Go Set a Watchman in Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge

Jul 14, 2015 Rincey rated it liked it

Your fave is problematic.

Full video review: https://youtu.be/_A7pyFVgmW4 ...more

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Jul 27, 2015 Martha rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I'm struggling to articulate my reaction to this book, possibly because I'm not sure what I really think. I do know that I enjoyed it -- Lee's prose is very different from what I generally read, and I appreciated how naturally it flows, and how easy it is to digest. Overall I'm ultimately conflicted about the book's message because I'm not entirely sure who Lee wants us to think is 'right,' but I can confidently say that I still love Scout, and that I was very touched by her uncle's parting shot ...more

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Jun 03, 2015 Astrid Lim rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: literature, classic, series, america, race, book-club

I'm quite disappointed with this book. Somehow I imagined myself would be walking down the memory lane to the charming Maycomb County with the ever lovable Scout and her brother Jem. Turned out, the journey was very different than I thought it would be. Scout (now 26 years old and called by her real name, Jean Louise) - is no longer fun, innocent, and charming. She's very rigid, a bit boring and unsympathetic. Atticus is a racist, but that's not the worst of all. The worst thing about this book ...more

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Jul 16, 2015 Crystal rated it really liked it · review of another edition

If I were going to rate this book based on its writing, I would give it 2 stars. It is incomplete, chapters end with no transition to the next, there are contradictions throughout, and there’s no real ending. Had this been written by anyone other than Harper Lee, it would have never been published as-is. But because To Kill A Mockingbird was, and still is, so successful, someone thought they could get away with publishing a very rough draft.

Having said that, if you read it for what it is – an in If I were going to rate this book based on its writing, I would give it 2 stars. It is incomplete, chapters end with no transition to the next, there are contradictions throughout, and there’s no real ending. Had this been written by anyone other than Harper Lee, it would have never been published as-is. But because To Kill A Mockingbird was, and still is, so successful, someone thought they could get away with publishing a very rough draft.

Having said that, if you read it for what it is – an initial draft of a story that eventually became To Kill A Mockingbird, it is a fascinating read. As a writer & editor, I couldn’t help but be fascinated by comparing the two drafts. The characters have the same names, but they really aren’t the same characters we find in our beloved To Kill A Mockingbird. Lee started in such a different place in Go Set a Watchman than she ended up in To Kill A Mockingbird. It is such a beautiful example of how an artist’s masterpiece goes through so many different changes before it becomes the final product worth showing to the world. It challenged me as a writer, and as an artist.

It also challenged me as an individual, and I believe the story has incredible potential to spark conversation in a very different way than To Kill A Mockingbird. I’m afraid because the characters are the same, the story lines will be intertwined and people will be upset, simply because the characters aren’t who we think they should be. Early commentary has already shown this to be the case.

I REALLY wish they had done some editing to it – changed the names of the characters, disconnected it from To Kill A Mockingbird, and did the hard work of finishing it into an entirely different book … Because the political, and emotional, issues that arise are SO worth talking about. Especially today, when we find ourselves once again talking about the confederate flag and race relations in all of the U.S., but particularly in the south.

All in all, I think it’s worth a read … but please … go into it knowing it’s a different story, with different characters, that have the same names.

http://www.soulmunchies.com/go-set-a-... ...more

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Jul 15, 2015 Janel rated it really liked it

Enjoyable read. Not as rich and layered as To Kill a Mockingbird but a good book. It didn't change my opinion of To Kill A Mockingbird. Still love that book and the characters. I know this probably was not Harper Lee's plan but the fact that many of us who loved her book and placed Atticus on the same pedestal young Scout did experienced the same sinking feeling that she had when confronted that he was a human with failings. It as if waiting over 50 years gave us more time to idolize the first b ...more

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Nov 01, 2015 Shannon rated it liked it

This book is an interesting companion to To Kill a Mockingbird. I can see why the published novel covers events when Scout was a child. Lee's writing in this book is most alive when Jean Louise is looking back.

The difference in chronological setting also makes TKAM more appealing than GSAW. The latter exposes southern hypocrisy for what it was and shows the cracks in the veneer of southern gentility so carefully cultivated. It was hard to read many parts of this book for both the veiled and out ...more

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Jul 22, 2015 Kate rated it liked it

Shelves: fiction

While I enjoyed this book, I did not move me to the same level that To Kill A Mockingbird did. I found that Lee's style was not quite a fine tuned in this one. Also, since this was really written first, so major details were different than what we know in TKAM. ...more

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Jul 14, 2015 Christian added it

Shelves: fiction, bildungsroman

Motivated by professional curiosity and piqued by the controversy surrounding its publication, I decided to read this book. While I'm not as emotionally invested in To Kill a Mockingbird as many other people, I can certainly understand how many would object to its publication. The book reads like an early draft, with just a bit of polish applied. It is unfocused and under developed. A few passages shone through somewhat but on the whole it reads like what I imagine fan fiction reads like. I don' ...more

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Oct 24, 2015 Jaspreet rated it liked it

I wanted to like Go Set a Watchman so much, but was guarded in my expectations after reading some reviews and hearing the buzz. I was excited to see how much Scout had grown and liked learning about the intricacies in the North and South. Her exchanges were Atticus were still some of my favorites. In spite of these positive things, I still did not feel satisfied with the ending and was disappointed with the changes in Atticus.

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Mar 16, 2023 Laurie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2023

So interesting to read right after To Kill a Mockingbird. I can see how this is a draft of the earlier book. I enjoyed the different characterization of Atticus and the addition of his brother as a main character. I think it is good to read this, but I don’t think it should be treated as a fully fleshed, final book. I can see why it was edited down the week known and beloved classic.

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Jun 02, 2015 Jen Horan marked it as to-read

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