‘To kill a Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee

—BUS RIDING BOOKS—
‘To kill a Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee
Here is my review of the book...

Not finishing a book I’ve started is unlike me. Honest. But I couldn’t possibly go further than chapter 12 of that classic novel. There were about 20 other chapters to go through but I couldn’t go on despite the book being high up on my ‘bibliotherapy prescription’ received 6 months ago from Alain de Botton’s School of Life. They knew I was going to be a dad and thought I would feel inspired by a book that, they said, portrays “the most admirable father in all of literature”. They went on explaining that Atticus Finch is the central character all wannabe dads need to study in order to be the best possible father.

In fact, the book is more about racial prejudice than anything else, according to Wikipedia: “the primary themes of To Kill a Mockingbird involve racial injustice and the destruction of innocence. Scholars have noted that Lee also addresses issues of class, courage, compassion, and gender roles in the American Deep South. The book is widely taught in schools in the United States with lessons that emphasize tolerance and decry prejudice”.

The fact is: Wiki don’t mention fatherhood at all, maybe for a reason. Atticus Finch “wears glasses, works in an office, doesn’t play poker nor smoke or drink. He just sits in the living room and reads”. He also happens to defend the case of Tim Robinson, a black man and he’s getting all sorts of trouble for doing so. And at some point he says: “it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird”... It should all make sense given the title of the book, except it doesn’t, but I guess it’s all down the fact I was expecting something else. I wanted to read an inspiring story about being a super dad. And I don’t think this book is what I was looking for...

If you have a suggestion for a book truly depicting “the most admirable father in all of literature”, then let me know! Thanks heaps.

Ollie