Am I the only one...

[Phillip]

Probably the best book about not killing Mockingbirds ever written. Let's move on.

[[deleted user]]

Phillip,

Is there a reason that you are in this discussions group? If not, please move on.

[Malia]

Thanks Rita! I appreciate your explanation. Part of my problem was that I didn't understand what the book was even about and apparently I got it confused with a movie I saw once that did nothing but turn my stomach. So I will borrow it from the library soon and take a look at it. As far as gore goes, I've had enough of it. I also don't feel that I have to know every turn of the knife, every drop of blood, and every horror to learn about an atrocious period of time or person in history. So I am careful about how graphic something is that I read or watch. I do agree though, that if the time or person was bloody and horrid then you can't leave it completely out or pretend it wasn't all that bad. Thanks again!

[[deleted user]]

I'm not a fan of the gore either - and tend to avoid it. You won't find it here...I assure you. Glad I was able to help you, and hope you read the book...if you STILL have any hesitation, this is probably the only case where I'd say, "if you're still not sure, see the movie!" After seeing it, I don't think you'll be able to keep your hands OFF the book! Good luck!

[Xinyuan]

another brilliant book by american author

[Becky]

I like how this book affects people on so many levels. This past year one of my learning disabled students had to read this book for his English class (I'm a special education teacher). He started out calling it a racist book, because of the use of the "N" word (He is African American). Rather than get into an arguement I couldn't win with him, I asked him to hold on to that opinion, and we would discuss it when he completed the book. We worked together on it at odd times throughout the term whenever he needed extra help with the assignments. At the end we revisited the racist accusation. He had completely changed his mind based on how Atticus addressed Scout's use of the hated word. It made an impression upon him, made him think for himself (which is something a lot of kids find difficult these days), and I'm sure, in the future he will look back upon the assignment not with dread, but with pleasure. Reading TKAM was a great learning opportunity for him and a memorable teaching experience for me.

[Shelley]

Scoutsbff: you sound like a fabulous teacher.

And I love--love--that book.


Shelley
Rain: A Dust Bowl Story
http://dustbowlpoetry.wordpress.com

[MizziQ]

Wow you must be a truly gifted teacher. I loved this book and it makes me sad when people don't love it the same way.

[Torie]

DULLSVILLE.
That's the word to describe this book.
*Yawnyawnyawnyawn*

[Richard]

it's hackneyed and cloying in parts, but it has it's heart in the right place. the court case is laughably dumb, but the childhood view is wonderfully done - so yeah, a hit and miss book, when it misses it sails past the target and lands in self mockery (minor spoiler - the court scenes - as the prosecution stands to speak the kids are ushered out and meet an old white chap who loves a black lady - i;m not belittling the message that racial equality is an utter necessity but the book is so ham fisted in it's delivery of that message). good yes, classic? shit no!

[Absar Ahmed Khan]

overwhelming book! The movie is equally brilliant

[Julia]

The expectation was maybe too great, as everybody always rave about this book. Not bad, but it didn't move me ... I read it a few years ago and can't even remember the detail. Sorry, just my opinion ... :)

[Fangirl Musings]

I think Mark Twain said it best in that "a classic is a book people praise and do not read." While I don't always feel that's entirely accurate, there is some truth to the quotation. While I have indeed read To Kill a Mockingbird, I think to a great degree the book is quite like any other. There entail good elements, and bad.

More so, however, it never fails to amaze me that classics, while containing specific aspects that do permit them to continue their notoriety throughout time, are fundamentally problematic. One the one hand, literature is a living entity which changes with each passing generation, so judging a work by today's social and literary standards becomes double edged. And, still, even so the story of humanity, the emotions and experiences we suffer and triumph, never alter, and thus a classic can, and often does, endure.

(Note: Please forgive my diatribe. Occasionally thoughts strike me and I'm not capable of keeping silent, LOL.)

[Julia]

Jacqueline wrote: "I think Mark Twain said it best in that "a classic is a book people praise and do not read." While I don't always feel that's entirely accurate, there is some truth to the quotation. While I have i..."

Interesting ... :)

[Samantha]

I was bored.

[Greg]

One of the best books ever written! I love that there is a moral to the story. Nobody writes like this anymore! Give us more characters like Atticus Finch who inspire us to be good, instead of all the characters in many books today that try to make us feel ok for being 'bad'.

[[deleted user]]

Greg, as a writer, I thoroughly agree with you. People who don't 'get' this book, get me. This book is about truth and justice. Morals, principles and courage to stand up for them in the face of prejudice, narrow mindedness, threats, cruelty and inhumanity. As a South African, I wish this book had been part of our school reading when I was at school - I believe it would have had the power to sway people a generation before Mandela was released.

[Julia]

Malla wrote: "Greg, as a writer, I thoroughly agree with you. People who don't 'get' this book, get me. This book is about truth and justice. Morals, principles and courage to stand up for them in the face of pr..."

I'm also a South African - maybe I should read this book again. I read it a few years ago and it didn't make a lasting impression on me, but maybe the timing was wrong. :)

[Greg]

Greg wrote: "One of the best books ever written! I love that there is a moral to the story. Nobody writes like this anymore! Give us more characters like Atticus Finch who inspire us to be good, instead of a..."

Malla, I wish more writers would write to inspire truth and justice. We need books that challenge us to apply morality, principles, and courage (as you stated) to make a difference in our world. A book can be 'entertaining' and inspirational at the same time. It doesn't have to be either / or. Thanks for your post!

[Atarah]

Malla wrote: "Greg, as a writer, I thoroughly agree with you. People who don't 'get' this book, get me. This book is about truth and justice. Morals, principles and courage to stand up for them in the face of pr..."

I agree with you. This book is absolutely about the truth, justice. Of coarse morals and courage. There should be more books written such as this one.

[Juliet]

it was one of those books you were told would be amazing and because it is considered a classic, you just have to read it, and then you r kind of let down. I still enjoyed it though, but it wasn't something I would reread

[[deleted user]]

Please don't tell me, Rebecca, that you are only on the first few pages?

I read this in 9th grade English. I think very few of us actually read the book, rather than going on SparkNotes (wow..with that website, what's the point of teaching literature to high school students?). I'm glad I read it.

Like others said, give it time. The character development is superb.

[Patti]

I didn't like this either. Perhaps because we were forced to read it? I agree that there were some good moral lessons, but it just couldn't capture my attention. I wasn't excited to get to the ending. I didn't care for Scout or Jem. In truth, the only reason I didn't SparkNotes it was because the enigma of Boo Radley kept me reading.

Juliet, you summed it up perfectly. The hype builds up your expectations, but the story fails to follow through.

[MaryC]

Bradley wrote: "To Kill A Mockingbird is The Great American Novel... ." Well, A Great American Novel, anyway. THE Great American Novel is probably one that was written about 120 years ago and involves a raft journey down the Mississippi.

[Kassy]

I had to read this book during freshmen year in high school. Also I am glad that I read it since it was definitely a great book.

[Qing]

I hadn't read this book until it was picked up for our book club two years ago, by then I was already a parent myself. I love this novel very much, especially how Atticus treated his children and taught them to "walk in the other's shoes", which made me think more about how to be a good parent.

Love it when Atticus said "Most people are (real nice), Scout, when you finally see them."

[Taylor]

This book was alright. I didn't really enjoy reading it in my 8th grade class. But I do have to say I did fall in love with the characters. They were written well.

[Trent]

I read the book in 5th grade.

[Trent]

Rebecca wrote: "who was underwhelmed by this book?"

I read the book in 5th grade, pretty good book. To me it got dry at some points, but over all, it was a good book.

[Susan]

I first read this book as a junior in high school. It was the year of American Lit and we had to choose a book from a list to read and take a test on. I chose To Kill a Mockingbird and it became one of my favorite books ever. Looking at the world of the American South through a young girl's eyes, and the unwavering goodness of her father makes it a superb piece of American literature. If you want to understand America, TKAM definitely helps to understand that time and that place.

[Citra]

Well, I don't find this book overwhelming either.

I wasn't really impressed, to me this book is so overrated.

[Hylian Princess]

I read this book in 8th grade, and I loved it! However, I had an amazing teacher who showed me all the symbols laced throughout the story. You would be surprised how many there are! The historical significance of this book also makes it a great read!

[[deleted user]]

I was completely OVERWHELMED by this book. It was incredible.

[Brandi]

This is my favorite book of all time. Want to read it again.

[Tim]

Not being American, this book was not on my high school reading list. I read (most of it) on a plane going to Australia in 1979 and enjoyed it immensely. I have an inbuilt prejudice against books that are on school reading lists after being forced to read a lot of books I didn't like and for the most part still don't like (Dickens features heavily on this list).

Our opinions of the books we read at school are fairly fixed, I have found, unless we bring ourselves to read them again as adults with a few years experience of life.

I love this book, but I don't think I would have liked it when I was 11 or 12.

[John]

In the spring of 1963 To Kill a Mockingbird somehow made it in to our home. My mother had read it. I picked it up started reading it and it kept my interest. I carried the book to school and was casually reading it waiting for my 9th grade English class to start. Mrs. Kennedy, my teacher, saw me reading the book and politely walked over to me asked if my parents knew I was reading this. I said I presume so since they had read it. She took the book from me and told me to get it after class and I was not to bring it back to school. I complied. Fast forward to 1974, now I'm the English teacher about to introduce this book to my class of 9th graders. Of course the story of how I was forbidden to bring the book to school spurs my students to read it all the more. So yes I think this is an important book for the story it tells and the craft of the telling.

[Drew]

Malia wrote: "I have heard about the book but have never read it. I have gotten the impression that there is a killing in it and I don't want to read about blood and guts or rapes, etc. Have I gotten the wrong..."

You have gotten the wrong idea, not bloody or gory at all.

[Tanvi]

Malia wrote: "I have heard about the book but have never read it. I have gotten the impression that there is a killing in it and I don't want to read about blood and guts or rapes, etc. Have I gotten the wrong..."

I think the deleted member has put it really well Malia... Don't read TKAM because it's a classic, so widely acclaimed and all that. Read it as a beautiful sketch of the world around us through the eyes of two completely adorable kids... How they perceive the evil, hypocrisy, injustice and other drawbacks of the human nature without losing their innocence or becoming pre-mature.

[Jasmin]

It was just okay... Not that great as credited for..

[Jamey]

Loved the book but loved the movie better. Of course I might be a little biased considering it's based in my home state.

[Sukey]

I read the book and saw the movie. Both are absolute standouts, but the film is especially memorable to me because as an ardent Gregory Peck fan, I have watched his Atticus Finch character SO many times.

[Emma]

i think that the book was well structured and written but i dont think it was exciting at all... it was completely, utterly & totally boring! It lacked something exciting

[Therese]

Anything that expands your consciousness, your willingness to think and or feel in a new way is the best purpose of writing. Back when many of us read this book in school, at least in my time, it awakened our thinking of those times to the hypocrisy and evil that existed then, and clearly still does, and to the capacity and choice we all have to do and be better.

[Melissa]

Christopher wrote: "How can you not fall in love with Scout?"

Exactly!

[Brenda]

ashwini wrote: "no, i was too. Even when I read it in the 8th grade."

There are three of us who are unimpressed.

[Nanci]

If this book is read by a student who has been assigned to read the book, well, they go into it looking for the meaning that they are expected to find. I read this book as a student and then as an adult at different times of my life. Reading for enjoyment, I found this book to be incredibly rich and, ultimately, my favorite book. If you didn't enjoy it the first time, no worries. Read it in a few years, you won't regret it.

[Gretchen]

It wasn't my favorite in school either. Perhaps if I read it now as an adult I would enjoy it more. However, I enjoyed other books on the topic and era at the same age better. For example "Roll of thunder hear my cry."

[Toni]

Jonelle wrote: "I think this book is definitely a 'right time' book--you've got to read it at the right time to have it hit you with any sort of impact. But it is also a book that when you read it at different tim..."

Jonelle wrote: "I think this book is definitely a 'right time' book--you've got to read it at the right time to have it hit you with any sort of impact. But it is also a book that when you read it at different tim..."

I completely agree. The appreciation and love I had for this book was much different reading it as an adult vs. when I was in high school. As an adult, I really appreciated the character development and the integrity they displayed.

[Candida]

To Kill a Mockingbird incorporates the POV of southern whites who regarded themselves as above racism and racists. One widely accepted canard the story advances is that only crude people are racist. It's a story with some fine moments but it's also mired in its era and its geographic origins. For example, although the black man's dilemma is pivotal to the action, it turns out to be almost incidental, at least as regards its effect on the man himself. His plight's primary import is to reveal the nobility of Atticus and the budding nobility of Scout.

[Kariann]

My favorite book. I enjoyed the time era, the characters, the lesson learned and how brave atticus is outside the jail and the courtroom. I actuary isn't read this book in school I actually read it a few years ago! I highly recommend this book.