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To Kill a Mockingbird
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2015 September BOTM (To Kill a Mockingbird)
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Discovered this book when I was 15 and 30 years later it remains my favourite book that I read time and time again. Maycomb city is a world away from where I grew up and yet Harper Lee can take make you feel like you know every neighbour and character in the town. Her characters are three dimensional real people that you can relate to. Even the Ewell family who you want to despise but cant because Harper Lee allows you to see how their upbringing and situation has formed them into the people they are. Situations that happened in a different era can still be related to today because the author has the ability to reach into a character and bring out their hopes and fears, their good and bad traits, their humanity and that remains timeless and is borderless. Above all she writes with a truth that doesnt try to sugar coat or make things right. Atticus knows that he has to represent Tom Robinson because it's the right thing to do even though he also knows that he will suffer for doing it. She teaches us that sometimes the right thing is the hardest and most punishing thing to do and that bad things happen to good people. An Excellent read.
Read this for the first time in June our local library was doing a month long program on it. Amazing story, written in the way that you can see the story. Now it's time to see the movie.
I was in 8th grade when I chose to read this wonderful insightful story. The characters all have their own individuality--they are very real to me. I love how the story is told and seen through a child, Scout--and how she tries to make sense of what I'd happening in her world around her. (The movie is super close to the book.) I had lots of fun reading this book as well as writing about it. I love the Finch Family. Harper Lee did an masterful job.
I am starting this one today. Have a lot going on this upcoming week but I'm excited to read this one:)
When I read TKAM, I wondered what all the fuss was about. Don't get me wrong, the book is a fine book. I enjoyed the southern-life feel of it, and many of the characters. But I wasn't deeply moved by it. It didn't have the depth of writing that really speaks to me. I like it about as well as The Lilies of the Field and certain reads by Capote the name of which escapes me at the moment. I did find the child's view an interesting one as she grappled with adult issues as well as childhood and all its other mysteries. If anything made me uncomfortable, it was the child-like simple writing. At times i liked her perspective and how she misinterpreted things which as an adult I could recognize for what they really were; at times I wanted more detailed description of southern living. I tend that way: I enjoy expanded description. But some southern writing excels at leaving things unspoken, and I sometimes like that as well.
Enjoyable book.
Ah- The Grass Harp, by Truman Capote. For southern reading, this was a better one for me. In my southern lifetime, trees figured grandly in my life, and they did as well in Grass Harp.
I have purchased a copy of this just today! i m so excited :D
I just read TKAM in May as part of a reading challenge I'm participating in thru another Goodreads group. I thoroughly enjoyed it. :) I loved how the story was told through the eyes of a child growing up during a tumultuous time for America. Scout was growing up in a time when racism was very blatant and an accepted way of life. But, there were those who tried to stand up and fight against this racism. Harper Lee captured this very well. At least in my opinion. :) The characters were very believable and I felt what they were feeling. Made me sad to realize that even though racism isn't accepted as a way of life today, it is still rampant, and at times, very blatant. :( TKAM is still a relatable story, despite taking place in the 1930's.
Can anyone explain one part of the book? At the end, when Heck Tate is looking at Scout's costume, it says:"He pointed with a long forefinger. A shiny clean line stood out on the dull wire. 'Bob Ewell meant business,' Mr. Tate murmured."
What does it mean by the "shiny clean line"?
Anyway, I just finished the book and will post the short review I wrote that addresses some of the questions in the first post:
I have somehow managed to live for 26 years in the US without reading it, and I had always been under the impression that it was a book about race. Race is only one part of a larger story about acceptance of other people and respect for the various ways they choose (or are compelled) to live, touching gender roles, seclusion, poverty, and even old age illness and addiction. Scout, a young tomboyish girl, is possibly the most endearing narrator of any book I have read, and she takes readers back to their childhood.
I feel like some parts/characters of the book are too black and white, particularly in its treatment of black characters, who pretty much exclusively behave like saints. Similarly, a certain villain has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. This lack of ambiguity slightly hurts the theme of acceptance and is out of place in a book that otherwise so often surprises the reader by delving into the parts of people that often go unconsidered when we pass judgement.
In 10th grade English class, this was the book we read for the first few weeks. Well, most of the class read it. I really kind of skipped most of it, but I paid really good attention during the movie so I would pass the test!At any rate, childhood guilt led me to choose this as the book of the month. I just picked it up this weekend and I'm about 1/5 of the way through. I know the major plot line, but I'm struck by a few things as I read.
There is a lot more character development in this story that I thought. I'm really surprised at (and enjoy) the time spent developing the childrens' characters. This does a marvelous job at introducing Maycomb County to me, as if I'm learning it through the eyes of a child.
So far, the story is filled with children's playfulness, but it strikes me how often serious subjects come up. It makes you think how much children see and understand as they grow up.
My favorite part, so far, is the exposure to southern food. I've read of butterbeans, molasses and crackle bread. There's allusion to cake and scuppernogs, too. Of course, I can't forget the mid-morning lemonade. Even though the food part is a bit silly to get excited about, it's interesting to see how the reference to food brings comfort and reminders of home/safety. I have a feeling I might have to have a TKAM food week!
Wow, this was so much better than I ever thought it would be. I can't believe I skipped reading this so many years ago.To respond to Angela's questions from the first post in this thread:
1. How do you feel about the story and the book overall?
This story had so many themes, but it seemed to speak to me most about acceptance of others. Through Scout's eyes, there were a lot of challenges she faced, but I absolutely loved how Atticus guided her (sometimes directly, and sometimes through her upbringing). I grew to care about the characters, cried a few times and laughed a lot. Ultimately, I found the story to be engaging and moving.
2. Do the characters seem real and believable? Can you relate to their predicaments? To what extent do they remind you of yourself or someone you know?
Atticus seemed too perfect, and the kids (almost) seemed too grown up. But those faults are easily forgiven. While most of the townspeople seemed to exhibit an extreme of character in some way, they came together for a story I could relate to.
The predicaments seemed real enough. I've known people with prejudices like the ones shown in the book.
Overall, I'd say that Atticus reminds me of the typical wise man. I can't pin down a single name to give you, but many people have filled this role for me in my life at various times. So, in a way, at times I felt like Scout, making plenty of mistakes and doing my best to learn from the wisdom of others. In the end, I suspect that Jem is probably a better fit for me. I'm still learning and probably always will, but do my best to impart what I've learned to other people.
3. Did certain parts of the book make you uncomfortable? If so, why did you feel that way? Did this lead to a new understanding or awareness of some aspect of your life you might not have thought about before?
There were a few uncomfortable scenes. Without resorting to spoilers, the several deaths were a bit tough. The last one I almost cheered, but it was surrounded by a very uncomfortable scene.
In the case of every one of those uncomfortable moments, I'm left with the thought that one person can make a difference. If that one person, in the right place at the right time, fails to act for the good, then evil prevails and a travesty ensues. So, I guess that when we're most uncomfortable, we need our values more than ever - we need to do the right thing.
1. How do you feel about the story and the book overall?I have found it less than ordinary. The characters are either Good or Bad. There is almost no complexity in it. Although the writers agenda is worth noting. But it was not well executed.
2. Do the characters seem real and believable? Can you relate to their predicaments? To what extent do they remind you of yourself or someone you know?
No. The Characters lacked any complexity whatsoever. The bad guy was a Bad guy. The good guy remain good throughout the Book
3. Did certain parts of the book make you uncomfortable? If so, why did you feel that way? Did this lead to a new understanding or awareness of some aspect of your life you might not have thought about before?
Yes. The whole child narrator ideas did make me learn new things about children. It was interesting.
Several people on this thread have mentioned that the good characters remain good, simply good that is to say, and the bad characters are simply bad. I find this comment fascinating. I am now reflecting back over the last several books I've read and am asking myself about this theme: how do you feel about the simple good/simple bad as opposed to the more nuanced- or complicated- or multifaceted nature of characters who are mostly good or mostly bad, with a little of each mixed in with the other? Do you ever find the simpler version interesting? Do you ever find the nuanced version too much a matter of blurring too many lines?I find the good vs. bad simple model to be refreshing from time to time. I like a good guy with confidence and who usually achieves his goals. It gives brighter hope to me as the reader. I also like bad guys who are just bad, because there sometimes a person, no matter their back story, has simply chosen to make really horrible choices. On the other hand, I also enjoy the multiple facets of a good character who has his bad habits or poor thinking from time to time- his hubris, for example- because it does usually round him out. He can appear more human, more relatable. But sometimes it just muddies the waters. And at the same time, I do enjoy a bad guy who has a credible back story and depth of character.
In one book I'm reading, the protagonist is nearly perfect, but it is not brought off well. In another book I just read, the main character was rough around the edges but had a solid foundation to his character.
Recently I did read a good guy character who had immense confidence, which some readers might interpret as arrogance. I also recall a movie I saw recently where the bad guy was the most fascinating character in the whole thing.
I quickly lose interest in a book if everyone is about the same low moral fiber- all characters about as bad as all the rest, especially. That does nothing for me.
Lora, I almost always prefer more rounded, nuanced characters. Just like real people, it's rare to find someone that is only good or only bad
I believe the author provided enough characters who had their bad and good traits to be forgiven for having one very good hero and one very bad villain. Not ALL characters in a book have to be ambiguous to paint a real world picture. I, frankly, know some people very like the Bob Ewell in the book and found him totally realistic. In this instance, we are already feeling sympathy for Boo Radley who stabbed his father with a pair of scissors, Mrs. Dubose, an extremely mean and verbally abusive morphine addict, and even Scout herself, who torments the neighborhood shut-in and beats people up on occasion. To make Tom Robinson a bit shady and suspicious and Bob Ewell a great guy underneath would, in my opinion, be overkill and ruin the plot.
I've been wanting to reread this book for a while, and I'm so glad I did. I enjoyed the story being told from Scout's perspective. As a teacher, it was very amusing reading about Scout's first day of school. The ending was abrupt for me; I felt like I was missing out on more of the story. Other than that, I loved this book!
Shannon wrote: "I believe the author provided enough characters who had their bad and good traits to be forgiven for having one very good hero and one very bad villain. Not ALL characters in a book have to be ambi..."Well said Shannon :)
1. How do you feel about the story and the book overall?I adored it. I somehow avoided this book despite being in Honors/AP English courses in high school and majoring in English Literature in college. I am a sucker for coming-of-age stories (so if anyone has any recommendations, let me know!). While I agree with some criticisms that things were a bit too black-and-white (such as the African-Americans being saintly, the man at the top of the social chain--Atticus--representing good while the poor man--Ewell--represents evil), I do think it does an excellent job of capturing this time and place while remaining relatable to modern readers.
2. Do the characters seem real and believable? Can you relate to their predicaments? To what extent do they remind you of yourself or someone you know?
I do think Scout and Jem read a little too mature, even toward the beginning, but I can forgive the book that as I think Scout might be one of my favorite narrators ever. I find the characters pretty true to life--people are good and bad wherever you go, and I think that's a pretty strong theme throughout the book. Atticus is forever emphasizing sympathizing with other people, and I like that we're presented with different characters who are both good and bad. I think it's easy to forget that everyone is a complex individual with both good and bad inside of them, and I think Lee makes a strong case for emphasizing and celebrating the good while understanding and forgiving the bad without excusing it. Also, Atticus is a hunk--he's been added to my ever-growing list of book boyfriends.
I also find Scout and Jem's maturation believable. I think we can all look back at our childhoods and trace the events that slowly inched us past childhood innocence and into adult reality. I found myself reflecting upon my own childhood and similar moments as I read.
3. Did certain parts of the book make you uncomfortable? If so, why did you feel that way? Did this lead to a new understanding or awareness of some aspect of your life you might not have thought about before?
I don't know that I ever felt uncomfortable--I definitely felt angry at the town's racism, and I felt a bit melancholy after the trial scene as I reflected how much the black community still suffers, and how the scars and ghosts of racism are still very much present in our modern world. Thankfully a lot has changed, but we still need to work on it.
I did have a really strong reaction to Mayella Ewell. I loathed her with every fiber of my being--I can understand that she's led a sad and lonely life, but my god if she isn't up there with Umbridge on my most-hated characters list. Bob is just a caricature to me, so it's impossible to hate him because he doesn't feel real, but Mayella...ooh, she is on my burn list.
Overall, I really loved this book, and I look forward to rereading it in years to come, as it strikes me as the kind of the book that contains new messages as one gets older and sees more and more of the world.
This isn't an exciting book for me, but reading all the great insights makes me think I'm going to have to read it again one of these days. Everyone's given me lots to think about.
1. How do you feel about the story and the book overall? I thought it was a good book, not necessarily great or life changing.2. Do the characters seem real and believable? Can you relate to their predicaments? To what extent do they remind you of yourself or someone you know? I have lived in the south off and on my whole adult life. These characters exist, these small towns exist. In 2015 they are out there with very similar attitudes and people.
3. Did certain parts of the book make you uncomfortable? If so, why did you feel that way? Did this lead to a new understanding or awareness of some aspect of your life you might not have thought about before?
Honestly I wasn't uncomfortable at all. I think we as a nation and people have a long way to go still but considering the underlying race issues that are STILL going on perhaps it is more correct to say I have been desensitized to the sensationalism of it. Which is retrospect is probably just a little sad.
About the story: I loved the book! And I will miss Scout. For me, she is the most important character, not Atticus. She is such a great girl trying to do the best she can in the place she lives and trying to understand what is going around her.I think the characters are really believable. Here in Brazil, we still have some people who have this kind of prejudice. They are spoken of as jokes but are still prejudice anyway. Here we have laws that obligate public universities to have vacancies for black people, so that even if they doesn't have the best grade at the exam to enter the college, they still can study there. It's difficult to explain that in english... haha But the fact is, the government is still trying to fix what slavery has caused in the past. Since 1888 when the african slaves were set free, we are still trying to fix what the prejudice has done to them. I hope one day we really succeed.
About the part that made me uncomfortable, I don't know if I understood it correctly, but can kids learn how to shoot in the US? In Brazil we can not. People are not allowed to have guns or learn how to use it until we are at least 25 years old.
Rose wrote: "About the story: I loved the book! And I will miss Scout. For me, she is the most important character, not Atticus. She is such a great girl trying to do the best she can in the place she lives and..."I loved Scout too! She didn't always understand what was going on around her, but often instinctively made the right decision anyway. I loved the part where she saved her family by making Mr. Cunningham ashamed of what he was about to do outside the jail.
Yes, kids often have bb guns or pellet guns here in the US. Also, paintball guns are really popular. Most of these won't hurt a person too badly, but a lot of small furry animals lose their lives. Not everyone would agree with me, but I like the rule you have in Brazil about not allowing people to shoot until they are 25 and hopefully responsible enough to use a gun properly.
April wrote: "1. How do you feel about the story and the book overall?I adored it. I somehow avoided this book despite being in Honors/AP English courses in high school and majoring in English Literature in co..."
If you like coming of age stories, have you read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn? It features a northern versus southern setting and city versus small town, but, like To Kill a Mockingbird, social issues are interwoven with a good story line and a character you care about.
And, yes, Mayella was the worst, wasn't she?!
I didn't care for Mayella at all! I felt sorry for her and felt she was lonely and desperate. For me the secondary characters made the book. Boo p, Dill, The Ms. Stephanie's and whatnot. These people and their quirkiness were a joy to read. Even the evil ones.
Angela wrote: "To Kill a Mockingbird has earned many distinctions since its original publication in 1960. It won the Pulitzer Prize, has been translated into more than forty languages, sold more than thirty milli..."I have read this novel a couple of times along time ago. For this time through I listened to it on Audible during my commutes. Listening to the southern drawl of Sissy Spacek brought the story to life.
1. I loved the book. I think I enjoyed it more and I think that has to do with my perspective. My first reading was probably in junior high or high school (early 1970's) and was my introduction to the American South & it's segregation. I'm sure my second time through was when I was in my late 20's. Now I am in my mid-50s and I see even more value to the story and have a wider perspective of the themes.
2. The characters seem very real to me. Scout's view on the world around her was so well done. It took me back to my childhood when I use to watch the adults around me & listen to their conversations & try to make sense of it all. I use to come up with all sorts of explanations for things, just like Scout. I didn't have an older sibling to go to like Jem. If some of the characters weren't as well rounded it made sense because Scout's relationship to them was more distant. As for the ultra good guy Atticus, don't we all put our fathers on pedestals? Some people didn't like Mayella... She was a victim of her circumstance: extreme poverty, uneducated & physically abused by her father. Yes she lied and I don't agree with that but she was trying to survive her father's wrath & the shame of seducing a black man out of extreme loneliness. I felt bad for her.
3. The racial relations of the American South brought to live n the book made me uncomfortable. Partly just because of the historic racism portrayed in the story but also because of current race relations. So even the seemingly docile relationship with Calpurnia the housekeeper was uncomfortable. All her time was spent at the Finch's house taking care of Scout & Jem when she had a whole family of her own to take care of. She was treated better than most black housekeepers by Atticus & he included her as part of the family but she was still separate & different. Also the whole aspect of Tom Robinson being found guilty of something that was proven that he did not do. The jury of white men found him guilty because he was black. This is still happening today. Black men are considered guilty first and shot dead before they can even get to trial.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it would be one that I would read again.
Sorry I don't get this book at all. I think it was a book of it's time and that is why it caused such a stir and achieved so much acclaim, but I am not sure it would so today. No one would take much notice of a white lawyer defending a black man, both of which we could no longer state the colour of. There is also too many extra characters, many of them women with nothing to do but have tea and twitter about everything and nothing. I think my favourite character has to be Calpurnia because no matter what was going on around her she remained true to her people and her values.
Those are actually good insights, well explained. It isn't one of my favorite books, and I don't get the amazing following it has. However, I enjoy seeing the different responses to it. If I were to pick a book, I would reach for Ellis Peters, Ray Bradbury, or Robin McKinley. Those are timeless works!
I finally caught up with his for my Classics catch up challenge. I don't know why it took so long for me to read this or why I didn't read it in high school like everyone else seems to have done so. I really enjoyed it. One of my favorite parts is (view spoiler)
Here are some comments for my Catch Up Challenge:This is such a heavily reviewed book that I do not intend to go to any depths of analysis. For now, I will focus on merely the Southern small-town Depression-era environment captured by Harper Lee, and on the journey the children take in following Atticus' advice never to judge someone until you have walked in his shoes.
As Atticus himself explains to Scout after her first challenging day at school, the farmers are dirt poor (having to deal with entailment and mortgages), and so are the professionals like Atticus because the small town culture is such a co-dependent society. So the fact that the Cunninghams cannot pay their lawyers' or doctors' fees is the norm, and they take pride in payment in kind (or trade, if you prefer). Worthless people like the Ewells have a place as well, and it is appropriate that they live right next to the dump in order to salvage what little they can use. These themes of co-dependency are evident upon every page, and they matter to the identity of the town.
Given that background/environment, it is little wonder that a black man subjected to "white man's justice" will never get a fair trial. The town's identity cannot contemplate such a thing. Just read through the parlay of what is fair and not fair within the women's ministry groups to get a proper feel for the supposed "audacity" of any black man who dares to walk by the Ewells' house on the only way home to the Negro section of town. In many ways, this parlay reminds me distinctly of exactly the same thing today when black protesters rally against what they perceive as police brutality.
So if there is one thing from this book that gives us a call to look at our current situation, I think it is that "black man's justice" can never be as good as "white man's justice." It has a kind of tribal feeling to it. And I suspect that inherent social acts of racism stem directly from what we perceive to be tribal loyalties. Whites can never understand what black men endure, simply because they only know the rules that bind together their own families and friends. And the converse is also true of course, for black men and women.
There is nothing new in this book from what we already know about the world from Faulkner and other great southern writers. But it captures that small-town environment brilliantly, and speaks to many people through the constantly questioning eyes of Scout, Jem, and Dill.
Read this one for the Catch-Up Challenge. I read this book in high school, but I've understood a lot more from it while reading it as an adult. I liked it again, but perhaps not on my all time favourites list. I did like Scout - it's was a great way to frame this story, through the eyes of a child.
1. How do you feel about the story and the book overall?
2. Do the characters seem real and believable? Can you relate to their predicaments? To what extent do they remind you of yourself or someone you know?
3. Did certain parts of the book make you uncomfortable? If so, why did you feel that way? Did this lead to a new understanding or awareness of some aspect of your life you might not have thought about before?
I look forward to your posts! The same questions will be posted for The Scarlet Letter if you want to answer them for that one as well!