To Kill a Mockingbird
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Hey, Boo: Harper Lee & To Kill a Mockingbird
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What's the name of the film?I heard she was living the life of a recluse, but I also heard that she allows interviews to high school students once a year.
I always dreamed I would meet Harper Lee and JD Salinger. I never met Salinger ... I'll keep holding out hope that I meet Ms. Lee.
My friend was out with a group of people on a snowy night when she was a teenager. The car got stuck outside of Salinger's home. He came out and helped them but also told them to never darken his doorstep again. How cool is that?
I have read he was not exactly gregarious even before he locked himself away from society. I also think I've heard that he was not on friendly terms with his children.
I have the book his daughter wrote, but I have not read it.
I heard she was living the life of a recluse, but I also heard that she allows interviews to high school students once a year."She's not a recluse. She lives in the same town with her sister. If you want to know about her, read Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee
This is a great book with many details.
I got the DVD out of the library yesterday. Already I'm intrigued by the "flap" copy: that Harper Lee dreamed of being the Jane Austen of the South. I think she achieved her dream.
Harper Lee dreamed of being the Jane Austen of the South. I think she achieved her dream."I think she did better than that. I think it's the Great American Novel.
Jay
I watched the DVD. Awesome! Her sister said she'd never publish again, but I'll bet when she dies, someone will find manuscripts in her house, and those will be published for sure.
There is no other book that i dislike more
Ella wrote: "There is no other book that i dislike more"Wow. That's very sad.
Kressel wrote: "I watched the DVD. Awesome! Her sister said she'd never publish again, but I'll bet when she dies, someone will find manuscripts in her house, and those will be published for sure."It's a brilliant little documentary, inspiring in its own way like the movie and the book.
The film mentioned another film portrayal of Harper Lee's assistance to Truman Capote with IN COLD BLOOD. A search has told me there are actually two films on this subject - "Capote" and "Infamous." Can anyone tell me which is better and/or which has more of Harper Lee?
Kressel wrote: "The film mentioned another film portrayal of Harper Lee's assistance to Truman Capote with IN COLD BLOOD. A search has told me there are actually two films on this subject - "Capote" and "Infamous...."Sorry, haven't seen either.
Oh, I disagree with a few of the comments here. I think To Kill A Mockingbird is the one case in American literature in which the film is as luminous as the book.Shelley
Rain: A Dust Bowl Story
http://dustbowlpoetry.wordpress.com
Shelley wrote: "Oh, I disagree with a few of the comments here. I think To Kill A Mockingbird is the one case in American literature in which the film is as luminous as the book.Shelley
Rain: A Dust Bowl Story
h..."
I think you misunderstand. We're not talking about the movie version, but a documentary bio film about Harper Lee called "Hey, Boo." If you like To Kill A Mockingbird (both the book and the movie), you'll probably like this, too.
Kressel wrote: "The film mentioned another film portrayal of Harper Lee's assistance to Truman Capote with IN COLD BLOOD. A search has told me there are actually two films on this subject - "Capote" and "Infamous...."I've seen both films and didn't feel like either one really fleshed out the Harper Lee character but I enjoyed both actresses' (Sandra Bullock and Catherine Keener) portrayals. Personally, I enjoyed Capote more than Infamous but I would recommend you see them both.
I recently saw a production of TKAM at our local reperatory theater and it was fantastic. Harper Lee is portrayed as the narrator.
Should I read In Cold Blood first?
Kressel wrote: "Should I read In Cold Blood first?"It will give you a better understanding of the movies but if you are just watching to see the Harper Lee character then I wouldn't bother. It's a good book, however, especially if you like true crime.
In Cold Blood scared me to death (almost)... it's one that isn't nearly as scary in movie form (at least for wimpy me).Glad Kressl had this in her updates....I just put Boo on my blockbuster list!
I thought the movie, TKAM, was excellent. I want to read the book, but I've never gotten around to it.
Capote was ok as a movie, but it didn't really give very much of Harper Lee's character. It was more centered on Truman and his struggles.
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To Kill a Mockingbird (other topics)
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Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee (other topics)To Kill a Mockingbird (other topics)
It is kind of a literary biography/literary analysis mashup, with a bit of civil rights movement history thrown in. Though Nelle Harper Lee's (I love that all of her peeps always add the Nelle) voice is absent (and has been since 1964!!!), a handful of authors, friends/Monroeville locals, other celebrity-types, and (my favorite) her 99 year old sister, Alice Finch Lee, who is still a practicing attorney in their dad's former firm, tell the story.
It covers Lee's struggles to write the book and find a publisher (while working as an airline ticket agent, I didn't see that in the film Capote), its quasi-autobiographic nature, her relationship with Truman Capote (aka Dill) and his envy of her Pulitzer, and of course the success of the movie adaptation.
The final piece of the film addresses the fact that her efforts at a second novel never really never got off the ground, largely due to Mockingbird's crazy success. I loved that one of her pals felt that if the book had only been 2/3's as successful, she would probably have written more, but Lee felt that the only place to go was down. Of course it is countered by one of the authors that if she had been less financially successful, the need to pay the bills might have been incentive enough to continue her work.
Finally, while all involved say she is far from a recluse, my favorite story in the film holds Lee (who was obviously Scout in the book itself) feels that she is in fact Boo Radley. This last, was told to Oprah Winfrey by Lee in explaining why she couldn't give her an interview...fascinating.