To Kill a Mockingbird
by Harper Lee
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Book Reviews of To Kill a Mockingbird
Book Review: A Moving Reading of a Wonderful Book by Roses Prichard
Summary: 5 Stars
Like many youngsters, I was assigned To Kill a Mockingbird to read as a 15 year old. Unlike most, however, the assignment was for speed reading class . . . rather than American Literature.
Don't ever read this book for speed reading class.
I always intended to get back to the book for a more leisurely reading that would allow me to take in the obvious brilliance of Harper Lee in more ways. I was pleased to find that my local library offered an unabridged reading by Roses Prichard (an actress with a Ph.D. in Communications from the University of Southern California) for Books on Tape.
In the first 15 seconds, I knew I had made a winning choice. Roses Prichard turns Scout (Jean Louise) Finch into a girl you'll feel like you've known all your life. Take the time to find this wonderful recording: You'll discover more in this book than you've ever thought could be in a book describing the thoughts and experiences of a five- to eight-year-old narrator.
Jem and Scout Finch are the only children of Atticus Finch, a highly principled lawyer in the small Southern town of Macomb, Alabama, whose wife died young of a heart attack. Unlike many novelists who cram their story into a few hours or days, Harper Lee showed the good sense to give us the family history and to let the children grow up over a few years before entering the heart of her tale. It's good story-telling and is great for character development.
Jem is five years older than Scout but tolerates her company as long as she doesn't start acting like a girl. That's fine with Scout who prefers overalls to dresses any day. As Jem grows older, he finds himself taking on the role of protector as well.
The children acquire a summer friend, Dill, and decide they want to meet the reclusive Arthur (Boo) Radley, a neighbor who always stays indoors. They have many adventures that will remind you of Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher in Injun Joe's cave.
The book is written in pre-Civil-Rights-era Alabama when consciousness of the bad things done to African Americans wasn't very well developed among those who weren't African Americans. The only people in the story who seemed to appreciate the full horror of discrimination are those who are honestly trying to live the Christian life. But even many practicing Christians proved to be blind to their African American neighbors' needs and concerns.
Harper Lee does a fine job of skewering all of those who are hypocrites on the subject of race. She even takes an appropriate shot at northerners who avoid the company of African Americans.
In a way, this book was The Uncle Tom's Cabin of the Civil Rights Movement, developing the consciousness that helped to change some attitudes towards African Americans.
The story also features lots of insights into Southern "justice" of the day -- inside the court, in the jury box, in jail, and in prison. To bring the evils of the attitudes to bear, Harper Lee tells us that it's wrong to kill a mockingbird . . . they only sing for us to enjoy and don't do any harm. By the end of the book, some of those in Macomb begin to feel that way about harmless human beings who do good, as well.
You can learn more about Southern culture and attitudes in the early 1960s by reading this book than by studying a dozen nonfiction texts. Harper Lee got it right. One of the lightning rods for racial tension in those days was unwarranted sexual fear of African-American males. That theme is fully developed through having an African-American be accused of raping a white woman.
But what I think makes this book timeless is its focus on what it means to be a good person . . . the story of Atticus Finch and his struggles with being both a good man and a good father.
But years from now you won't forget Scout: She's one of the great heroines in American literature and an important prototype of what the next generation should have become in loving other people.
Appreciate the untapped potential all around you!
Book Review: Timeless Classic Prevails Over Movie
Summary: 5 Stars
I was not exactly interested in a book so old that both of my parents had read it. It had never occurred to me that a book written almost half a century ago could actually be entertaining, but To Kill A Mockingbird was an exception. I was intrigued by this powerful piece of literature that had touched the lives of millions of readers. After having enjoyed the book, I went out and rented the Academy-Award winning film that was also considered a classic. Could the film really capture the book in all of its essence? I had never seen a film that had actually been better that the book, but I gave it a try. Overall, the film had been exceptionally good and had captured some very important and meaningful parts in a stunning and excellent manner. It had brought the action and emotion to life. Yet, as one would expect, the book was still superior to and more entertaining than the film.I have never liked the fact that filmmakers usually must exclude some small parts of the book save time, but normally I just let it go and enjoy the movie in all of its brilliance. I could have done the same when viewing To Kill A Mockingbird the film, but the filmmakers had cut out some outstanding parts that had great significance in the book. I was annoyed that they had cut so many parts. For example, in the book, Miss Maudie's house catches fire and an old fire truck, killed by the cold, is pushed from town by a group of men. All the men of Maycomb bring Miss Maudie's furniture out of the house and onto a yard across the street as the flames devour Miss Maudie's home. In the midst of all of this emergency, as Scout and Jem watch in awe, Boo Radley comes up behind Scout and puts a blanket around her without her even knowing it until later that night when Atticus sees it. Still, Scout and Jem are not convinced that Boo Radley could ever be a kind person, let alone a friend of theirs. This part shows Jem and Scout still not being able to see the real Boo Radley, both physically and mentally.
The film also did not include many of the small details that illustrate the fact that Jem and Scout are growing up. The book shows some evidence that Scout and Dill are "engaged" and are to be married when the time comes. However, the film only portrays the two as being merely friends. Also, the film gives no mention of Aunt Alexandra, Atticus' sister, who wants Scout to become more of a sophisticated young woman and takes action when she invites Scout to a tea party that is only took part in by the mature and experienced women of Maycomb. Alexandra also has some arguments with Atticus about not to letting Scout "run wild". The latter parts of the book suggest that Jem is becoming a young man. He becomes slightly grouchy and less kind to Scout and begins to grow hair under his arms. The film disregards these details that contributed so much to the meaning and quality of the book. The book suggests that, during Mr. Gilmer's (Mr. Ewell's lawyer's) cross-examination of Tom Robinson, Scout and Jem take Dill out of the courtroom when Dill starts to cry because he is disgusted by Mr. Gilmer's arrogant attitude toward Tom Robinson. The three children begin to realize the hatred and inhumanity of the world they live in. The film completely ignores the fact that Scout is trying to deal with all the problems of the growing up and maturing of herself and others in the book.
To Kill A Mockingbird the film had never really matched intensity that the book had so often portrayed. The film never touched the core of all human behavior and dignity. However, I was not disappointed or surprised that the film had never reached the level of passion and heartrending that the book had. A film can never reach that level of authenticity and heart. It will only try and fail. Today, To Kill A Mockingbird may be, to some, a book too old and dull to find enjoyment in, but that, in any circumstance, will never be true with an enduring masterpiece such as this.
Book Review: The Way I See It
Summary: 2 Stars
Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird is a true piece of literature that teaches everyone vital lessons dealing with poverty, racism, and even the way to place your self in another's shoes (Amazon.com). "Like the slow-moving occupants of her fictional town, Lee takes her time getting to the heart of her tale" (Amazon.com). This is very true: the first chapters of the novel were a little random and hard to follow, but the book really developed and by the end I could hardly set the book aside. As stated by one of the reviews posted on Amazon.com, every character in Lee's novel has great dimension. Lee has an extraordinary talent of showing off the way society was run back then by the nature and actions of her characters. Her inventive characters, such as the mysterious Boo Radley, the kind hearted Atticus, and even the weird Mr. Dolphus Raymond, really display the town's feeling toward abnormal people, especially African Americans, in 1930's Alabama.
All of the characters seemed very realistic and natural, like you're reading an interesting biography. Lee's main character and narrator is Scout, who is said to behave similarly to the way Harper Lee acted as a child (Biblio.com). You can tell Lee really knew her little narrator well just by the actions Scout would take and the questions and remarks she would make. In the last few pages of the novel, Scout stands on the porch of Boo Radley, the man whom she has been deathly afraid of for years and years, and she brings herself to look at her neighborhood from Boo's perspective. She brings up the past and remembers her and Jem fearfully sprinting back and fourth in front of the Radley Place. It was clever the way that Lee pulled fourth this bit of maturity from eight-year-old Scout. Jem wasn't necessarily my favorite character, but I really enjoyed watching him grow up through the eyes of his little sister. Atticus was a perfect role to have in this novel. I loved to keep reading and see what his responses would be to Scout's questions. Dill was quite a wonder. I loved the line, "beautiful things floated around in his head" because it really displayed his character.
When Atticus is chosen to defend Tom Robinson, a whole new story begins. Now the reader, along with Jem and Scout, are introduced to the nastier side of Maycomb. Racism is exposed everywhere, and it seems that only Atticus is going to stand up for what is right. Scout is very confused at how the strict and upright ladies forming a missionary society with her aunt can try so hard to help others and then discriminate against the black citizens of Maycomb. Scout's teacher, Miss Gates, tells the class America is a democracy. According to Miss Gates, democracy is, "Equal rights for all, special privileges for none." Scout wonders at the way Miss Gates can encourage democracy and still be totally against her father for defending a black man. Isn't America a democracy... why are whites allowed special privileges? However, Lee expertly is able to demonstrate a good side to even some of the worst people, such as the bravery and strong will seen in the evil Mrs. Dubose as she breaks free of her morphine addiction (Amazon.com). In the end, Scout finally realizes that even the cruelest people have a hidden kindness in their hearts (Amazon.com).
Of all the reviews that I searched for of To Kill a Mockingbird, not a single one had any sort of negativity. To Kill a Mockingbird was the only book that Harper Lee has ever published, and with this one book she has won a Pultzer prize and her book has been made into an Oscar winning film (Biblio.com). Overall, Lee was brilliant in the way she was able to lead us through the tough era of the Depression, full of racism and merciless judgments and hateful rumors, behind the eyes of a young girl with a strong heart...much like her father.
Book Review: to kill a mocking bird.
Summary: 5 Stars
Ren Marc Serrano
English Acc. 10 pr.2
August 16, 2006
A Book That Influenced My Life
A book that influence my life would be the book To Kill A Mocking Bird by Harper Lee.
This is a book that took place in a small town in Alabama some where between the 1800's - 1900's the days when blacks were supposedly free but were still segregated from the whites. In the story, we are taken in by thoughts of what seems to be an old women looking back to her childhood. The book which is in the first view point of view, uses the mind of a child to relate with the reader. As the narrator describes her life when she was a child and one important event in her life which will be highlighted for the rest of her life, the story continues to represent and express so much that will teach a valuable lesson to the reader.
This book has influenced my life in many ways, one way that it has influenced my life was from the topic of the story. Following from the plot itself, this book teaches you the value of life and how even though we try so much to make life fair, there are still people who will keep it unfair for their selfness reasons. Considering a moral like this, it may see as if the book was not good or is very gloomy, well this is not the case. This book still has many morals to it as for respecting others and teaches about growing up. Before I read this book I was a person who thought fairness was the key to having the "right" life, as I was told while growing up. After reading this book my perspective of life changed, knowing that life can't always be fair, but as to live life to the fullest and to never look negative among things, but to respect what happens and keep moving.
To Kill A Mocking Bird brought me the attention of what people use to be back in the times of the book and what people still are now a days. Covering the issues or racism, segregation, rape, and death all explained to the narrator which is only 5 -8 years old. This shows that you cant hide the truth about what some human beings are and the situations of life that occur almost everyday some where around the world.
After finishing the book you will come to realize that the world is a crucial place and it brings you to a reality that everything isn't always safe. That in which in the end keeps the reader filled with questions and wanting to know more in the real world.
From this book I have learned the following things that will guide me in the future and my life. I have learned the values of life and that every human being should be treated as equals. There is no need to segregate others because of the color of ones skin or what class they are in society. I have also learned that life is not always going to be fair, and that the world goes around but not the people, meaning everyone is similar in some ways and we all live in one world but no one is exactly the same, and because of this there won't be all kind hearted people in the world. Some are heartless and that is why there are kind people who help keep control over these people who can be heartless and ruthless.
The style that Harper Lee uses in To Kill A Mocking Bird, revolves around the narration of the book. Using first person point of view, she begins to describe what a five year old girl would see and becomes that five year old girls. Most of the story is told in first person in the eyes of a five year old, but the narration will then switch to the omniscient point of view for the reader to understand what is going on in the society. Because Harper Lee uses this as her style the reader begins to understand what goes on in the mind of a little girl.
Book Review: Idealism at its best
Summary: 5 Stars
This classic is one of those "required" novels that young people will be surprised to find they actually enjoy. This is mainly because the narrator, Scout, is such a likable tempestuous girl whose unflinchingly honest opinions are often as amusing as they are truthful. As the novel begins, Scout is a 6-year-old attending school for the first time. Her teacher is a newcomer to Maycomb, and although her methods of teaching frustrate Scout, her father Atticus explains that one never really knows a person until he walks around in that person's skin.This theme of "putting oneself in another's place" echoes throughout the novel, as Scout clumsily continues to ridicule or fear people who are different than she. One of these people is a mysterious neighborhood recluse named Boo Radley. Scout, her brother Jem, and their friend Dill naively turn the situation into a game in which they try to get Boo to come out of his house. In the meantime, they create their own idea of what Boo must look like, and the composite they come up with is a seven-foot ogre who eats raw animals. The kids are unaware of their cruelty in "reenacting" Boo's life, and their insensitivity is a metaphor for prejudice, which stems from people's ignorance, and which is also in abundance among the conservative Southern white folks in Maycomb.
The standout character is Atticus, who is a lawyer. His motive is clearly not money, since they live in one of the poorest areas in the country; he is an idealist. Soon he will fight an uphill battle involving a young black man named Tom Robinson, a church-going family man who has nevertheless been accused of raping a 19-year-old white girl. Most of the townspeople are scandalized and pronounce him guilty on the spot, even when it becomes apparent during the trial that the "evidence" doesn't fit the accusation. Tom is almost too saintly as a character, but then, he is more of a symbol than a person--the mockingbird of the title. His reluctance to utter the "unfit" language that the girl's father, Bob Ewell, so readily uses, shows his gentle good breeding. Atticus has repeatedly told Scout that killing a mockingbird is a sin, because they do no harm to anyone. Scout sees how Tom Robinson, Boo Radley, and even Atticus at times, fit into the "mockingbird" theme, and that is the first glimmer of maturity and understanding experienced by her.
The book is unique because it encompasses so many emotions: humor, misery, tragedy, indifference to others' suffering, loneliness, nobility, understanding, bravery, and acceptance. Scout herself is as feisty a heroine as any recent tomboys; she refuses to repress herself, even when she is told to be "a lady". Atticus is almost god-like in his idealism; he is clearly a metaphor for Jesus in his lack of materialism and determination to seek justice at all costs. Jem, Scout's older brother, is so naive in his idealism that he, too, is wounded like the "mockingbird"; he did not realize that prejudice is so deep that no amount of logic can instantly dispose of it. Dill is the classic "child orphan" who is also wounded in his own way--emotionally. Mayella Ewing, Tom's accuser, is also a mockingbird in a sense--she was so mistreated, abused, and lonely, without any friends or confidantes, that she inspired the pity of a black man--an unforgivable sin on Tom's part, as far as the majority of Maycomb was concerned. There are so many noble and spiteful characters that the reader will not be bored; this book is truly an inspiration for all.