Author: Harper Lee
Series: -
Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Classics
Publisher: Harper Perennial Modern Classics
Source: Audiobook
Pages: 324
// Add to GoodReads //
Series: -
Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Classics
Publisher: Harper Perennial Modern Classics
Source: Audiobook
Pages: 324
// Add to GoodReads //
BLURB:
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.
I knew about this book, because it was my roommates favorite book and because I heard the name Boo Radley so many times. In all honesty I was really putting it off for a long long time, but I finally managed to finish it and I am pleased that I did.
THE WORLD: The plot takes place over the period of three years, I think when the book starts we have 1933 and it ends with 1935 or something like that. The town Maycomb, Alabama is fictitious, I Googled the city to make sure :D So the world in this book seems rather odd to our modern eye. I have to say, while becoming familiar with the book and surroundings I did shake my head few times just couldn't believe that these things (that happen) in the book were actually considered to be a norm in that society. Even though they were presented to the reader in a rather funny form through a hilarious troubles that main character gets into, but it still made me feel so sad, to think people lived like that.
CHARACTERS: The main character and the narrator of the story is Jean Louise Finch - or as her father and basically everyone call her Scout. I found her to be a wonderful character to read and to have the book being written from her perspective was just genius. When we meet her she is about to start first grade. Scout is smart, she already knows how to read, which gets her in trouble in school, she absolutely loves her father and brother and is what I would consider a tomboy. In other words, Scout is a badass! Another important character is her brother Jeremy - Jem - who is older so he takes the role of the thinker. As he gets older he does change into this young man who thinks before he acts, and he want to become a gentlemen and make world a better place. I liked Jem a lot I think he was a great role model for Scout. Atticus Finch - is the father of Jem and Scout and he is a lawyer in Maycomb. I just loved him and the way he was raising his kids. Everything he wanted was for his kids to see that being kind to others doesn't make you weak, or that what truly makes you a human being is simply having compassion or sympathy. Atticus was such a great character! Always having something smart to say, always defending the outcast. Another character I loved loved loved was Calpurnia - the maid in the Finch household. She was a delight as well. The way she would shut Scout up was just so funny. And I even wrote down the passage where she schools Scout about hospitality. They basically invited this poor boy whose family was poor and he didn't have lunch at school so Jem invited him to their house and Scout was horrified by the way he was eating. Calpurnia took her into the kitchen and told her that he can act the way he wants because he is their guest so she needs to shut up! I just love this so much, because it teaches to understand how grateful we need to be for what we have and how you have to treat everyone else as equals.
Of course I cannot go by not mentioning Arthur 'Boo' Radley. When we meet him he is introduced as the town loner, always keeping to himself and never leaving his house just lurking through a curtain. Whenever his name is mentioned you get this creepy feeling like he is watching you or something, but as the book goes you slowly see that Boo Radley is an embodiment of how the cruelty of people and society can destroy a pure heart! There are multiple other characters but I believe these ones are the most important ones to know.
Of course I cannot go by not mentioning Arthur 'Boo' Radley. When we meet him he is introduced as the town loner, always keeping to himself and never leaving his house just lurking through a curtain. Whenever his name is mentioned you get this creepy feeling like he is watching you or something, but as the book goes you slowly see that Boo Radley is an embodiment of how the cruelty of people and society can destroy a pure heart! There are multiple other characters but I believe these ones are the most important ones to know.
LOVE: There isn't really much of a love in this book. However, you get a lot of family connection and bond, which I found being more interesting because you get to see how the Finches love each other.
PLUS: I enjoyed the many hidden themes in this book. The racism theme was a big part of this book, and it just pained me deeply to have to again come to realization that people were actually treated this way. There are themes of simple kindness, gratitude and innocence. I absolutely adored the relationship between Jem and Scout as siblings. I too have a brother, so I completely agreed with them and saw my brother and myself as kids, fighting but always having each others back :)
PLUS: I enjoyed the many hidden themes in this book. The racism theme was a big part of this book, and it just pained me deeply to have to again come to realization that people were actually treated this way. There are themes of simple kindness, gratitude and innocence. I absolutely adored the relationship between Jem and Scout as siblings. I too have a brother, so I completely agreed with them and saw my brother and myself as kids, fighting but always having each others back :)
MINUS: I felt like it would get difficult for me to keep up and pick this book up again. It was really good but it takes time to grow on you.
OVERALL: I would actually recommend this book to be included in school programs. It teaches you so many things and it could truly be a great role model for kids.
OVERALL: I would actually recommend this book to be included in school programs. It teaches you so many things and it could truly be a great role model for kids.
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What did you think of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD?
