To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Warning: So yeah, this book has been known to be banned in schools because of its language. If you aren't okay with reading racial slurs and all, this probably isn't the book for you.
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Historic Fiction
Publishing Date: JB Lippincott & Co. July 11th, 1960
Summary: The unforgettable novel of a childhood in a sleepy Southern town and the crisis of conscience that rocked it, To Kill A Mockingbird became both an instant bestseller and a critical success when it was first published in 1960. It went on to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1961 and was later made into an Academy Award-winning film, also a classic.
Compassionate, dramatic, and deeply moving, To Kill A Mockingbird takes readers to the roots of human behavior - to innocence and experience, kindness and cruelty, love and hatred, humor and pathos. Now with over 18 million copies in print and translated into forty languages, this regional story by a young Alabama woman claims universal appeal. Harper Lee always considered her book to be a simple love story. Today it is regarded as a masterpiece of American literature.
What I Liked: So yeah, I really felt like I needed to review a classic, and I just finished this for school, so why not talk about it. I feel like this is one of those timeless books that seemingly can be put in any time era. The argument of prejudice just never seems to end these days. Another thing I'd like to mention is how much I actually liked each of the "good guy" characters. Usually, I find some sort of flaw in the characters, but either I didn't understand the book correctly, or I genuinely liked each of the characters. They are all so unique and enhance the book quite well. I mean, this book didn't win a gazillion awards for nothing.
What I Didn't Like: Other than the parts mentioned in the "warning" section, one thing I will point out is Part 1. Boy, this slow start trumps all slow start. Imagine a prologue that extends 11 chapters or half the book. That's part 1. Sure, a lot of people argue this helps "set the scene", or that it's "beautifully symbolic", yeah I get that, but I was literally dozing off through parts of part 1. It's just, ugh, could Harper Lee not have thrown in maybe when the sexual assault scene actually happened and everyone's flipping out chapter or something? Just saying.
Rating: 8 out of ten.
Why? Amazing book for you literary geeks (Hey, I'm one too so no one get too mad), but wouldn't recommend for your daily reader.
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Historic Fiction
Publishing Date: JB Lippincott & Co. July 11th, 1960
Summary: The unforgettable novel of a childhood in a sleepy Southern town and the crisis of conscience that rocked it, To Kill A Mockingbird became both an instant bestseller and a critical success when it was first published in 1960. It went on to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1961 and was later made into an Academy Award-winning film, also a classic.
Compassionate, dramatic, and deeply moving, To Kill A Mockingbird takes readers to the roots of human behavior - to innocence and experience, kindness and cruelty, love and hatred, humor and pathos. Now with over 18 million copies in print and translated into forty languages, this regional story by a young Alabama woman claims universal appeal. Harper Lee always considered her book to be a simple love story. Today it is regarded as a masterpiece of American literature.
What I Liked: So yeah, I really felt like I needed to review a classic, and I just finished this for school, so why not talk about it. I feel like this is one of those timeless books that seemingly can be put in any time era. The argument of prejudice just never seems to end these days. Another thing I'd like to mention is how much I actually liked each of the "good guy" characters. Usually, I find some sort of flaw in the characters, but either I didn't understand the book correctly, or I genuinely liked each of the characters. They are all so unique and enhance the book quite well. I mean, this book didn't win a gazillion awards for nothing.
What I Didn't Like: Other than the parts mentioned in the "warning" section, one thing I will point out is Part 1. Boy, this slow start trumps all slow start. Imagine a prologue that extends 11 chapters or half the book. That's part 1. Sure, a lot of people argue this helps "set the scene", or that it's "beautifully symbolic", yeah I get that, but I was literally dozing off through parts of part 1. It's just, ugh, could Harper Lee not have thrown in maybe when the sexual assault scene actually happened and everyone's flipping out chapter or something? Just saying.
Rating: 8 out of ten.
Why? Amazing book for you literary geeks (Hey, I'm one too so no one get too mad), but wouldn't recommend for your daily reader.
I literally just finished this book for school. I completely agree that it has a slow beginning (sigh). It definitely can be put in any time era since prejudice never seems to end. The characters were great though! Thanks for the review. :)
ReplyDeleteOne of my all-time favorite books. Sorry you felt it was slow. By today's standards, I suppose it is, but I think it is deliciously slow. I'm just glad it is still being widely taught. Otherwise so many would miss this great book. Thanks for your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteJust finished reading this for school too! I thought maybe the first couple chapters were slow, but after that I liked reading it a lot. Thanks for the review!
ReplyDelete