south, during the depression, she has to deal with ignorant schoolteachers and town folk, her ideas of what is right, what is what it should be are laughed at by her schoolmates… man, and I thought my childhood was rough.

Still, she lives in this idyllic town, I mean, except for the racism and the creepy neighbors and the whole fact that it’s, you know, the south…(forgive me… I’m not immune to the downfalls of the north, I mean, we had witches and well, Ted Bundy was born here…) But, there’s this sense of childlike innocence to this book that makes me believe in humanity… even in the throes of evil. What am I saying here? I guess, that this is a good pick me up.

What I also get from this book is that I have severe Daddy issues. I consume Atticus Finch in unnatural ways. He is the ultimate father; he has the perfect response for every situation. He is the transcendent character. My heart melts at each sentence devoted to him and I just about crumble during the courtroom scene.

Am I gushing? I sure am. I was raised by a man who thought that Budweiser can artwork was the epitome of culture. That drinking a 6-pack was the breakfast of champions. That college was for sissies. He could throw out a racial slur without a single thought, care or worry to who was around. I won't even get into the debates/rantings of a 16 yr old me vs a 42 yr old him... What a role model.

So, I thank Harper Lee for giving me Atticus. I can cuddle up with my cider and pretend that I’m basking in his light. I can write this blurb that makes sense to maybe a handful but that is okay, I am approved of and all is good.
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Jun 23, 2009

Meghan rated it

If I could give this no stars, I would. This is possibly one of my least favorite books in the world, one that I would happily take off of shelves and stow in dark corners where no one would ever have to read it again.

I think that To Kill A Mockingbird has such a prominent place in (American) culture because it is a naive, idealistic piece of writing in which naivete and idealism are ultimately rewarded. It's a saccharine, rose-tinted eulogy for the nineteen thirties from an orator ...moreIf I could give this no stars, I would. This is possibly one of my least favorite books in the world, one that I would happily take off of shelves and stow in dark corners where no one would ever have to read it again.

I think that To Kill A Mockingbird has such a prominent place in (American) culture because it is a naive, idealistic piece of writing in which naivete and idealism are ultimately rewarded. It's a saccharine, rose-tinted eulogy for the nineteen thirties from an orator who comes not to bury, but to praise. Written in the late fifties, TKAM is free of the social changes and conventions that people at the time were (and are, to some extent) still grating at. The primary dividing line in TKAM is not one of race, but is rather one of good people versus bad people -- something that, of course, Atticus and the children can discern effortlessly.

The characters are one dimensional. Calpurnia is the Negro who knows her place and loves the children; Atticus is a good father, wise and patient; Tom Robinson is the innocent wronged; Boo is the kind eccentric; Jem is the little boy who grows up; Scout is the precocious, knowledgable child. They have no identity outside of these roles. The children have no guile, no shrewdness--there is none of the delightfully subversive slyness that real children have, the sneakiness that will ultimately allow them to grow up. Jem and Scout will be children forever, existing in a world of black and white in which lacking knowledge allows people to see the truth in all of its simple, nuanceless glory.

I think that's why people find it soothing: TKAM privileges, celebrates, even, the child's point of view. Other YA classics--Huckleberry Finn; Catcher in the Rye; A Wrinkle in Time; The Day No Pigs Would Die; Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret; Bridge to Terabithia--feature protagonists who are, if not actively fighting to become adults, at least fighting to find themselves as people. There is an active struggle throughout each of those books to make sense of the world, to define the world as something larger than oneself, as something that the protagonist can somehow be a part of. To Kill A Mockingbird has no struggle to become part of the world--in it, the children *are* the world, and everything else is just only relevant in as much as it affects them. There's no struggle to make sense of things, because to them, it already makes sense; there's no struggle to be a part of something, because they're already a part of everything. There's no sense of maturation--their world changes, but it leaves them, in many ways, unchanged, and because of that, it fails as a story for me. The whole point of a coming of age story--which is what TKAM is generally billed as--is that the characters come of age, or at least mature in some fashion, and it just doesn't happen.

All thematic issues aside, I think that the writing is very, er, uneven, shall we say? Overwhelmingly episodic, not terribly consistent, and largely as dimensionless as the characters.
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Nov 22, 2011

Lou rated it

Shelves: january-list-next

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

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May 24, 2011

Stephen rated it

Shelves: easton-press, 6-star-books, all-time-favorites, classics-americas, 1954-1969, literature, life-changers, classics, good-guys

6.0 stars. I know I am risking a serious “FILM AT 11” moment and a club upside the head from Captain Obvious for voicing this, but nabbit dog I still think it needs to be said…TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD is one of the BEST and MOST IMPORTANT American novels ever written. Okay, I said it, and I will wait patiently while you get your DUHs and DERs out of the way and hang your “no shit” signs outside for Inspector Holmes.

Okay, now given the gruntload of reviews/ratings this book h...more

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Nov 07, 2008

Houston rated it

“Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing.”(p. 20)

I love this book and this idea of reading being like breathing. As Scout did, I read early too, and often. Every night before bed I would read and still do. I saw a Twilight Zone Episode once where the main character loved to read and only wanted to be left alone to do so. After falling asleep in the vault of the bank where he worked, he awoke to a post-disaster world where only he was le...more“Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing.”(p. 20)

I love this book and this idea of reading being like breathing. As Scout did, I read early too, and often. Every night before bed I would read and still do. I saw a Twilight Zone Episode once where the main character loved to read and only wanted to be left alone to do so. After falling asleep in the vault of the bank where he worked, he awoke to a post-disaster world where only he was left. He busily gathered together all the books he wanted to read, all organized and stacked up. Just as he chose one to start with, his glasses fell and he stepped on them trying to find them. It was terrible and I remember feeling horrified that this man would never get to read again! Such a thought had never occurred to me. This semester I had to get glasses myself after suffering migraines from reading. I was so nervous at the eye doctor because the thought of not being able to read was too much for me. Of course, I only needed readers, but when I ran across this quote, I thought about how much like breathing reading is for me.

“Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win.” (p. 87)

Never say die! Fight the good fight no matter what! I love the anti-defeatist message in this quote. Even though Atticus knows the deck is stacked against him, he tries anyway. He understands that sometimes you have to fight the un-winnable fight just for the chance that you might win. It makes me think that what he’s trying to teach his children is never to give up just because things look dim.

“...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.” (p. 120)

As Shakespeare said, “To thine own self be true.” That’s really all that matters. At the end of the day, when you lay down, you have to know that you did the right things, acted the right way and stayed true to yourself. Again, Atticus understands that the town is talking; he has to explain to his kids why he continues against the tide of popular thought. He sums it up so well here.

“We never put back into the tree what we took out of it: we had given him nothing, and it made me sad.”(p. 320)

I love the sad way this quote sounds. It is clearly the thoughts of a child, for hadn’t Scout just given Boo his dignity as they were walking home? Hadn’t she and Jem given him children to care for and watch over? But she knows too, even from her child’s perspective, that they could never give him anything close to what he had given them—their lives. It just sounds so beautifully sad.
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Nov 26, 2008

Hasna Diana rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

Buku ini akan menjadi buku fave-ku sepanjang masa.. TOP BGT! Serasa sudah lama banget ga ketemu buku yang bagus, tapi baca buku ini, mengobati rasa kehilangan itu.. alhamdulillah..

Membaca halaman awal buku cerita setebal 533 halaman ini, benar-benar sebuah upaya yang tidak ringan. Tidak terlalu paham apa yang dimaksud penulisnya, tapi biarlah, tetap saja dibaca halaman demi halamannya, mungkin nanti juga akan mengerti.

Cerita ini dikisahkan dari sudut pandang Scout, seoran...more

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Jul 25, 2007

Mona rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: law, social-justice-human-rights, 20th-century-lit, historical-fiction, literature, united-states

I read this book a long time ago, when I was ten years old. I remembered nothing from it except thinking it was really, really good. And here I am, thirteen years later. I picked it up again because I was curious about what my reaction would be to it now.

The book follows three years in the life of Scout Finch, her brother Jem, their father Atticus, and their fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama, in the era of the Great Depression. The first half of the novel focuses mainly on Scout and...more

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Aug 22, 2008

gieb rated it

· review of another edition

kalau hanya ada satu jenis manusia, mengapa mereka tidak bisa rukun? kalau mereka semua sama, mengapa mereka merepotkan diri untuk saling membenci (hal 431)

kutipan di atas berhasil mengingatkan saya, bahwa beda itu perkara besar pada zaman kita. bahkan, kondisi hari ini, beda tak lagi dilihat dari luar, dari kulit tubuh dan pakaian, tapi dari dalam, dari iman.

ketakutan mbah harper lee ini sekarang lebih merajalela. hari ini, dengan mudah darah muncrat dari seorang manus...more

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Dec 02, 2009

Bunga Mawar rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, translated-into-indonesian, buku-perpus-smart

Ardi, salah seorang siswa kelas 5 di sekolah saya, berdiri di ujung barisan siswa kelas 2 yang antri masuk kelas setelah berhasil menjawab sebuah pertanyaan yang saya ajukan. Wajahnya terlihat sedang berpikir keras. Dia menunggu sampai siswa kelas 2 terakhir masuk, dan mengajukan satu pertanyaan pada saya.

"Itu, Atticus Finch... Dia bapaknya Jem dan Scout?" Disebutnya tokoh-tokoh protagonis dari novel yang dua hari sebelumnya saya sarankan kepadanya untuk dibaca.

...moreArdi, salah seorang siswa kelas 5 di sekolah saya, berdiri di ujung barisan siswa kelas 2 yang antri masuk kelas setelah berhasil menjawab sebuah pertanyaan yang saya ajukan. Wajahnya terlihat sedang berpikir keras. Dia menunggu sampai siswa kelas 2 terakhir masuk, dan mengajukan satu pertanyaan pada saya.

"Itu, Atticus Finch... Dia bapaknya Jem dan Scout?" Disebutnya tokoh-tokoh protagonis dari novel yang dua hari sebelumnya saya sarankan kepadanya untuk dibaca.

Saya mengangguk. "Iya."
"Kok... anak-anaknya manggil bapaknya langsung pakai nama, sih?" tanyanya lagi.
"Apakah itu menjadikan anak-anaknya kurang ajar pada orang yang lebih tua?" saya beretorika.
Dan Ardi menggeleng. "Enggak sih. Ceritanya juga bagus kok," katanya seraya pamit menuju kelasnya sendiri pagi itu. Selasa pagi minggu berikutnya Ardi mendapat giliran melakukan book sharing saat apel pagi di depan seluruh siswa dan guru, dan dia memilih buku ini untuk menggambarkan kekuatan cinta dalam keluarga sebagai contoh yang patut ditiru.

Bukan hanya untuk Ardi, buat saya pun cerita buku ini keren. Sambil membacanya, saya sempat pengin punya bapak kayak Atticus :)

Buku ini memperlihatkan pada kita tentang keluarga-keluarga tua kulit putih perintis kota Maycomb di negara bagian Alabama dan tinggal di pinggiran kota. Pertama keluarga Finch jagoan kita, kemudian tetangga misterius mereka keluarga Radley, keluarga Atkinson yang menyisakan Miss Maudie, dan banyak lagi keluarga lain yang tinggal di perkotaan. Nah, cerita utama adalah kehidupan tenteram Jem dan Scout yang berbeda usia empat tahun. Mereka dibesarkan oleh ayah mereka Atticus, pengacara nan demokratis, serta Calpurnia, wanita kulit hitam yang datang setiap hari mengatur rumah tangga kecil itu.

Tanpa ibu, kedua anak ini kemudian besar bersama kota kecil yang mekar seusai perang konfederasi. Kehadiran Dill, sahabat setiap liburan musim panas datang, menempatkan Jem dan Scout sebagai penegak kehidupan mereka sendiri. Bermain peran, menyelidik, dan berprasangka khas anak-anak. Berbagai perangai orang dewasa di sekitar mereka, misalnya menjadi pengisi hidup. Di tengah dugaan-dugaan mereka (yang seringkali kelewat imajinatif) atas nasib Boo Radley yang puluhan tahun tak pernah dilihat semua orang, dan di tengah tudingan warga (kulit putih) atas pembelaan Atticus pada Tom Robinson yang negro, anak-anak ini tidak tergoyahkan pada nilai kebenaran yang mereka pegang.

Segala dugaan dan prasangka memang membawa manusia merasa pantas menghakimi yang lain. Ini bisa juga kita bandingkan dengan Remember the Titans yang dibintangi Denzel Washington, sama-sama menayangkan kota Amerika yang terbelah atas prasangka rasial perbedaan warna kulit. Prasangka bisa membunuh, dan prasangka telah membuat orang-orang yang mengetahui kebenaran tetap tidak mau menyatakan diri membela kenyataan. Tapi prasangka ini tidak ada di keluarga Finch. Kekuatan ikatan keluarga membuat Jem dan Scout selalu berada di depan membela ayah mereka, dan kasih sayang membuat Atticus senantiasa mempercayai tindakan anak-anaknya lebih dari orang lain. Bahkan Atticus menolak permintaan Alexandra kakaknya untuk memecat Calpurnia hanya karena prasangka atas warna kulitnya.

Dengan mengambil sudut pandang Scout yang baru delapan tahun, Harper Lee telah melangkah dengan lambat, tidak bisa disalahkan memang. Tapi beruntunglah Scout dan Jem yang punya ayah Atticus. Jadi pernyataan di atas saya ralat: jadi pengin punya suami kayak Atticus! Tapi yaaa jangan setua Atticus dong ya, hahaha...
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Aug 29, 2008

Amang Suramang rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Goodreaders Indonesia

Recommended to Amang by: Goodreads Indonesia

Shelves: goodreads-indonesia, indonesian, world-literature, pulitzer-mbp-nobel

Tahun 1930-an. Suatu periode yang disebut Great Depression, ketika Perang Dunia I menyedot uang begitu banyak hingga akhirnya ekonomi dunia ambruk. Amerika, negara yang kuat saja akhirnya ikutan mengalami zaman susah. Sesusah kisah hidup petani Cunningham yang diceritakan dalam buku ini, sampai-sampai si Walter Cunningham --teman sekelas Scout di kelas 1-- bersekolah tanpa sepatu dan cuma punya satu baju bersih. Atau dalam film-film Charlie Chaplin, digambarkan saking susahnya sampai-sampai Char...more

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Aug 24, 2008

nanto rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: novel, nant-s-book, history-and-sociology

Alurnya masih terasa lambat. Sepertinya memang begitu seharusnya untuk menggambarkan ketegasan Aticus yang berpesan kepada anaknya tentang usaha melawan rasialisme dengan pemikirannya. Ia tetap menghormati pendapat mayoritas yang berbeda dengan dirinya, yang utama buat Aticus adalah, "sebelum aku mampu hidup bersama orang lain, aku harus hidup dengan diriku sendiri. Satu hal yang tidak bisa tunduk pada mayoritas adalah nurani seseorang(hal. 206)."

Perlawanan atas rasialisme ...more

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Dec 07, 2007

Jennifer rated it

Shelves: american-literature, books-i-ve-named-pets-after, classics, own, fiction

Notes from an academic discussion about the book:

Each time I read this book, a different “universal truth” jumps out at me. When I was younger, I pondered the themes of prejudice, kindness, and dignity that run through the book, but now that I’m considerably older, what stuck out to me this time were the themes of innocence, and loss of innocence running through the whole book.

This reading I was particularly caught by the child-like perspective that the book gives each of...moreNotes from an academic discussion about the book:

Each time I read this book, a different “universal truth” jumps out at me. When I was younger, I pondered the themes of prejudice, kindness, and dignity that run through the book, but now that I’m considerably older, what stuck out to me this time were the themes of innocence, and loss of innocence running through the whole book.

This reading I was particularly caught by the child-like perspective that the book gives each of the events. From the kids all thinking anything that touches the Radley property is poisoned, to Scout’s minimal understanding of the words used in the trial, but her complete understanding of the concepts. Likewise, with the exception of the trial, throughout the book innocence trumps experience. A particular example was when Scout first finds the goodies in the Radley tree. She finds the gum, ponders its origins, and decides that she’d like chewing the gum better than being all grown up about it. Jem, who always represents a more mature (but not much more until near the end) perspective, and he makes her spit it out when he finds out where she got it from. In the end though, Scout’s innocence let her get a good chew out of a wad of gum.

I think the fact that the book takes place over three years helps show the contrast between the innocent time at the beginning of the book, when Scout was six, and Dill, Jem and she played as relative equals, to Scout’s first day of school where Jem begins to brush her off as the “little sister.” By the end of the book, when Scout is nine, she may be physically older, but it seems that she is even more sheltered by Jem, who thinks the concept of the trial may be too grown up for her. He moves through the story from her equal to her protector, which only helps to keep Scout innocent through the book.

In the end though, the book really proves that there is something magical and golden about innocence. There is a purity and truth in innocence—whether it’s a dignified response to an unfair world, or simply an acceptance of things even if they are strange and different.

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Sep 25, 2011

Sue rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: american-southern, classics, fiction, race, favorites, read-in-2011, library-book

As I said before, what a wonderful book. The characters are so well written and the setting actually seems to come to life in my mind. The tug of right and wrong on Scout as she grows through childhood in the deep South includes learning issues of race in day to day living. Having a father like Atticus means that lessons will be learned in a different way, not through books, but through actions. Scout and Jem see what their father and other townspeople do from day to day in reaction to life's ch...more

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Aug 13, 2008

Roos rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: furious

Dah selesai...bentar baru nulis reviewna nih...hehehehe.
Duh mau nulis apa yah...bukunya Bagus banget ternyata...

"Kau tidak akan pernah bisa memahami seseorang hingga kau melihat segala sesuatu dari sudut pandangnya...hingga kau menyusup ke balik kulitnya dan menjalani hidup dengan caranya." Harper Lee.

Quotation ini sebenarnya sudah lama diajarkan sama orangtuaku, jika kita terlalu sempit dalam menanggapi suatu permasalahan. Terutama saat kita mengeluarkan ...moreDah selesai...bentar baru nulis reviewna nih...hehehehe.
Duh mau nulis apa yah...bukunya Bagus banget ternyata...

"Kau tidak akan pernah bisa memahami seseorang hingga kau melihat segala sesuatu dari sudut pandangnya...hingga kau menyusup ke balik kulitnya dan menjalani hidup dengan caranya." Harper Lee.

Quotation ini sebenarnya sudah lama diajarkan sama orangtuaku, jika kita terlalu sempit dalam menanggapi suatu permasalahan. Terutama saat kita mengeluarkan komentar mengenai tindakan atau perilaku seseorang yang kita anggap tidak atau kurang baik, pasti keluar pertanyaan: Bagaimana kalo kamu diposisi mereka? Apa yang kamu lakukan?...Wakkkssss.

Ini pertanyaan yang tidak mudah dijawab...Persis apa yang dikatakan Atticus kepada Jem dan Scout, ketika mereka selalu menanyakan tindak-tanduk orang-orang yang tinggal di Maycomb County. Dengan latar belakang Kehidupan warganya yang beragam kita jadi bisa memahami apa yang dilihat Scout melalui mata pemahaman seorang anak terhadap orang dewasa disekitarnya. Dan bahwa manusia itu tidak selalu yang kita sangka, kadang mereka bertingkah aneh dan diluar nalar karena mereka memang menginginkan seperti itu. Contoh saja nih Mr.Dolphus Raymond yang selalu membawa botol dibungkus kertas coklat dan cara minum seperti orang setengah mabok...anak-anak pikir dia minum wisky atau minuman beralkohol lain dan pantas untuk dijauhi, tapi ternyata botol itu selalu berisi Coca Cola. Anehnya, dia lebih suka orang berprasangka terhadap dirinya sebagai orang yang mabok. Disini Faktor MANUSIA-lah yang membedakan satu dengan yang lain. Selain mengajarkan mengenai kedewasaan melalui keterbukaan dan kasih sayang, To Kill a Mocking Bird juga mengajarkan bagaimana menjadi Wanita Terhormat...*halah*. Dibagian ini aku agak geli...

Beruntung juga Jem dan Scout mempunyai ayah seperti Atticus meski membesarkan dua anak seorang diri dia cukup mampu menjadi ayah dan ibu sekaligus. Dan Jem maupun Scout pun bukan tipe anak pembangkang, tapi anak-anak pintar yang suka menanyakan apa yang mereka pikirkan.

Buku yang bagus dan Wajib untuk dibaca...
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Aug 05, 2007

Rishi rated it

Recommends it for: no one

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 30, 2011

Thomas rated it

Shelves: five-stars, read-for-high-school, favorites, pulitzer-prize

*Reaction to when I read this as a freshman in high school*
After my second read-through of the novel (some parts independently and some parts at school) I've really realized just how amazing this book is. I actually got teary-eyed quite a few times. Lee infuses tremendous writing technique with a story so real, raw, and damaging that it just left me irreversibly changed. There is no question why schools teach lessons with this novel; it's just... amazing. My heart is still aching and rooti...more

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Mar 01, 2010

Jimmy rated it

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Shelves: lagi-dipinjam

To Kill a Mockingbird (The Movie)

Etnis Afrika-Amerika, yang sekarang lebih sering disebut sebagai Afro-Amerika adalah kelompok etnis di Amerika Serikat yang nenek moyangnya berasal dari Afrika di bagian Sub-Sahara dan Barat. Umumnya, rakyat etnis Afro-Amerika berdarah Afrika, Eropa, dan Amerika asli. Dulu, etnis ini sering disebut dengan sebutan “negro” atau “colored” yang juga merujuk kepada warna kulit hitam orang yang bukan penduduk Amerika Serikat. Namun sekarang, sebutan kul...moreTo Kill a Mockingbird (The Movie)

Etnis Afrika-Amerika, yang sekarang lebih sering disebut sebagai Afro-Amerika adalah kelompok etnis di Amerika Serikat yang nenek moyangnya berasal dari Afrika di bagian Sub-Sahara dan Barat. Umumnya, rakyat etnis Afro-Amerika berdarah Afrika, Eropa, dan Amerika asli. Dulu, etnis ini sering disebut dengan sebutan “negro” atau “colored” yang juga merujuk kepada warna kulit hitam orang yang bukan penduduk Amerika Serikat. Namun sekarang, sebutan kulit hitam atau “black people” lebih sering digunakan karena penggunaan kata “negro” dan “colored” dianggap sebagai penghinaan bagi etnis Afro-Amerika ini. Bahkan, kata-kata tersebut juga sering digunakan untuk mendiskriminasikan mereka.

Sejarah masuknya bangsa kulit hitam ke Amerika Serikat, dimulai dengan diperdagangkannya bangsa ini ke Amerika bagian Selatan sejak tahun 1607 sebagai budak. walaupun pada akhirnya pengimporan bangsa kulit hitam ini dilarang pada tahun 1807. Bahkan, setelah Abraham Lincoln, salah satu tokoh yang menentang perbudakan dilantik menjadi Presiden Amerika Serikat pada tahun 1860, perbudakan pun dihapuskan melalui status hukum pada tahun 1863. Berdasarkan sensus di Amerika Serikat, pada tahun 1790, populasi warga Afro-Amerika berjumlah 757.208 atau 19,3% dari total populasi Amerika Serikat pada saat itu. Dan, jumlah itu terus mengalami pertumbuhan dari tahun ke tahun hingga berjumlah 37,1 juta jiwa pada tahun 2003.

Namun, seiring dihapuskannya system perbudakan di Amerika Serikat, perlakuan berbeda dan tindakan diskriminasi rasial masih terasa kental diawal dan pertengahan abad ke-20, dan itu pula yang membuat bangsa kulit hitam mulai bangkit selawan diskriminasi terhadap etnis mereka. Puncak dari perlawanan mereka terjadi pada tahun 1960-an yang ditandai dengan munculnya Gerakan Hak Asasi Manusia yang dipimpin oleh Martin Luther King, Jr dan juga Roy Wilkins yang menuntut perlakuan yang lebih baik terhadap bangsa kulit hitam. Kini, kelompok etnis ini bisa mendapatkan kehidupan dan perlakuan yang lebih baik dan manusiawi baik dibidang ekonomi maupun sosial, meski tidak dapat dipungkiri kalau diskriminasi itu masih kerap terjadi yang terbukti dengan masih adanya kesulitan-kesulitan yang dialami oleh kelompok etnis ini untuk akses kesehatan dan mendapatkan pekerjaan. Salah satu tokoh muslim yang juga ikut memperjuangkan penghapusan diskriminasi terhadap kaum Afro-Amerika adalah Malcom X yang mendirikan Organization of Afro-American Unity pada 28 Juni 1964.

Pada tanggal 11 Juli 1960, Harper Lee menerbitkan sebuah novel berjudul “To Kill a Mockingbird” yang ceritanya didasarkan pada pengamatannya terhadap keluarga, tetangga-tetangga, serta kejadian-kejadian diskriminasi rasial yang terjadi sekitar tahun 1936, dimana saat itu Haper Lee masih berumur 10 tahun. Novel ini sendiri telah diulas di setidaknya 30 koran dan majalah, serta menempati peringkat teratas setelah Injil, sebagai buku yang harus dibaca orang sebelum meninggal (every adult should read before they die). Novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” menjadi satu-satunya karya Harper Lee yang diterbitkan.

Pada tahun 1962, novel ini pun diadaptasi menjadi sebuah film yang berjudul sama, yang disutradarai oleh Robert Mulligan. Film “To Kill a Mockingbird” berkisah tentang seorang duda bernama Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck), yang berprofesi sebagai pengacara di daerah Monroeville, Alabama pada tahun 1932. Dia mempunyai dua anak yakni Jem Finch (Philip Alford) dan Scout Finch (Mary Badham). Pada saat itu, Atticus menjadi pengacara yang membela seorang lelaki kulit hitam bernama Tom Robinson (Brock Peters), yang dituduh melakukan tindak pemerkosaan terhadap seorang perempuan kulit putih bernama Mayella Violet Ewell (Collin Wilcox). Konflik film ini menjadi menarik karena pada saat itu diskriminasi terhadap kulit hitam masih berlangsung, yang membuat sebagian besar kulit putih merasa berhak menghukum kaum yang menurut mereka adalah warga kelas dua. Warga sekitar sendiri sangat menyayangkan kenapa Atticus mau menjadi pembela kulit hitam di pengadilan. Adapun kasus ini sendiri adalah kasus fitnah yang mirip dengan kasus Yusuf yang difitnah dan dituduh hendak memperkosa istri Potifar seperti tertulis dalam Kitab Suci. Sepertinya halnya Yusuf, Tom Robinson akhirnya dinyatakan bersalah oleh para juri yang mendapatkan tekanan dari kelompok masyarakat pembenci kulit hitam, dan kemudian dibunuh dengan alasan melarikan diri dalam perjalanan ke penjara. Karakter Jem dan Scout sendiri sangat memainkan peran penting dalam membuat film ini lebih hidup. Mereka digambarkan sebagai anak-anak yang ceria, punya jiwa petualang, serta punya prinsip dalam hidup terutama dalam membela keadilan. Film hitam-putih yang berdurasi 2 jam dan 11 menit, dirilis pada tanggal 25 Desember 1962 dan didistribusikan oleh Universal Pictures. Film ini berhasil meraih tiga piala Oscar dari sembilan nominasi untuk kategori Aktor Terbaik (Best Actor), Skenario Adaptasi Terbaik (Best Adapted Screenplay), dan Artistik Terbaik untuk film jenis Hitam Putih Terbaik (Best Black and White Art Direction).

Kenapa berjudul “To Kill a Mockingbird”? Kalau diperhatikan disalah satu narasi cerita film ini, sempat dijelaskan tentang karakteristik burung Mockingbird. Burung ini digambarkan sebagai burung yang tidak pernah bersarang di atap rumah, dan tidak pernah mengambil hasil ladang para petani. Intinya burung ini tidak pernah merugikan orang, malahan burung ini mengeluarkan suara yang sangat merdu untuk menghibur orang. “To Kill a Mockingbird” bisa diartikan membunuh makhluk yang tidak berdosa. Sama dengan para korban tindakan diskriminasi rasial, mereka tidak memilih untuk dilahirkan sebagai kulit hitam, dan mereka juga tidak melakukan tindakan yang merugikan orang lain. Melakukan tindakan diskriminasi terhadap mereka (atau pun diskriminasi untuk isu lain) sama saja dengan membunuh mereka, mungkin tidak selalu secara fisik tapi secara psikis. Namun, bukankah membunuh secara psikis biasanya lebih sakit rasanya. Melakukan tindakan diskriminasi berarti “you are killing a mockingbird!”.
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Sep 23, 2007

Núria rated it

Shelves: 2007, mios, literatura-en-ingles, 4-muy-buenos, siglo-xx

No sé por qué, yo siempre me había imaginado que 'Matar a un ruiseñor' estaría todo más centrado en Atticus Finch y lo noble y buen abogado que es, todo muy judicial, así que me he llevado una grata sorpresa al ver que todo estaba narrado desde el punto de vista de una niña que va creciendo y las historias de niñas, no niños, que crecen son mi debilidad. Así que podemos ver toda la hipocresía y las injusticias de la sociedad a través de sus ojos. La protagonista es Scout y tiene un hermano que s...moreNo sé por qué, yo siempre me había imaginado que 'Matar a un ruiseñor' estaría todo más centrado en Atticus Finch y lo noble y buen abogado que es, todo muy judicial, así que me he llevado una grata sorpresa al ver que todo estaba narrado desde el punto de vista de una niña que va creciendo y las historias de niñas, no niños, que crecen son mi debilidad. Así que podemos ver toda la hipocresía y las injusticias de la sociedad a través de sus ojos. La protagonista es Scout y tiene un hermano que se llama Jem; los dos se han criado en un ambiente liberal, en que les han enseñado a pensar por si mismos y a intentar ser justos con todo el mundo. Por eso cuando descubren que en realidad la sociedad no siempre se rige por los mismos principios que les han enseñado en casa (básicamente que la justicia no se pone siempre de parte de quien se la merece), la decepción y el golpe que se llevan es considerable, sobre todo para Jem. Quizás no lo sea tanto para Scoutt porque las niñas ya estaban acostumbradas a que no se las tratara con justicia respecto a los chicos.

Atticus es el padre de Scout y Jem. Y realmente está hecho del material que están hechos los literary crushes. Es noble, tranquilo, pacífico y valiente, lucha por lo que cree aunque sepa de antemano que va a perder, no le gusta salir por ahí y se queda en casa leyendo, lleva gafas y va notando que se hace mayor. Scoutt es una niña algo muchachote. Por eso consideran que es una niña rebelde, porque hace las mismas cosas y juega a los mismos juegos que se ven naturales en los chicos. Cuando aún es pequeña aún le permiten comportarse como un muchachote, pero a medida que va creciendo incluso ella se va dando cuenta que tendrá que dejar atrás todo esto para ser una dama y comportarse correctamente. Pero aún siendo una dama puede conservar su personalidad y no convertirse en una chismosa superficial más, como ha conseguido hacer la señorita Maudie, su vecina, que es casi como una figura materna para los dos hermanos. La señorita Maudie es un personaje que me ha fascinado, porque es una mujer que, aunque aparentemente ha aceptado las normas, sigue siendo ella misma, sigue teniendo su carácter y no mordiéndose nunca la lengua.

Me han encantado todos los pasajes referentes a la casa donde vive encerrado Boo Radley, porque en cualquier infancia ha habido una casa que decíamos que estaba encantada y que nos daba miedo, pero a la vez suponía una tentación irresistible para ir a investigar y a explorar. Y también me ha encantado el detalle de que en la escuela regañen a Scoutt porque ya sabe leer, porque se considera que sólo la escuela tiene derecho a dar una educación uniformizada para convertir a los niños en cabezudos que piensen todos igual, mientras que todo el conocimiento que viene de fuera es rechazado, porque es como peligroso.

Y el final me ha parecido magnífico. Es una novela redonda, porque al final se recupera una anécdota que se había mencionado justo en la primera página y de la que yo ya me había olvidado. Me gusta como Scout se hace mayor. Me gusta que el libro nos diga que nos hacemos mayores cuando ya no miramos tanto al futuro con ilusión sino al pasado con nostalgia; cuando nos damos cuenta que ya hemos aprendido lo esencial, que ya no aprenderemos nada más realmente importante, porque las bases de nuestra personalidad ya están cimentadas; cuando entendemos que ya no tenemos que tener miedo de fantasías que nosotros mismos nos hemos inventado; cuando somos capaces de ponernos en el lugar de otra persona, porque al fin y al cabo esto es lo principal que les ha enseñado Atticus a sus hijos: a ser capaces de ponerse en el lugar de los otros y entenderlos. Es por todo esto que es una novela tan valiosa. Y preciosa. Y acabas queriendo tanto a los personajes que cuando se termina te da pena tener que despedirte de ellos.
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Jun 05, 2007

Razzberry rated it

A beautiful, if painful, coming-of-age story. Set in fictional small town in Alabama, the story talks about life in Depression-hit America. It starts out with an affectionate description of the sleepy southern county. Scout and her brother Jem are raised by their widowed father Atticus and their housekeeper, Calpurnia. Their summers are consumed by grand plans to lure the recluse Arthur “Boo” Radley out of his spooky home. The ladies meet for missionary teas and “bathed before noon, after their ...more

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Nov 24, 2008

Amanda rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fer-teenagers-kids-and-younguns, books-i-highly-recommend, perhaps-i-shall-read-it-again, 2008

November 21, 2008
It's been a long many years since I last read this novel. So it seemed high time to read it again. And this time my eyes have been opened to the loveliness that is Jem Finch. What a passionate and honorable young man. How did I never notice this before???

November 23, 2008
Full Circle Observation: Jem ends up with a wonky left arm, just like Tom Robinson. How did I never notice that before? I tell you peeps what--you've GOT to read this book paying speci...more

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Jun 24, 2011

Julie (Mom2lnb) rated it

Recommends it for: Everyone Teens & Up

Shelves: desert-island-keepers, classics, general-fiction, historical-fiction, read-2011

Reviewed for THC Reviews
I usually prefer to enjoy my reading material rather than having to parse it's deeper meaning, so I can sometimes be rather reluctant to read books that are critically acclaimed and/or considered classics, since they are often difficult to understand. I'd heard so many wonderful things about To Kill a Mockingbird that I finally decided to take a chance on it when it was chosen as a book club read for the GoodReads Readers Against Prejudice and Racism group of which ...moreReviewed for THC Reviews
I usually prefer to enjoy my reading material rather than having to parse it's deeper meaning, so I can sometimes be rather reluctant to read books that are critically acclaimed and/or considered classics, since they are often difficult to understand. I'd heard so many wonderful things about To Kill a Mockingbird that I finally decided to take a chance on it when it was chosen as a book club read for the GoodReads Readers Against Prejudice and Racism group of which I am a part. I was very pleasantly surprised at what an easy read it was, while at the same time conveying a deep and layered message, not only about prejudice but also about standing up for what's right, that I know will stay with me, probably for the rest of my life. Another astonishing thing about the book to me was the number of lighthearted if not downright funny moments it contained. This is something I never would have expected from a book that tackled such a serious and controversial issue for its time. In my opinion, Harper Lee is an amazing writer, and I was absolutely stunned to discover that To Kill a Mockingbird was the only novel she ever wrote. However, I suppose there's nowhere else to go once you've won the highest honor in the writing world, a Pulitzer Prize, and she certainly made her one shot count in a huge way.

Young Scout Finch is the first-person narrator of the story. She is only about six or seven when it opens, but more than two years pass by as Ms. Lee builds up to the penultimate events of the book, by which time Scout is nine years old. She is a tomboy who's as smart as a whip and a precocious reader. When her first grade teacher told her she had to stop reading because her daddy was teaching her all wrong and first-graders weren't supposed to read, I had to laugh. It was ludicrously funny but also a sad commentary on our educational system. I just loved Scout's enthusiasm for reading. She joked that her brother, Jem, said she was born reading and she couldn't remember a time when she couldn't read. In this way, Scout very much reminded me of myself. I thought it was fascinating how Scout, in her child's mind, thinks of her father as old, decrepit, and thoroughly boring. She doesn't think he has any real skills or has accomplished anything. It was an absolute joy to watch Scout's opinion of Atticus gradually grow and change as she matures and begins to see him in an entirely new light through, not only the big trial, but all the little things he does.

I loved Scout's relationship with her brother. She and Jem fight like siblings often do, but at the same time they were very close. I like how Jem is a little gentleman, always looking out for Scout. It was wonderful how closely he actually watches their father, and subtly emulates him. When their summertime friend and neighbor, Dill, gets in on the action, these three can get into lots of amusing mischief. Seeing the world through these kids eyes was a positively delightful experience. Dill is quite good at creating wild yarns. I just knew he was destined to be a writer someday;-) (for anyone who doesn't know Dill is patterned on Harper Lee's childhood friend and neighbor, Truman Capote). The lessons that the kids learn are deeply touching. Whether it's how they go from being scared of their reclusive neighbor Boo Radley to beginning to understand why he stays away from people; or learning from Mrs. Dubose, the cranky old lady who likes to hurl insults at them, that things aren't always as they seem; or the tough lessons they learned about injustice through Tom Robinson's trial, they are on a constant journey of discovery, both of the world around them and themselves that often brought tears to my eyes.

If I were Scout, I'd think that I had the best dad in the world, but since I'm much, much closer to Atticus's age than Scout's, I'd have to say that he has become my latest literary crush. He is just quite simply an amazing man. Some people think that he's a questionable father who lets his kids run wild, because he doesn't spank them and they have a tendency to speak their mind. To the contrary, I believe he was a man who led by quiet example, and showed his kids how to be good citizens by teaching them to think critically for themselves. I love how Atticus just naturally speaks with “bigger” words and doesn't dumb it down for his children, but instead allows them to ask for clarification if they don't understand something, always answering their questions with complete honesty. That's how I tend to be, and I think kids can learn more that way. Atticus is a very wise man who sees many facets to the world around him. He is a kind, loving, gentle soul who always seems to see the good in people. He's a true gentleman, a brilliant attorney, an honorable and humble man who fights for what's right no matter what. If more men were like Atticus Finch, the world, without a doubt, would be a much better place.

To Kill a Mockingbird is another of those books which sadly, over fifty years after its release, is still found at the top of the ALA's most banned/challenged books list. It does contain some profanities, mostly mild, but a couple of more moderate ones including taking the Lord's name in vain twice. There is also a number of instances where the derogatory “n” word is used for African Americans, but given the time and setting of the book, it never seemed overdone or out of place to me. There is also the mature subject matter of a black man being wrongly accused of raping a white girl, but since it is all told through the eyes of a nine year-old child, everything has a certain air of innocence to it, with nothing ever really being spelled out explicitly. In spite of this potentially objectionable content, I still feel that the book is fully appropriate for high school level students. In my opinion, the positive role model that Atticus presents and the positive messages contained within the book's pages, far outweigh any possible detractors. I personally think it would be an absolute travesty to ban a book as thought-provoking as this one, and in fact, would encourage everyone, teens and up, to read it at least once.

I'm so glad I finally picked up To Kill a Mockingbird. The courtroom scenes were extremely well-written and appear to reflect Ms. Lee's personal experience with the law. Some parts of the story were a little slow at times, but never boring and always worth the wait for something more exciting to happen. Every character and every little side story added flavor, color and depth to this wonderful tale. The message it conveys is a timeless one. It is one of the most, if not the most, affecting book I've ever read centering around the themes of prejudice and racism. To Kill a Mockingbird has without a doubt earned a spot on my keeper shelf and has become a new all-time favorite book for me.(less)

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Dec 19, 2011

Mery rated it

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Shelves: movie, drama, favorites, terjemahan

Buku ini salah satu peraih Pulitzer.

Sudut pandangnya dari seorang anak yang dipanggil Scout, atau nama lengkapnya adalah Jean Louise Finch. Pas baca awalnya gak tau kalo dia perempuan ^^
Apalagi ada perkataan Jem (Kakaknya Scout) yang mengejek Scout, "Kau ini seperti anak perempuan saja".. huhuhu pengen jitak Jem :(

Karena ceritanya dari sudut pandang anak kecil, jadi plotnya agak lelet...Scout selalu menceritakan keadaan sekitarnya dengan detil sekali...Ia ...more

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Aug 13, 2008

miaaa rated it

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Recommends it for: navyk

Recommended to miaaa by: goodreads indonesia

Shelves: ophelia-s-library

cara scout melihat dunia kecil di sekitarnya sangat menarik. menurutku di masa resesi dan diskriminasi rasial seperti itu dia beruntung memiliki ayah seperti atticus, memiliki saudara seperti jem, sahabat seperti miss maudie serta pengasuh seperti cal.

kehidupan mereka memang berubah setelah atticus membela seorang kulit hitam, tapi harper lee menutup buku ini dengan baik. kau tahu kehidupan mereka tidak akan sama lagi, tapi mereka akan baik-baik saja.

menurutku gaya penuli...more

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Apr 11, 2008

Steve rated it

The following was a review I wrote April 1. I've since come to view it in a different light, and now believe it's one of the finest books ever written.

April 1

It's funny how things can change. I recall really liking this book the first time I read it back in about 8th grade. Maybe I should have just left well enough alone. It was a pleasant memory from my youth. Why spoil things by picking it up again as a more clear-sighted (some might say jaundiced)adult? I probabl...moreThe following was a review I wrote April 1. I've since come to view it in a different light, and now believe it's one of the finest books ever written.

April 1

It's funny how things can change. I recall really liking this book the first time I read it back in about 8th grade. Maybe I should have just left well enough alone. It was a pleasant memory from my youth. Why spoil things by picking it up again as a more clear-sighted (some might say jaundiced)adult? I probably wouldn't view my favorite book from 4th grade, The Secret Weapon, the same way either. The intense drama of a glue-fingered benchwarmer called in at the end of the big game to catch the winning touchdown might seem shallow and contrived to the current me.

I realize I'm swimming against the tide here, but how many of you have reread this supposed masterpiece in your more mature years? With that perspective, I can't be the only one to see Scout as the rather obvious wish-fulfillment of Harper Lee. Reading since infancy, brave as any boy, inherently fair-minded, a noble spirit well beyond her years... C'mon, Harper; you've got to give her some flaws mere humans can relate to. Now Jem, in comparison, was a run-of-the-mill dullard. As written, he's not necessarily going to grow up to be the depraved male in a Lifetime movie, but it's clear that Ms. Lee doesn't much care for this kid with the penis. And Dill? How can we not think of him as the future Truman Capote, fat and affected?

My real problem with the book, though, now that my blinkers are off, is the pure perfection of Atticus. His progressivity knows no bounds. You're going to tell me that a lawyer is capable of empathy and integrity?!? And where is the complexity of context, you might ask. Wouldn't this son of the South, to be at all realistic, have wrestled a grudge match against himself, his Doppelcracker, if you will? Even modern-day hacks know to include that much conflict.

Clearly, Atticus is a balm to assuage white guilt for a nasty racial past, but I wonder if that by itself qualifies as clothes for the emperor. Ironically, people who are happy to applaud the courage Atticus displayed in standing against popular sentiment will likely castigate me for doing the same.

Whenever you take an extreme view (and I know I have; even defying Oprah, for chrissake), you have to wonder what that says about you more than it does about the work under review. Maybe had this been March 31 or April 2, I would have felt differently, but today I felt a strange need to rock the Goodreads boat. Did anyone fall out? Happy AFD!
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Nov 08, 2011

Henry Avila rated it

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Alabama, 1935, during the Great Depression,Atticus Finch, a widower lawyer,(a gentleman if ever there was one) is raising two small children, Scout(Jean Louise) and Jem(Jeremy)in the fictitious southern town of Maycomb.The siblings are unusually close, the father is absent often, being in the state legislature in Montgomery, the state capital.Calpurina their black servant, is the real parent of the kids and of course, considered a member of the family. Mr. Finch is a rather remote father,the ch...more

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Sep 21, 2011

Kua rated it

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Shelves: classics, fiction, a-2-4

Mi aspettavo un libro sul razzismo, invece... non è solo quello. E' anche un libro sull'ipocrisia della gente, che da una parte condanna le ingiustizie e dall'altra le appoggia. E' anche un saggio sulla tolleranza verso tutte le persone, di qualsiasi fede o colore di pelle, sull'importanza di fermarsi a pensare agli altri e di provare a mettersi, anche solo per un attimo, nei loro panni. Ma soprattutto è un libro che sottolinea con forza come sia importante lottare per le cose in cui si crede, a...more

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Aug 08, 2008

Gabriella rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: alreadyread, fiksi, translated-books

Buku yang sarat dengan pelajaran hidup dan sangat menggugah jiwa. Prasangka bisa membuat hubungan dengan orang-orang sekitar kita memburuk. Bercerita mengenai Atticus Finch, seorang pengacara kulit putih yang membela seorang nigger (orang kulit hitam) Tom Robinson yang dituduh memperkosa seorang gadis kulit putih. Setting ceritanya kalau tidak salah tahun 1950-1960an di mana rasialisme masih mendarah daging di Amerika. Alur cerita di buku ini berasal dari sudut pandang seorang gadis kecil, Scout...moreBuku yang sarat dengan pelajaran hidup dan sangat menggugah jiwa. Prasangka bisa membuat hubungan dengan orang-orang sekitar kita memburuk. Bercerita mengenai Atticus Finch, seorang pengacara kulit putih yang membela seorang nigger (orang kulit hitam) Tom Robinson yang dituduh memperkosa seorang gadis kulit putih. Setting ceritanya kalau tidak salah tahun 1950-1960an di mana rasialisme masih mendarah daging di Amerika. Alur cerita di buku ini berasal dari sudut pandang seorang gadis kecil, Scout Finch, putri Atticus. Atticus memperoleh cibiran bahkan makian dari orang-orang yang dikenalnya karena ia dianggap melakukan pekerjaan yang hina dan sia-sia hanya karena ia membela hak seorang nigger. Dia tidak menanggapi cibiran itu melainkan tetap teguh pada sikapnya.

Pada beberapa bagian di buku ini juga diperlihatkan bagaimana seorang anak memberikan pendapatnya kepada orang tua dan ditanggapi serius oleh orangtuanya. Hal ini memperlihatkan bahwa betapa di negara-negara barat, demokrasi telah dijunjung tinggi sejak bertahun-tahun yang lalu. Bagaiman dengan negara Indonesia yang katanya adalah negara demokrasi? Bercerminlah kita pada buku ini!

Setelah selesai membaca buku ini, mengertilah saya bahwa pada akhirnya sebuah prasangka itu bukanlah sesuatu yang baik. Prasangka hanyalah akan membatasi dengan siapa kita bergaul. Prasangka membatasi ruang gerak kita. Seperti judulnya, To Kill A Mockingbird, tidak ada gunanya membunuh mockingbird hanya karena wujudnya yang buruk dan tidak menarik. Mockingbird hanya ingin hidup. Binatang itu bukanlah parasit. Jadi, biarkan saja dia hidup. Sama halnya dengan prasangka buruk terhadap orang kulit hitam. Tidak berarti kalau seseorang berkulit hitam, lantas dia adalah seorang penjahat. Belum tentu. Buku ini berpesan, jangan melihat seseorang atau sesuatu dari wujud luarnya saja. Rupanya pepatah don’t judge a book by its cover ada benarnya juga.

Quote yang bagi saya menarik, terdapat di halaman pertama buku ini yang berbunyi :
“Kau tidak akan pernah bisa memahami seseorang hingga kau melihat segala sesuatu dari sudut pandangnya..hingga kau menyusup ke balik kulitnya dan menjalani hidup dengan caranya.”

Buku yang wajib dibaca oleh kita semua.
(less)

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Aug 17, 2011

Femmy added it · review of another edition

Shelves: my-translations-transl, fiction-and-literature

Novel pertama yang kuterjemahkan, setelah sebelumnya hanya menerjemahkan nonfiksi. Waktu itu saya sempat membuat beberapa catatan kaki, tetapi entah kenapa tidak disertakan oleh editor di penerbit. Apakah keterangannya disisipkan di dalam teks ceritanya ya? Saya belum sempat memeriksa.

Bab 1
Andrew Jackson: President ketujuh Amerika Serikat (1829-1837).
John Wesley: Pendiri aliran Metodis.
Merlin: penasihat Raja Arthur, peramal, tukang sihir.
Pertempuran Hastings...more

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About Harper Lee

Early life
Harper Lee, known as Nelle, was born in the Alabama town of Monroeville on April 28, 1926, the youngest of four children of Amasa Coleman Lee and Frances Cunningham Finch Lee. Her father, a former newspaper editor and proprietor, was a lawyer who served on the state legislature from 1926 to 1938. As a child, Lee was a tomboy and a precocious reader, and enjoyed the friendship of he...moreEarly life
Harper Lee, known as Nelle, was born in the Alabama town of Monroeville on April 28, 1926, the youngest of four children of Amasa Coleman Lee and Frances Cunningham Finch Lee. Her father, a former newspaper editor and proprietor, was a lawyer who served on the state legislature from 1926 to 1938. As a child, Lee was a tomboy and a precocious reader, and enjoyed the friendship of her schoolmate and neighbor, the young Truman Capote.
After graduating from high school in Monroeville,[2] Lee enrolled at the all-female Huntingdon College in Montgomery (1944-45), and then pursued a law degree at the University of Alabama (1945-50), pledging the Chi Omega sorority. While there, she wrote for several student publications and spent a year as editor of the campus humor magazine, Ramma-Jamma. Though she did not complete the law degree, she studied for a summer in Oxford, England, before moving to New York in 1950, where she worked as a reservation clerk with Eastern Air Lines and BOAC.
Lee continued as a reservation clerk until the late 50s, when she devoted herself to writing. She lived a frugal life, traveling between her cold-water-only apartment in New York to her family home in Alabama to care for her father.

'To Kill a Mockingbird'
Having written several long stories, Harper Lee located an agent in November 1956. The following month at the East 50th townhouse of her friends Michael Brown and Joy Williams Brown, she received a gift of a year's wages with a note: "You have one year off from your job to write whatever you please. Merry Christmas."[3] Within a year, she had a first draft. Working with J. B. Lippincott & Co. editor Tay Hohoff, she completed To Kill a Mockingbird in the summer of 1959. Published July 11, 1960, To Kill a Mockingbird was an immediate bestseller and won great critical acclaim, including the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1961. It remains a bestseller with more than 30 million copies in print. In 1999, it was voted "Best Novel of the Century" in a poll by the Library Journal.(less)

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