To Kill a Mockingbird

 

Author: Harper (Nell) Lee

1961 Pulitzer Prize
Published: July 11, 1960 by J. B. Lippincott & Co.
Genre: Bildungsroman and Southern Gothic
Rating: 5 of 5

In 1993 Lee wrote a new forward for this fantastic novel and in that she asked that future editions not mention the critical acclaim saying that Mockingbird “still says what it has to say”.  With that in mind I will skip the literary applause except to say that Mockingbird is one of my favorite books ever and that it was just as good when I read it in my late 50’s as it was when I was a teen.  I feel pretty secure in my assessment since the British librarians ranked this ahead of the Bible as a book “every adult should read before they die.”

The story takes place in the fictional small town of Maycomb, Georgia during the depression and is narrated years later by the youngest child, a daughter named Jean Louise “Scout” Finch.  The interaction of the three main stories makes the 290+ pages feel more like 150 pages and the reflections after reading enhance the enjoyment.  When you later learn facts such as the character Dill being based on a young Truman Capote, the Tom Robinson trial having its roots in several real life racial incidents (Walter Lett, Scottsboro Boys, and Emmett Till), the Radleys reflecting an actual family who lived near Lee during her childhood, and that Lee never wrote another novel you will experience the novel once again.

As for the story lines, I see three majors with several sub plots so masterfully woven that they blend rather than detract from the reading experience. 

First; the racial account of a Black man accused of raping a young White woman.  While a very interesting tale of its own it more importantly acts as the backdrop of the novel.  Due to the release date of the novel, the early stages of the American Civil Rights movement, Mockingbird is often mistakenly thought of as a Civil Rights novel as Uncle Tom’s Cabin is sometimes thought of as the beginning of the American Civil War.
Second; the development and nurturing of the family unit.  This is often overlooked until you discover that Lee’s original title was Atticus and that the family name of Finch was taken from the maiden name of Lee’s Mother (Frances Cunningham Finch).  Lee is writing about her family, her comfort in it, and how the teachings of her Father and care from relatives and friends resulted in her adult character.
Third; Scout’s coming of age.  Not just a physical maturity but the understanding of what my Irish family would refer to as “her Daddy’s lesson”.  Atticus often tells his children to be aware of how the other person feels, don’t assume you know someone just because you paint them with your own experiences.  This culminates in her using the Mockingbird story to define Boo Radley and befriending him.

There are a few sub plots also, one being the reaction of Jem to the conclusion of the trial and another the relationship between Dill and his Father.  Lee could have expanded on any and all of these but it would have been detrimental to the novel.  The idea does make me wish that she had written more stories though.

I don’t read books twice even if I was forced to read them in school but Mockingbird is the exception.  I read it when I was young and I read it when I was old(er).  I have also seen the movie several times and the play once (at the Ford Theater).  It is one of the first adult (not as in R rated or anything) movie I had my daughter see when she was young.  Can I say any more about it?  You are really going to enjoy this one.

If you would like to order Mockingbird in hard cover, soft cover, or e-book simply click in the immage at the top of this report.